In these lines, the author talks about England's history, and implies that he is proud of England's institutions. He tells us that the laws of England treat all people as equal (<em>thine equal laws</em>) and that these were acquired due to the freedom that the country has always upheld and defended (<em>by Freedom gained</em>). Because of these laws, the country has been governed well for a very long time (<em>have ruled thee well and long</em>), making him proud of its success.
The poet begins with “Thine equal laws,” which has the
connotation of respect because of how equal laws would mean justice for
all. The poem continues with “by Freedom
gained,” which expresses that the justice granted by equal laws was earned
through freedom. It is important to note
here how “Freedom” is capitalized, which expresses how much the poet values
freedom—enough to spell it with a capital F.
The poet concludes with “Have ruled thee well and long,” which further
expresses his pride in England because of how he feels the laws gained through
freedom have done a good job at governing and protecting and have done it well for
quite some time.
