| |
| TOM—garlanded with squat and surly steel | |
| Tom; then Tom’s fallowbootfellow piles pick | |
| By him and rips out rockfire homeforth—sturdy Dick; | |
| Tom Heart-at-ease, Tom Navvy: he is all for his meal | |
| Sure, ’s bed now. Low be it: lustily he his low lot (feel | 5 |
| That ne’er need hunger, Tom; Tom seldom sick, | |
| Seldomer heartsore; that treads through, prickproof, thick | |
| Thousands of thorns, thoughts) swings though. Commonweal | |
| Little I reck ho! lacklevel in, if all had bread: | |
| What! Country is honour enough in all us—lordly head, | 10 |
| With heaven’s lights high hung round, or, mother-ground | |
| That mammocks, mighty foot. But no way sped, | |
| Nor mind nor mainstrength; gold go garlanded | |
| With, perilous, O nó; nor yet plod safe shod sound; | |
| Undenizened, beyond bound | 15 |
| Of earth’s glory, earth’s ease, all; no one, nowhere, | |
| In wide the world’s weal; rare gold, bold steel, bare | |
| In both; care, but share care— | |
| This, by Despair, bred Hangdog dull; by Rage, | |
| Manwolf; worse; and their packs infest the age. | 20 |
| |
| See Notes. |
| |
