Living
Duty to Tyrants.
From Hesperides (1648)
Living
GOod Princes must be pray'd for: for the bad
They must be borne with, and in rev'rence had.
Doe they first pill thee, next, pluck off thy skin?
Good children kisse the rods, that punish sin.
Touch not the Tyrant; Let the Gods alone
To strike him dead, that but usurps a Throne.
Cite this poem
MLA
Herrick, Robert. “Duty to Tyrants.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/herrick/95/.
Chicago
Herrick, Robert. “Duty to Tyrants.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/herrick/95/.
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