Note 12 — Chapter IV · : LONDON STREETS
Reading edition
Of the despoiling of the Lady Poverty he writes in an unpublished poem:—
DEGRADED POOR
Lo, at the first, Lord, Satan took from Thee Wealth, Beauty, Honour, World's Felicity. Then didst Thou say: "Let be; For with his leavings and neglects will I Please Me, which he sets by,— Of all disvalued, thence which all will leave Me, And fair to none but Me, will not deceive Me." My simple Lord! so deeming erringly, Thou tookest Poverty; Who, beautified with Thy Kiss, laved in Thy streams, 'Gan then to cast forth gleams, That all men did admire Her modest looks, her ragged sweet attire In which the ribboned shoe could not compete With her clear simple feet. But Satan, envying Thee Thy one ewe-lamb, With Wealth, World's Beauty and Felicity Was not content, till last unthought-of she Was his to damn. Thine ingrate ignorant lamb He won from Thee; kissed, spurned, and made of her This thing which qualms the air— Vile, terrible, old, Whereat the red blood of the Day runs cold.