By Blue Ontario's Shore（四）

    Piety¹ and conformity² to them that like，

    Peace， obesity³， allegiance， to them that like，

    I am he who tauntingly⁴ compels men， women， nations，

    Crying， Leap from your seats and contend for your lives！

    I am he who walks the States with a barb'd tongue，

    questioning every one I meet，

    Who are you that wanted only to be told what you knew

    before？

    Who are you that wanted only a book to join you in your

    nonsense？

    （With pangs⁵ and cries as thine own O bearer of many

    children，

    These clamors wild to a race of pride I give.）

    O lands， would you be freer than all that has ever been

    before？

    If you would be freer than all that has been before， come

    listen to me.

    Fear grace， elegance⁶， civilization， delicatesse，

    Fear the mellow⁷ sweet， the sucking of honey-juice，

    Beware the advancing mortal ripening⁸ of Nature，

    Beware what precedes the decay of the ruggedness⁹ of states

    and men.