Poem by William Blake

* * *

Let the Brothels of Paris be opened
With many an alluring dance
To awake the [Pestilence] Physicians thro the city
Said the beautiful Queen of France
The King awoke on his couch of gold
As soon as he heard these tidings told
Arise & come both fife & drum
And the [Famine] shall eat both crust & crumb

[Then old Nobodaddy aloft
Farted & belchd & coughd
And said I love hanging & drawing & quartering
Every bit as well as war & slaughtering
(Damn praying & singing
Unless they will bring in
The blood of ten thousand by fighting or swinging)
Then he swore a great & solemn Oath
To kill the people I am loth
But if they rebel they must go to hell
They shall have a Priest & a passing bell]

The Queen of France just touchd this Globe
And the Pestilence darted from her robe
[But the bloodthirsty people across the water
Will not submit to the gibbet & halter]
But our good Queen quite grows to the ground
[There is just such a tree at Java found]
And a great many suckers grow all around.

Fayette beside King Lewis stood;
He saw him sign his hand;
And soon he saw the famine rage
About the fruitful land.

Fayette beheld the Queen to smile
And wink her lovely eye;
And soon he saw the pestilence
From street to street to fly.

Fayette beheld the King & Queen
In tears & iron bound;
But mute Fayette wept tear for tear,
And guarded them around.

Fayette, Fayette, thou'rt bought & sold,
And sold is thy happy morrow;
Thou gavest the tears of Pity away
In exchange for the tears of sorrow.

Who will exchange his own fire side
For the steps of another's door?
Who will exchange his wheaten loaf
For the links of a dungeon floor?

O, who would smile on the wintry seas,
& Pity the stormy roar?
Or who will exchange his new born child
For the dog at the wintry door?

1. Songs of Experience. The Little Girl Found
2. To the Accuser Who Is the God of This World
3. Songs of Experience. Nurse's Song
4. Eternity
5. Songs of Experience. The Sick Rose

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