The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-05-16
An Unpublished Poem, by Burns

The Athenpum for April prints hith-
erto unpublished poem by Burns. Mr..
Henry A. Bright sends the poem with the
following note, which explains its origin
LIVERPOOL, April 1874
On the eth of December last You gave
an account of the MSS. oi Burns which
are contained in the Athcnpum library in
Liverpool. These MSS. have now been
carefully examined. and have pleasure in
sending you the following poem, which,
believe. there can be no doubt has never
set been published Certainly | cannot
lind it in any of the editions have c%-
amined, and Mr.. Scott Douglas, the editor
of the KilmarnOCk Burns tells Inc
that it is unknown to him.
The volume from which This poem is
taken was written ont in 1871 (partly in
the poets autograph and partly by an
amanuensis). for Mr.. Robert Rddell Of
Glenaddell. 1t fell into the hands of Dir.
Currie. who made use of the greater part
of it for his edition. and was subsequently
presented to the AthenTum by his widow.
This poem is entirely in Burnss own
hand writing. Henry \. BmGnr
y FRAGMENT.
OK GLENRipDELL's FOX DnEAKiNG MS cHAIT.
Thou Liberty, thou art my theme;
Not such as idle poets dream,
Who trick thee up heather goddess
That Il fantastic cap and rod has:
such stale cOncelts are poor and silly,
paint thee out Highland MY.
sturdy, stubborn, handsome dappe,
As sleek . mouse, as round 5 an apple,
That when thou pleaseSt can DO wonders
But when thy luckless rider blunders,
Or, II thy fancy should dcmur there,
VIII break thy neck ere thou go further.
These THINGS nrpmls'l slng foy
Was caught among his native rocks.
And to dirty kennel chainh
How he his liberty regan'd.
Glenrlddell, a Whlg without a stain,
\ Wing in principle and grain,
Couldst thou enslave a frce-bora creature,
A native denlZen OF nature
How couldst thou with heart 50 good,
"a better ne'er was slulc'd With blood,
Nall poor devil TO a tree,
That neer dii harm to thine or theee
The staunchest Wing Genrlddcll was,
Quite frantic In his country's cause;
And oft was Reynard's prison passing,
And with his brother Wings canvasslng
The rights OF Men the powers of Women
with all the dignity OF Freemen.
Sir Rcynard daily heard debates
OF Princes, Kings and Nations fates,
With many rueful, bloody stories
or tyrants, Jacobites and Tories
From liberty how angels fell,
That now are galley slaves IN he'll
How Nimrod first the trade began
or binding Slavery'S chains on Man;
How fell Semiramis, Cd u'mn her
Did first, With sacrileglous hammer
tAll Ills Till then were trivial matters,
For Man dethron'd forge hen-peck fettegs
How Xerzes, that abandond Tory
Thought cutting Threats was reaplng CORY,
Until the stubborn Wings or Sparta
Taught him great Natures Magma Charta
How mighty Rome her nat hurl'd
Resistless DER bowling world
And kinder than they did desire,
Polishd mankind with sword ana nrr:
With much too tedious to relate
or Ancient and or Modern date
But ending still how Billy Pitt
Unlucky boy y with wicked wit
Has gagged old Britain, drain'd her Golfer
AS butchers bind and bleed a heifer
Thus WHY Reynard by degrees,
In Kennel listening at his ease,
Suck'd in mighty stock OF knowledge,
AS much MS some folks at q College
Knew Britaln's rights and constitution,
Her ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, dimnutlon,
How Fortune wrought us good from evil
Let no man then despise the devil,
Aswho should say ne'er can need him,
4lnce we 10 scoundrels owe our freedom