Post by phantasm on Apr 4, 2013 17:57:43 GMT -6
WISDOM
'Tis the first virtue, vices to abhor;
And the first wisdom, to be fool no more.
But to the world, no bugbear is so great
As want of figure, and a small estate.
To either India see the merchant fly,
Scared at the spectre of pale poverty!
See him, with pains of body, pangs of soul,
Burn through the tropic, freeze beneath the pole!
Wilt thou do nothing for a nobler end,
Nothing, to make philosophy thy friend?
To stop thy foolish views, thy long desires
And ease thy heart of all it admires?
Here, wisdom calls: 'Seek virtue first! be bold!
As gold to silver, virtue is to gold.'
There, London's voice: 'get money, get money still!
And then let virtue follow, if she will.'
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1738 is the date attached to this poem, according to the book I'm working out of, if I'm reading this right. A Penguin classics book of Latin Literature.
'Tis the first virtue, vices to abhor;
And the first wisdom, to be fool no more.
But to the world, no bugbear is so great
As want of figure, and a small estate.
To either India see the merchant fly,
Scared at the spectre of pale poverty!
See him, with pains of body, pangs of soul,
Burn through the tropic, freeze beneath the pole!
Wilt thou do nothing for a nobler end,
Nothing, to make philosophy thy friend?
To stop thy foolish views, thy long desires
And ease thy heart of all it admires?
Here, wisdom calls: 'Seek virtue first! be bold!
As gold to silver, virtue is to gold.'
There, London's voice: 'get money, get money still!
And then let virtue follow, if she will.'
------------------------------------
1738 is the date attached to this poem, according to the book I'm working out of, if I'm reading this right. A Penguin classics book of Latin Literature.
