THE BARONS BOLD by WILLIAM JOHNSON FOX

THE Barons bold on Runnymede
By union won their charter;
True men were they, prepar'd to bleed,
But not their rights to barter:
And they swore that England's laws
Were above a tyrant's word;
And they prov'd that freedom's cause
Was above a tyrant's sword:
Then honor we
The memory
Of those Barons brave united;
And like their band,
Join hand to hand:
Our wrongs shall soon be righted.

The Commons brave, in Charles's time,
By union made the Crown fall,
And show'd the world how royal crime
Should lead to royal downfall:
And they swore that rights and laws
Were above a monarch's word;
And they raised the nation's cause
Above the monarch's sword:
Then honor we
The memory
Of those Commons brave, united;
And like their band,
Join hand to hand:
Our wrongs shall soon be righted.

The People firm, from Court and Peers,
By union won Reform, sirs,
And, union safe, the nation steers
Through sunshine and through storm, sirs:
And we swear that equal laws
Shall prevail o'er lordlings' words,
And can prove that freedom's cause
Is too strong for hireling swords:
Then honor we
The victory
Of the people brave, united;
Let all our bands
Join hearts and hands:
Our wrongs shall all be righted.

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...