Love
Unjust Are They Who Argue Me Unjust
From Works and Life, ed. Forster, vol. VIII (1876)
Unjust are they who argue me unjust
To thee, O France! Did ever man delight
More cordially in him who held the hearts
Of beasts to his, and searcht into them all,
And took their wisdom, giving it profuse
To man, who gave them little in return,
And only kept their furs and teeth and claws.
What comic scenes are graceful, saving thine?
Where is philosophy like thy Montaigne's?
'Religion, like thy Fenelon's? Sublime
In valour's self-devotion were thy men,
Thy women far sublimer: but foul stains
At last thou bearest on thy plume; thy steps
Follow false honour, deviating from true.
A broken word bears on it worse disgrace
Than broken sword; erewhile thou knewest this.
Thou, huggest thy enslaver: on his tomb
What scrolls! what laurels! Are there any bound
About the braver Cor day's? Is one hymn
Chaunted in prayers or praises to the Maid
To whom all maidens upon earth should bend,
Who at the gate of Orleans broke thy chain?
Cite this poem
MLA
Landor, Walter Savage. “Unjust Are They Who Argue Me Unjust.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/landor/528/.
Chicago
Landor, Walter Savage. “Unjust Are They Who Argue Me Unjust.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/landor/528/.
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