Joanna Baillie: Do children return from rude jarring war?

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Anti-war essays, poems, short stories and literary excerpts

British writers on peace and war

Women writers on peace and war

Joanna Baillie: And shall we think of war? 

Joanna Baillie: Making his simple audience to shrink with tales of war and blood

Joanna Baillie: Thy native land, freed from the ills of war, a land of peace!

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Joanna Baillie

From Ethwald: A Tragedy

What! shall I in their low destructive strife
Put forth my strength, and earn with valiant deeds
The fair renown of mighty Woggarwolfe,
The flower of all those heroes? Hateful ruffian!
He drinks men’s blood and human flesh devours!
For scarce a heifer on his pasture feeds
Which hath not cost a gallant warrior’s life.

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Our gen’rous Ethwald
Contemns not his domestic station here,
Tho’ little willing to enrich your walls
With spoils of petty war.

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The native children of rude jarring war.
Full oft returning from the field, become
Beneath their shading helmets aged men:
But ah, the kind, the playful, and the gay;
They who have gladden’d their domestic board,
And cheer’d the winter fire, do they return?

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From Basil: A Tragedy

Upon my simple word, I’d rather see
A score of friendly fellows shaking hands,
Than all the world in arms.