Peter Grimes (The Borough, Letter XXII)
by George Crabbe
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Old Peter Grimes made fishing his employ, His wife he
cabin'd with him and his boy, And seem'd that life
laborious to enjoy; To town came quiet Peter with his
fish, And had of all a civil word and wish. He left
his trade upon the sabbath-day, And took young Peter in
his hand to pray: But soon the stubborn boy from care
broke loose, At first refused, then added his abuse:
His father's love he scorn'd, his power defied, But being
drunk, wept sorely when he died.
Yes! then he wept,
and to his mind there came Much of his conduct, and felt
the shame, - How he had oft the good man reviled, And
never paid the duty of a child; How, when the father in
his BIble read, He in contempt and anger left the shed:
"It is the word of life," the parent cried; - "This
is the life itself," the boy replied; And while old Peter
in amazement stood, Gave the hot spirit to his boiling
blood: - How he, with oath and furious speech, began
To prove his freedom and assert the man; And when the
parent check'd his impious rage, How he had cursed the
tyranny of age, - Nay, once had dealt the sacrilegious
blow On his bare head, and laid the parent low; The
father groan'd - "If thou art old," said he, "And hast a
son - thou wilt remember me: Thy mother left me in a
happy time, Thou kill'dst not her - Heav'en spares the
double crime." On an inn-settle, in his maudlin grief,
This he resolved, and drank for his relief.
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