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The Philosopher and the King.

By William Cowper

Topics: classic

A Philosopher, included in the same sentence of condemnation with several guilty persons among whom he had been apprehended, sent the following lines, composed suddenly in the moment when he was going to death, to a certain King whom had ignorantly condemned him.     Know this, O King! that if thou shalt destroy     Me, no man's enemy and who have liv'd     Obedient to the Laws, thou may'st with ease     Strike off a wise man's head, but, taught the truth     Hereafter, shalt with vain regret deplore     Thy city's loss of One, her chief support.

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"A Philosopher, included in the same sentence of condemnation with several guilty persons among whom he had been apprehended, sent the following lines, composed suddenly in the moment when he was going to death, to a certain King whom had ignorantly condemned him...."

Exploring the themes of classic, William Cowper delivers a powerful performance in "The Philosopher and the King."... ### Why We Love This Line At Linespedia, we believe that poetry is the ultimate sanctuary for the soul...

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Author:William Cowper

"A Philosopher, included in the same sentence of co..." by William Cowper

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"The Text is taken from Percy's Reliques (1765), vol. i. p. 71, 'given from two MS. copies, transmitted from Scotland.' Herd had a very similar bal"

William Cowper

About William Cowper

William Cowper (1731–1800) was an English poet and hymnodist whose work bridges the gap between the Augustan age and Romanticism. His poems "The Task" and "John Gilpin" were enormously popular, and his hymn "God Moves in a Mysterious Way" remains widely sung.

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