From a Birthday Poem

A silver gray o'erspreads my face;
The hoary head appears,
Which calls me loud to seek for grace,
With penitential tears.

A thousand dreams have filled my mind,
As days came rolling on;
As one that's deaf, and one that's blind,
I know not how they've gone.

Now the full age of man has come,
This is the very day;
But O my God, what have I done
To speed my time away.

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Riding on the Ice Upon Lake Champlain

The water deep is fast asleep
Beneath this icy band,
So we can pass upon her face,
As on solid land.

When Sol displays his warmer rays
And leaves his southern house,
He'll penetrate this icy plate
And set the water loose.

To our surprise the winds arise
And put it all in motion;
Here waves will run as they have done
On the Atlantic ocean.

The mighty hand that formed the land
And set the seas their bound,
He at his will can hush it still,
As is the solid ground.

Then Boreas sends his freezing winds
Upon our Lake Champlain,
Whose dreadful frost will bind her fast--
So we may ride again.

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On Female Chastity

Virtue adorns the Virgin's head
Chaste and clean she keeps her bed.
Her person undefiled;
While the rude coquette of pleasure,
When let loose, conceives no measure
Until chastity is spoiled.
When her frolics, they are ended
She hath lost what can't be mended.
So is left to mourn and cry;
Better to have been like honest Polly,
Who such pleasure counts but folly,
While she guards her chastity.
While the wanton walks the street,
Polly's sitting on her seat
Working busy with her hands--
Cheerful as the morning lark,
Counting profit, (not a spark),
And turned her labor into lauds,
Polly's virtues are worth having,
Honest, trusty, kind and saving,
Properties to gain estate;
May Cupid send his timely dart,
Prick some noble, generous heart
And send him here for Polly's mate.

[We know that Cupid did send an arrow which pierced the heart
of Noah Wilson. They married and had at least 8 children.]

On Intolerance

It was the case in former times,
That men were punish'd for their crimes,
For lying, stealing, whoring, drinking;
But it's become a case of late,
That men are judg'd to awful fate,
And damn'd for nothing more than thinking.
But, pray, let me alone,
I do not harm a brother,
My thoughts are all my own,
I think not for another.

The Cry of a Penitent Soul

Now unto thee, my God I cry,
Whilst thou shalt give me breath,
O! may my soul to thee be nigh
When I expire in death.
Could I but taste a Saviour's love,
'T'would sweeten dying pain;
My soul could smoothly soar above
And death would be my gain.
But if my Saviour hides his face
What terrors do appear!
Ten thousand sins here find a place
And sink me in despair.
My sins o'erwhelm me like a flood
And poison every vein;
But the sweet balm of Jesus blood
Can wash out every stain.
But how can we expect much grace
By sin so much defiled,
When I began my sinful race
When I was but a child?
But Jesus calls! make no delay,
Resign thy stubborn will;
Forsake your sins and come away,
And there is pardon still,
But O, dear Jesus! I am thine-
I'm coming at thy call;
Into thine arms, now I resign
My spirit and my all!
Come Holy Spirit, heavenly dove,
Warm this cold heart of mine,
Then I can sing redeeming love
And in salvation shine.

Unnamed Verses

Pray send me some
The good old rum,
That I may tend the fire!
Pray send a little
To help tend the kittle.
That I may work and sweat
And pay my debt,
And die an honest squire.


Why should I try to measure infinity,
My imperfect reason
Would lead me to treason
And set up a cobweb divinity.


Miss Eliza Ann
She has a plan
While flip she is astirring;
For under her flap
She has a trap
To catch old Major Warren.


NOTE: Eliza Ann was a barmaid at a
tavern in Bennington, Vermont

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In April of 1774, Ethan Allen and other popular political leaders were found guilty of felony by New York courts and condemned to death without benefit of clergy, and without having appeared in the court. Thomas Rowley aided them in drawing up their protest, and added this verse to the document.


When Caesar reigned King at Rome
Saint Paul was sent to hear his Doom;
But the Roman Law in a criminal Case
Must have the Accuser Face to Face,
Or Caesar gives a flat Denial.---
But here's a Law made now of late,
Which destines men to awful Fate,
And hangs and damns without a Tryal;
Which made me view all Nature through,
To find a Law where men were try'd
By legal Act, which doth exact
Men's Lives before they are try'd.
Then down I took the Sacred Book,
And turn'd the Pages o'er,
But could not find one of this Kind,
By God or Man before.

Reflections


Now, where's the man that dare attend
And view creation over,
And then reply he doth deny
The great supreme Jehovah;

Who sits above, in light and love,
And views his glorious plan,
All on a scale that does not fail;
Yet never learned by man.

Ten thousand globes, in shining robes,
Revolve in their own sphere;
Nature's great wheel doth turn the reel,
And bring about the year.

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