The Origin of Kings. a Fragment

—WHEN Time was young, And Earth was clad in Nature's rudest garb, Dark tangled forests, desarts vast and drear, Wild heaths, and reedy lakes, and rushy fens; When fresh and vig'rous from th' Eternal hand, Man trode the rough domain; himself as rough; The bus'ness of bis life to propagate, To draw nutrition, and to keep at bay Instinct's ferocious swarms; then the wide world Was but a huge estate, Heav'n the prime Lord, And all mankind his equal tenantry. No power was known, save that which Nature owns— Paternal sway—Clad in the spoils of brutes, And unrestrain'd as is the mountain's blast, Dauntless and firm the sturdy savage roam'd, His family a state, himself a chief. Water, wild fruits and animal repasts, Compos'd his worldly good; with these in view, On the rough margin of some stream or lake, Begirt with matted brakes and forests tall, He rear'd, with unskill'd hand, his wattled shed. Around him nimble as the bounding roe, His naked offspring play'd. Time brought desires, And from desires, which to repress, was sin, Full many a progeny soon frolick'd round— Affection filial, fondness for the seat Of all their youthful gambols, and the dread Of climes less bounteous, fix'd him to the soil. The patriot fire now glimmer'd; smaller tribes, Lur'd by the hopes of plenty, or induc'd By love of social intercourse, pour'd in; And by their ardent youth were soon made one. Thus congregated man, and thus wild wastes, The haunts of shaggy tribes, were sprinkled o'er With many a human dwelling. Settled now, Man's wond'rous faculties began to shoot. For heav'n who plac'd him midst this warring scene, Unarm'd and void of cov'ring, gave him pow'rs Superior far to all that brutes possess; Gave him by his own efforts to improve: Hence came the jav'lin, and the furry garb, And all that polish'd regions now enjoy. Each sire was still the sov'reign of his shed, And all internal bick'rings might compose. But when contention 'mongst these very sires, Uncheck'd by pow'r superior, rear'd his head, All then was wild confusion. Hence 'twas found, That man i'th' social state lack'd more controul, Than could from patriarchal rule proceed. But who might say what this controul should be? At this grand, yet simple point t' adjust, 'Neath some huge tree, by general consent, (Girt with dearest relatives, who stood In mute amaze) the village Fathers met; And with bold action metaphoric speech, And dauntless mien, pour'd forth their honest souls. 'Twas genuine Nature all. A few strong laws The infant senate fabricated soon, Which shew'd the sires, all emulous of good; For each strong law, however rude, was fram'd As laws should e'er be fram'd, like yon bright orb To shed no PARTIAL influence. All were bound— All by the ties which they themselves had made, Were bound alike, and therefore all enjoy'd Man's dearest, noblest blessing—LIBERTY.— As ev'ry family its chief possess'd, And as their various families might now Be deem'd but one; at the same time, perchance, To be their common Father, Guardian, Friend, And to enforce their EQUAL laws, some sire, For wisdom and manly prowess fam'd, Was rais'd by free election 'bove the rest, And cloth'd, whilst those who rais'd him should think mete, With the fair robe of delegated power. Such was the Origin of Kings. At first The wise elective magistrate; but now, Too oft, the weak hereditary scourge Of half a groaning world. With slender wing, Along the ever-rolling stream of Time, Thus like a twittering swallow, have I swept, Touching on nought save some protruding capes Too obvious to be miss'd; the earth's rude face, The natural state of man, his social days, The senates, laws, and regal rule how form'd, From these bold capes, to song but little known, The philosophic eye will clearly ken These simple truths, which the wide world would know; That God made man, that man made laws and chiefs: But that, nor God, nor man, ne'er form'd those rods, Call'd ARBITRARY KINGS.—