When ruthlessly they plunder
Poor Afric's homes defiled,
And all to sell-asunder!

The mother, and her child.

O free and fearless Nation,

Wipe out this damning spot, Earth's worst abomination,

And nature's blackest blot; Begin and speed the rather

To help with hand and eye The children of your Father Beneath His tropic sky.

He-He who form'd and frees us
And makes us white within,
Who knows how Holy JESUS
May love that tinted skin?
For none can tell how, darkly
The sun of Jewry shed
Its burning shadows starkly
On JESU's homeless head.

And lo! One great salvation Has burst upon the World,And God's Illumination

Like noonday shines unfurl'd; Shall bonds or colour pale it?

Candace's Eunuch-say

The first, though black, to hail it, And love the Gospel Day!

"" YE THIRTY NOBLE NATIONS."

Columbia, well I note it

That half your sons are strong Against this ill, and vote it

A folly and a wrong;

Yet, lurks there not a loathing,

Ay, with your best inclined, Against that sable clothing

Of Man's own heart and mind?

I charge you by your power,
Your freedom and your fame,
To speed the blessed hour

That wipes away this Shame:
By all life's hopes and wishes
And fears beyond the grave,
Renounce those blood-bought riches,
And frankly free the slave!

So let whatever threaten,

While GOD is on our side,
Columbia and Britain

The world shall well divide,—
Divide-No! in one tether
Of Anglo-Saxon might
We'll hold the world together
peace and love and right!

In

237

TO THE UNION.

(IN 1851.)

GIANT aggregate of nations,

Glorious Whole of glorious Parts, Unto endless generations

Live United, hands and hearts! Be it storm or summer-weather, Peaceful calm, or battle-jar,

Stand in beauteous strength together, Sister States, as Now ye are !

Every petty class-dissension,

Heal it up, as quick as thought; Every paltry place-pretension, Crush it, as a thing of nought: Let no narrow private treason Your great onward progress bar, But remain, in right and reason, Sister States, as Now ye are !

Fling away absurd ambition!
People, leave that toy to kings:
Envy, jealousy, suspicion,

Be above such grovelling things!

In each other's joys delighted,
All your hate be-joys of war,
And by all means keep United,
Sister States, as Now ye are !

TO THE UNION.

Were I but some scornful stranger,
Still my counsel would be just;
Break the band, and all is danger,
Mutual fear and dark distrust:
But, you know me for a brother

And a friend who speaks from far,
Be at one then with each other,
Sister States, as Now ye are !

If it seems a thing unholy

Freedom's soil by slaves to till,
Yet, be just! and sagely, slowly,
Nobly, cure that ancient ill :
Slowly, haste is fatal ever;
Nobly,-lest good faith ye mar;
Sagely, not in wrath to sever
Sister States, as Now ye are !

Charm'd with your commingled beauty
England sends the signal round,
"Every man must do his duty"

To redeem from bonds the bound!
Then indeed your banner's brightness
Shining clear from every star

Shall proclaim your joint uprightness,
Sister States, as Now

ye are!

So, a peerless constellation

May those stars for ever blaze ! Three-and-ten-times-threefold nation, Go a-head in power and praise!

239

Like the many-breasted goddess
Throned on her Ephesian car,
Be-one heart in many bodies!

Sister States, as Now ye are.

TO CERTAIN OF "THE FOURTH ESTATE.” (A BALLAD OF WARNING.)

YE that steer the minds of men,

Pilots of the public will,

By the rudder of the pen

Guiding us to good or ill,

Who shall tell how vast your power,
Power to curse, or power to bless,
Secret despots of the hour,

Monarchs of the mighty Press ?

Kings uncrown'd, unseen, unknown!
Nameless chiefs in every land!
Of yourselves your power is grown,

And within yourselves shall stand

Strongly, till yourselves alone
Change with suicidal hand

That firm pyramid of stone

To a crumbling hill of sand!

Till YE change it: till good sense
Leaves the dull or venal page;