47. 'And at length when ye complain With a murmur weak and vain 'Tis to see the Tyrant's crew _190 Ride over your wives and you Blood is on the grass like dew. 48. 'Then it is to feel revenge Fiercely thirsting to exchange Blood for blood--and wrong for wrong-- _195 Do not thus when ye are strong. 49. 'Birds find rest, in narrow nest When weary of their winged quest; Beasts find fare, in woody lair When storm and snow are in the air. _200 50. 'Asses, swine, have litter spread And with fitting food are fed; All things have a home but one-- Thou, Oh, Englishman, hast none! 51. 'This is Slavery--savage men, _205 Or wild beasts within a den Would endure not as ye do-- But such ills they never knew. 52. 'What art thou Freedom? O! could slaves Answer from their living graves _210 This demand--tyrants would flee Like a dream's dim imagery: 53. 'Thou art not, as impostors say, A shadow soon to pass away, A superstition, and a name _215 Echoing from the cave of Fame. 54. 'For the labourer thou art bread, And a comely table spread From his daily labour come In a neat and happy home. _220 55. Thou art clothes, and fire, and food For the trampled multitude-- No--in countries that are free Such starvation cannot be As in England now we see. _225 56. 'To the rich thou art a check, When his foot is on the neck Of his victim, thou dost make That he treads upon a snake. 57. Thou art Justice--ne'er for gold _230 May thy righteous laws be sold As laws are in England--thou Shield'st alike the high and low. 58. 'Thou art Wisdom--Freemen never Dream that God will damn for ever _235 All who think those things untrue Of which Priests make such ado. 59. 'Thou art Peace--never by thee Would blood and treasure wasted be As tyrants wasted them, when all _240 Leagued to quench thy flame in Gaul. 60. 'What if English toil and blood Was poured forth, even as a flood? It availed, Oh, Liberty, To dim, but not extinguish thee. _245 61. 'Thou art Love--the rich have kissed Thy feet, and like him following Christ, Give their substance to the free And through the rough world follow thee, 62. 'Or turn their wealth to arms, and make _250 War for thy beloved sake On wealth, and war, and fraud--whence they Drew the power which is their prey. 63. 'Science, Poetry, and Thought Are thy lamps; they make the lot _255 Of the dwellers in a cot So serene, they curse it not.