1
My Brothers of this world, of ev’ry Nation,
Some maxims of prudence the Muse would inspire.
Now restlessness reigns throughout every station;
The low would be high, and the high would be higher;
Now Freedom’s the word,
That unsheaths ev’ry sword,
But don’t be deceiv’d by such pretexts as these:
‘Tis not Freedom, nor Slavery,
That calls for your Bravery;
‘Tis, only a Scramble for more Bread and Cheese.
2
When others some party are venting their rage on,
Inflam’d by the news from Versailles or the Hague,
Let Mum be your maxim … beware of contagion …
For Anger is catching as Fever or Plague:
Now Victuals is scanty,
And Eaters are plenty,
The former must rise, or the latter decrease;
If in War they’re employ’d,
Till one half are destroy’d,
The few that are left will have more Bread and Cheese.
3
Think not that Employment’s the grand requisition;
That if men had work it would make the times good;
No man would want work if he lack’d not provision;
The cry for Employ is the cry for more Food.
Now every Trade,
From the Gown to the Spade,
Oppress’d by it’s numbers feels Scarcity’s squeeze;
From the Prince to the Peasant,
‘Tis true, tho’ unpleasant,
There must be fewer mouths, or else more Bread and Cheese.
4
Now our Hive is so pinch’d, both for room and for honey,
The industrious Bees would fain kick out the Drones:
But expose not your Life, for victuals nor money;
‘Tis better you supperless sleep with whole bones,
Then shuffle, and hustle,
Keep clear of the bustle,
Step out of the way-when they kick up a breeze:
Preserve your own Life,
Till the end of the strife:
Then the few that are left will have more Bread and Cheese.
5
Think not Hell is let loose with a terrible mission,
To punish a world for incor’gible Sin.
Not from angry Gods, nor from deep Politicians,
War nat’rally springs from the Passions of Men:
‘Tis for room and for food,
That Men fight and shed blood;
When sufficiently thinn’d the inducement will cease:
There’ll be room for us all,
When our numbers are small:
And the few that are left will have more Bread and Cheese.
(Nathaniel Bloomfield)
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Based on Topics: Man Poems, God Poems, Life Poems, World Poems, War & Peace Poems, Cry Poems, Money & Wealth Poems, Anger Poems, Sin Poems, Courage Poems, Liberty & Freedom PoemsBased on Keywords: scarcity, versailles, inflam, venting, supperless, thinn, eaters, requisition, hague, pretexts, inducement