Motto to the Songs of Innocence & of Experience
The Good are attracted by Mens perceptions
And Think not for themselves
Till Experience teaches them to catch
And to cage the Fairies & Elves
And then the Knave begins to snarl 5
And the Hypocrite to howl
And all his good Friends shew their private ends
And the Eagle is known from the Owl
"Let the Brothels of Paris be opened..." Let the Brothels of Paris be opened With many an alluring dance To awake the Physicians thro the city Said the beautiful Queen of France
Then old Nobodaddy aloft 5
Farted & belchd & coughd
And said I love hanging & drawing & quartering
Every bit as well as war & slaughtering
Then he swore a great & solemn Oath
To kill the people I am loth 10
But If they rebel they must go to hell
They shall have a Priest & a passing bell
The King awoke on his couch of gold
As soon as he heard these tidings told
Arise & come both fife & drum 15
And the [Famine] shall eat both crust & crumb
The Queen of France just touchd this Globe
And the Pestilence darted from her robe
But our good Queen quite grows to the ground
And a great many suckers grow all around 20
"Who will exchange his own fire side..." Who will exchange his own fire side For the stone of anothers door Who will exchange his wheaten loaf For the links of a dungeon floor
Fayette beheld the King & Queen 5
In curses & iron boundt
But mute Fayette wept tear for tear
And guarded them around
O who would smile on the wintry seas
& Pity the stormy roar 10
Or who will exchange his new born child
For the dog at the wintry door
"When Klopstock England defied..."
On the Virginity of the Virgin Mary & Johanna Southcott
Whateer is done to her she cannot know
And if youll ask her she will swear it so
Whether tis good or evil none's to blame
No one can take the pride no one the shame
"You dont believe I wont attempt to make ye" You dont believe I wont attempt to make ye You are asleep I wont attempt to wake ye Sleep on Sleep on while in your pleasant dreams Of Reason you may drink of Lifes clear streams Reason and Newton they are quite two things 5 For so the Swallow & the Sparrow sings Reason says Miracle. Newton says Doubt Aye thats the way to make all Nature out Doubt Doubt & dont believe without experiment That is the very thing that Jesus meant 10 When he said Only Believe Believe & try Try Try & never mind the Reason why
"If it is True What the Prophets write..." If it is True What the Prophets write That the heathen Gods are all stocks & stones Shall we for the sake of being Polite Feed them with the juice of our marrow bones And if Bezaleel & Aholiab drew 5
What the Finger of God pointed to their View
Shall we suffer the Roman & Grecian Rods
To compell us to worship them as Gods
They stole them from the Temple of the Lord
And Worshippd them that they might make Inspired Art Abhorrd
The Wood & Stone were calld The Holy Things—
And their Sublime Intent given to their Kings
All the Atonements of Jehovah spurnd
And Criminals to Sacrifices Turnd
"I am no Homers Hero you all know..." I am no Homers Hero you all know I profess not Generosity to a Foe My Generosity is to my Friends That for their Friendship I may make amends The Generous to Enemies promotes their Ends 5 And becomes the Enemy & Betrayer of his Friends
"The Angel that presided oer my birth..." The Angel that presided oer my birth Said Little creature formd of Joy & Mirth Go love without the help of any King on Earth
"Some Men created for destruction come..." Some Men created for destruction come Into the World & make the World their home Be they as Vile & Base as Eer they can Theyll still be called 'The Worlds' honest man
"If I eer Grow to Mans Estate..." If I eer Grow to Mans Estate O Give to me a Womans fate May I govern all both great & small Have the last word & take the wall
From Cratetos
Me Time has Crook'd. no good Workman
Is he. Infirm is all that he does
"If Men will act like a maid smiling over a Churn..." If Men will act like a maid smiling over a Churn They ought not when it comes to anothers turn