Plutus.
Would you silence a Patriot committee,
Touch their lips with this magical Wand;
Through country, and senate, and city,
‘Tis the lock and the key of the land.
Take a piece of this same from your coffer,
Display to the Voter your pelf;
And the wretch, having nothing to offer,
Will frugally sell you-Himself.
‘Tis a shot for the fowl of all feather,
A bait for the gust of all fish;
To this every gudgeon will gather,
And plump, ready drest, in your dish.
If the booby, your Pupil, so dull is,
He scarce can remember his name;
Yet his mouth it shall open, like Tully’s,
When fed with a spoon of this same.
To a rascal, a bear, and a blockhead,
Unconscious of mood, or of tense,
This plastic receipt, in his pocket,
Gives grace, figure, virtue, and sense.
Old Saints will for this sell their manuals;
O’er this, at your sovereign nod,
Old Judges will skip like young spaniels,
And Cardinals kiss you this rod.
To study aught else is but nonsense;
From hence all Philosophy springs-
‘Tis the Crown, Beauty, Cause, and Good Conscience,
Of Priests, Ladies, Lawyers, and Kings.
(Henry Brooke)
More Poetry from Henry Brooke:
Henry Brooke Poems based on Topics: Law & Regulation, Kings & Queens, Vice & Virtue, Government, Sense & Perception, Cities, Committees, Beauty, Name, Countries, Conscience- Jack The Giant Queller. AIR I. (Henry Brooke Poems)
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Based on Topics: Sense & Perception Poems, Name Poems, Kings & Queens Poems, Beauty Poems, Law & Regulation Poems, Cities Poems, Countries Poems, Vice & Virtue Poems, Conscience Poems, Government Poems, Committees PoemsBased on Keywords: tully, cardinals, booby, spaniels, plutus, voter, gudgeon, frugally, manuals