Could penetrate the public ear,
Deafened with all this windy shine,
And muddled ’twixt contempt and fear;
I rather think
I would tell some truths might make the scoffers shrink.
But I compete with yonder wolf-eyed brute?
No; I can easier suffer and stand mute.
If that’s a strong, well-ordered state,
Where tens of thousands like myself,
With willing hands, must starve and wait,