But lives, when that exterior grace, THE NEGRO'S COMPLAINT. ORCED from home and all its pleasures, To increase the ftranger's treasures, O'er the raging billows borne. Men from England bought and sold me, Still in thought as free as ever, What are England's rights, I ask, Me from my delights to fever, Skins may differ, but affection Dwells in white and black the fame. Why did all-creating Nature Make the plant for which we toil? Sighs must fan it, tears must water, Sweat of ours muft dress the foil. Think, ye mafters iron-hearted, Lolling at your jovial boards, Think how many backs have smarted For the sweets your cane affords. Is there, as ye fometimes tell us, Speaking from his throne the sky? Afk Him, if your knotted fcourges, Matches, blood-extorting screws,. Are the means that duty urges Agents of his will to use? Hark! He answers--Wild tornadoes, Strewing yonder fea with wrecks; Wafting towns, plantations, meadows, Are the voice with which he speaks. He, foreseeing what vexations Afric's fons fhould undergo, Fix'd their tyrants' habitations Where his whirlwinds anfwer-No. By our blood in Afric wafted, Ere our necks received the chain; By the miseries that we tasted, your barks the main ; By our fufferings, fince ye brought us Deem our nation brutes no longer, What I hear of their hardships, their tortures, and Is almost enough to draw pity from stones. I pity them greatly, but I must be mum, What, give up our defferts, our coffee, and tea! Befides, if we do, the French, Dutch, and Danes Will heartily thank us, no doubt, for our pains : If we do not buy the poor creatures, they will, And tortures and groans will be multiplied still. If foreigners likewise would give up the trade, Much more in behalf of your wifh might be faid; But, while they get riches by purchafing blacks, Pray tell me why we may not also go fnacks? Your fcruples and arguments bring to my mind A story so pat, you may think it is coin'd, On purpose to answer you, out of my mint; But I can affure you I faw it in print. A youngster at school, more fedate than the rest, He was shock'd, fir, like you, and answer'd—“ Oh no! What! rob our good neighbour! I pray you don't go; Befides the man's poor, his orchard's his bread, Then think of his children, for they must be fed." "You speak very fine, and you look very grave, They spoke, and Tom ponder'd-" I see they will go: Poor man! what a pity to injure him so! Poor man! I would fave him his fruit if I could, But staying behind will do him no good. "If the matter depended alone upon me, His apples might hang till they dropp'd from the tree; But fince they will take them, I think I'll go too, He will lofe none by me, though I get a few.” His fcruples thus filenced, Tom felt more at ease, And went with his comrades the apples to feize; He blamed and protested, but join'd in the plan : He shared in the plunder, but pitied the man. THE MORNING DREAM. WAS in the glad feafon of fpring, And the fresh-blowing breeze never fail'd. |