William Blake (1757–1827). The Poetical Works. 1908.
Poems from the Rossetti MS.: Earlier Poems[Lafayette]
With many an alluring dance,
To awake the physicians thro’ the city!’
Said the beautiful Queen of France.
As soon as he heard these tidings told:
‘Arise and come, both fife and drum,
And the famine shall eat both crust and crumb.’
And the pestilence darted from her robe;
But our good Queen quite grows to the ground,
And a great many suckers grow all around.
He saw him sign his hand;
And soon he saw the famine rage
About the fruitful land.
And wink her lovely eye;
And soon he saw the pestilence
From street to street to fly.
In curses and iron bound;
But mute Fayette wept tear for tear,
And guarded them around.
And sold is thy happy morrow;
Thou gavest the tears of pity away
In exchange for the tears of sorrow.
For the stone of another’s door?
Who will exchange his wheaten loaf
For the links of a dungeon-floor?
And pity the stormy roar?
Or who will exchange his new-born child
For the dog at the wintry door?