OnGlenriddell'sFoxBreakingHisChain

onglenriddell'sfoxbreakinghischain

afragment,1791.

thou,liberty,thouartmytheme;

notsuchasidlepoetsdream,

whotricktheeupaheathengoddess

thatafantasticcapandrodhas;

suchstaleconceitsarepoorandsilly;

ipainttheeout,ahighlandfilly,

asturdy,stubborn,handsomedapple,

assleek'samouse,asround'sanapple,

thatwhenthoupleasestcanstdowonders;

butwhenthylucklessriderblunders,

orifthyfancyshoulddemurthere,

wiltbreakthyneckerethougofurther.

thesethingspremised,isingafox,

wascaughtamonghisnativerocks,

andtoadirtykennelchained,

howhehislibertyregained.

glenriddell!whigwithoutastain,

awhiginprincipleandgrain,

could'stthouenslaveafree-borncreature,

anativedenizenofnature?

howcould'stthou,withaheartsogood,

(abetterne'erwassluicedwithblood!)

nailapoordeviltoatree,

thatne'erdidharmtothineorthee?

thestaunchestwhigglenriddellwas,

quitefranticinhiscountry'scause;

andoftwasreynard'sprisonpassing,

andwithhisbrother-whigscanvassing

therightsofmen,thepowersofwomen,

withallthedignityoffreemen.

sirreynarddailyhearddebates

ofprinces',kings',andnations'fates,

withmanyrueful,bloodystories

oftyrants,jacobites,andtories:

fromlibertyhowangelsfell,

thatnowaregalley-slavesinhell;

hownimrodfirstthetradebegan

ofbindingslavery'schainsonman;

howfellsemiramis—goddamnher!

didfirst,withsacrilegioushammer,

(allillstillthenweretrivialmatters)

formandethron'dforgehen-peckfetters;

howxerxes,thatabandonedtory,

thoughtcuttingthroatswasreapingglory,

untilthestubbornwhigsofsparta

taughthimgreatnature'smagnacharta;

howmightyromeherfiathurl'd

resistlesso'erabowingworld,