The Virginia Gazette

To the Honourable HOUSE of DELEGATES for the commonwealth of
VIRGINIA, now sitting at WILLIAMSBURG: The humble address of
a country poet.

Now LIBERTY is all the plan
Whose heart is right, and fills the mouth
Of patriots all, from north to south!
May a poor bard, from bushes sprung,
And yet has but to rustics sung,
Address your Honourable House,
And not your angry passions rouse?
If so, come listen to my lay
I hope to charm you while I play.
My rural harp, with rapt'rous sound,
Shall make ye Tories dance around.
Hark! for a while your business stop,
One word into your ears I'll drop
One word—enough is to the wise:
Make us all FREE before you rise!
FREEDOM we crave with ev'ry breath;
An equal freedom, or a death,
The heav'nly blessing freely give,
Or make an act we shall not live!
Tax all things, water, air, and light,
If need there is; yea tax the night!
But let our brave heroic minds
Move freely, like celestial winds.
Make vice and folly feel your rod,
But leave our consciences to GOD.
To mortal power she never bows,
For Heav'n alone claims all her vows.
Now let me strike the strings once more;
And send the sound from shore to shore!
What say great WASHINGTON and LEE?
Our country is and shall be free!
What says brave HENRY, PENDLETON,
And liberty's minutest SON
'Tis but one voice! they all agree!
GOD made us, and we must be free.
O DELEGATES! and can you vary
In sentiment, and act contrary
It cannot be! I hear your voice:
You speak your native country's choice;
They who would make the people slaves
Are nothing but a pack of KNAVES!
Let ev'ry man choose his own form
Of PIETY: nor at him storm,
Because as he's not so knowing,
Altho' perhaps in knowledge growing.
He that observes the civil law,
And keeps it whole without a flaw,
Let him just as he pleases pray,
And go to Heav'n in his own way.
And if he miss we all must own,
No man is wrong'd but he alone.
Hear it O DUNMORE: hear it HOWE
Where are your hopes of vict'ry now?
When such a spacious continent,
Does SLAV'RY's very name resent!
AMERICANS num'rous as sand,
And owners of a boundless land,
While joined in union's golden band,
Can live without you or your King,
And will do so. Sing! Sing! Sing! Sing!