I rose up at the dawn of day



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I rose up at the dawn of day — 'Get thee away! get thee away! Pray'st thou for Riches? away! away! This is the Throne of Mammon grey.'

Said I: this, sure, is very odd; I took It to be the Throne of God. For everything besides I have: It is only for Riches that I can crave. I have Mental Joy, & Mental Health, And Mental Friends, & Mental wealth; I've a Wife I love, & that loves me; I've all But Riches Bodily.

I am in God's presence night & day, And he never turns his face away ; The accuser of sins by my side doth stand, And he holds my money bag in his hand.

For my worldly things God makes him pay, And he'd pay for more if to him I would pray; And so you may do the worst you can do; Be assur'd, Mr Devil, I won't pray to you.

Then if for Riches I must not Pray, God knows, I little of Prayers need say; So, as a Church is known by its Steeple, If I pray it must be for other People.

He says, if I do not worship him for a God, I shall eat coarser food, & go worse shod; So, as I don't value such things as these. You must do, Mr Devil, just as God please.

MS. Book. p. 89, written immediately under and partly around an entry

dated Aug. 1807. R$1$ has stanzas 1, 2, 3, the first couplet of 6, then 4 and 7; Gil. i. 309, 310, prints 1, 2, 3, a fourth stanza formed of the first couplets of 6 and 4, a fifth stanza formed of the second couplet of 4 and the first couplet

of 5, then 7 ; Swinb. p. 128 (with title 'Prayer') arranges stanzas in the order 1, 2, 3, 6. 4, 5, 7 ; WMR follows Gilchrist with title 'Mammon' ; EY (i. 228) and WBY place stanzas in correct order, the latter with title 'The

Two Thrones.' 5 Said 1] I said R$1$ EY, WBY. 7 For everything] Everything R$1$, Gil., WMR ; Everything else EY, WBY. 8 It. . . crave] It's only riches that I can crave Gil., WMR ; It's only riches I can crave EY, WBY. It is] It's R$1$.

9 Joy] joys R$1$ and all edd. 10 And Mental Friends] R$1$ and all edd. except Swinb. omit 'And.' 11 Wife I love] Wife that I love R$1$ and all edd. except Swinb. 13-20 I am ... to you] Written later in margin, and marked for insertion here. 14 And he] R$1$ and all edd. except Swinb. omit 'And.' 15, 16 Cp. 'The Laocoon' (Prophetic Books, 21) : ' Money, which is The Great Satan or Reason the Root of Good & Evil In the Accusation of Sin.' 15 doth] does Swinb., EY, WBY. 16 money bag] money-bags EY, WBY. 19 And so you] And you EY, WBY. 22 God. . . say] God knows it 's little prayers I need say R$1$. Gil., WMR, EY. 25 if. . . him] if I worship not him R$1$, Gil., WMR ; if I don't worship him EY, WBY. 27 So] But R$1$, Gil., WMR, EY, WBY.

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The original text:


I rose up at the dawn of day Get thee away get thee away Prayst thou for Riches away away This is the Throne of Mammon grey

Said I this sure is very odd I took it to be the Throne of God For every Thing besides I have It is only for Riches that I can crave

I have Mental Joy & Mental Health And Mental Friends & Mental wealth Ive a Wife I love & that loves me Ive all But Riches Bodily

I am in Gods presence night & day And he never turns his face away The accuser of sins by my side does stand And he holds my money bag in his hand

For my worldly things God makes him pay And hed pay for more if to him I would pray And so you may do the worst you can do Be assurd Mr Devil I wont pray to you

Then If for Riches I must not Pray God knows I little of Prayers need say So as a Church is known by its Steeple If I pray it must be for other People

He says if I do not worship him for a God I shall eat coarser food & go worse shod So as I dont value such things as these You must do Mr Devil just as God please

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