Accursed Wealth (Ch.5)

An important collection exploring Clare's attitude to wealth and poverty in his own words.

Helpston (excerpt)

Thy pleasing spots to which fond memory clings 


Sweet cooling shades & soft refreshing springs 


& tho fates pleas'd to lay their beauties bye 


In a dark corner of obscurity 


As fair & sweet they blo[o]m'd thy plains among 


As blooms those Edens by the poets sung 


Now all laid waste by desolations hand 


Whose cursed weapons levels half the land 


Oh who could see my dear green willows fall 


What feeling heart but dropt a tear for all 


      Accursed wealth oer bounding human laws 


      Of every evil thou remains the cause 


      Victims of want those wretches such as me 


      Too truly lay their wretchedness to thee 


      Thou art the bar that keeps from being fed 


      & thine our loss of labour & of bread 


      Thou art the cause that levels every tree 


      & woods bow down to clear a way for thee 


            I have indented the verses that Clare’s rich friends in London, as well as his publisher John Taylor wanted removed from the 2^ndedition of  ‘Poems Descriptive of Rural Life and Scenery’.  They got their way, much to Clare’s annoyance:

“Being very much botherd latley I must trouble you to leave out the 8 lines in ‘helpstone’ beginning ‘Accursed wealth’ …”

(Letter from JC to Taylor dated 16^thMay 1820)

Accursed Wealth (Arbour Chapbook No. 5) is available from me at £3.50 + £1.00 postage and packing (UK).  Not sure how much the postage would be to other parts of the world, but I'm sure I can let you know.

Kindle edition (PDF) is £1.50 - just send me a message: arborfield@pm.me