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 2ndedition 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 16thMay 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