HISTORIC INFLUENCE
This excerpt from the poem "A Dialogue between Old England and New" by Anne Bradstreet discusses a political conflict between the King and the Peers (members of the nobility) in Old England.
The conflict centers on the question of who holds ultimate authority in the country: the King or the laws. The speaker from New England expresses support for the idea that "Right may have its right, though 't be with blood," suggesting that they believe it is important to defend the rule of law even if it requires violence.
The speaker also praises the Commons (representatives of the common people) and the Counties (local governing bodies) for standing up for the "Common good" and the "infringed Laws" of Old England. This suggests that there was a tension between the government and the people in Old England, and that the people were willing to fight to defend their rights.
This passage reflects the political climate of the Colonial and Early National Period in the United States, when the colonies were in the process of breaking away from British rule and establishing their own governments based on the principle of self-governance.
