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To an unnaturall Elder Brother that beguiled him of his Portion.
From Divinity and Morality in Robes of Poetry ([1660?])
WEll may a strangers fatall hand annoy us,
When our own Bloud conspireth to destroy us;
Hadst thou no other way to gaine from me
The livelyhood of my Posterity,
But by a Fathers sudden fall, to raise
Thy riches from the dust of my decayes?
It is not well, nor can have good event,
For 'tis an ill exceeds all precedent.
Iacob had Esau's Birth-right, but he gave
Him Porrage for his Portion, thou wouldst have
All mine for nothing; dost thou think that God's
Justice can prosper such unequall odds?
Or dost thou think that Yonger Brothers have
No title, but to Ruine, and the Grave?
You are deceived, and you ere long will be
Mistaken in my Birth-right, as in Me.
To force a Brothers Right (if understood)
Is like the taking of a Brothers Blood.
Cite this poem
MLA
Jordan, Thomas. “To an unnaturall Elder Brother that beguiled him of his Portion.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/jordan/71/.
Chicago
Jordan, Thomas. “To an unnaturall Elder Brother that beguiled him of his Portion.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/jordan/71/.
Read this poem with the Codex →
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