238. George Bloomfield to William
Holloway, before 11 June 1809*
To Mr Willam Holloway
Dear Sir
I beg leave to give you my sincere thanks for your Minor Minstrel, [1] I hope you, and all those you
love are healthfull and happy, I lent your charming poems to my particular
friends, all of whom speak highly of them, Last week I read you every time I
took my tea, and great delight I took with you in your rural excursions; You
have great variety this time,—I found that sort of pleasure I have so often
found in roaming about the flower-deck't meadows at Honington with my Brothers—But all at
once I found you gon over the Stile! left the pleasant meadows and peacefull
Towns for war. [2] this bestir'd the water in my brain, and after the
agitation ceaced I fell into a rhyme-atical sleep and dream'd of a Brother I dearly love, and of
an unknown friend, they were
conversing after this sort——
The poets at Odds,
Observe cried
Nat and learn the cause,
Of all those fatal cruel wars,
[3] Men like the Bees in swarms combined,
In hopes each social joy to find,
As they increase their food grow scant,
They reather choose to fight then want;
Too soon they'r formd in Martial bands,
Intent to pillage forign lands,
Wars scythe produced swift decrace,
The cause remov'd men wish for peace,
'Was man a social creature made,
'To thin his race with Murders blade,
'Ah tell us not at Honors call,
'More myriads every age must fall,
'That thus th'encumber'd world has need
'Its victims oft shoud fight and bleed,
'I hear the God of truth reply,
'—Twas Hells arch-fiend devis'd the Lye,'—
Softly dear
Will, I pray be civel,
Perhaps thy zeal belye the Devil,
If the satanic King declare,
That mankind still are thin'd by war
Whoever reads the historic page
Of ev'ry climb, of ev'ry age,
This obvious Truth needs must find,
(unless by prejudice they'r blind)
All historians display it,
Truth, is Truth, let who will say it
Think on Gods Word!——
'His Gospel bids our bick'rings ceace,
'And only whispers—love and peace
'Could not the power who life supplied
'For all his creatures wants provide.
'Accomodate th increasing race
'With food, convenience, health and space,
'And in the course of nature give
'Sufficiency for all that live,
'Let truth oppose the Sophist band,
'Lo Sin and Death go hand, in hand,
I made the search of scripture truth,
The study of my early youth,
Tis said to mankind great and small,
Resist not,* injuries atall,
Resist not, says the Law of Love
Yet you defensive war approve!!
No doubt but God the great first cause,
Could force obedience to his laws,
Bid national distinction ceace,
The schemes of patriots Eface,
Self int'rest drown in the great sea,
Of general phylanthrophy,
That peace and Love
the world might crown,
The soldier and his trade unknown,
And for room, should men be scanted,
Could make another world and plant it.
'Ungreatfull Time to rob the brave,
'Whom Heaven ordain'd to shield and save,
'Of laurels Worthy to be worn,
'From fierce ambitions trophies torn
'When tyrants rouse the world to arms,
And deck Destructions form with charms,
'But would the proud and mighty hear,
'And listen with impartial ear,
'Whatever system they defend,
'How'er successfully contend,
'Beyond the rule of self defence,
'Unjust is every Vague pretence.
Give me your hand for I protest
My sentiments you have express'd
Nor can there be twixt any two,
More concord then twixt me and you
'Commissiond War is but the rod
'And scourge of an offended God,—
As each contending state declare,
Theirs the just cause for waging war,
Each warft their prayers to the skies,
For aid to crush their enemies,
Then how shall any mortal white
Dare to decide whose cause is right,
And arrogate the place of God
O're fellow sinners shake the rod
Abstract perfection leads us far,
From what mere mortals realy are,
Proimiscuous, Mans lot may seem
As good, and bad, swim down Lifes stream
But yet there is a choosen race,
Who follow after Love and peace,
Nor do the storms of war destroy,
Their hopes of sollid Lasting joy,
We Deplore what cant be mended
Tis fickle Man, Not God offended,—
Yet I know————————
Here I awoke and Lo it was a Dream!!—
yours
George Bloomfield
* Matthew 5, 39 V,
P.S. Dear Sir I have beg'd of Mr Hill to give these Lines a
place in his Mirror I wish I could have Done them better I
know Nat would be the last man
to defend his opinion, though no one is more Capable. he is to much a
Christian to return a blow, he was Cruelly hunted Down by the Critics and
may be considerd as a dead man and I am jealous of any
one who Disturb his Ghost
Poor Henry Kirk
White did him justice [4]
But Henry is
dead to—
Oh for a scrap of Latin or Greek to
tagg this with but Allass I am no scholar———
