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Tho' vice by no superior joys
her heroes keeps in pay;
Thro' pure disinterested love
of ruin they obey!
her heroes keeps in pay;
Thro' pure disinterested love
of ruin they obey!
Strict their devotion to the wrong,
tho' tempted by no prize;
Hard their commandments, and their creed
a magazine of lies
tho' tempted by no prize;
Hard their commandments, and their creed
a magazine of lies
From fancy's forge: gay fancy smiles
at reason plain, and cool;
Fancy, whose curious trade it is
to make the finest fool.
at reason plain, and cool;
Fancy, whose curious trade it is
to make the finest fool.
V—taire! long life's the greatest curse
that mortals can receive,
When they imagine the chief end
of living is to live;
that mortals can receive,
When they imagine the chief end
of living is to live;
Quite thoughtless of their day of death,
that birth-day of their sorrow;
Knowing, it may be distant far,
nor crush them till—to-morrow.
that birth-day of their sorrow;
Knowing, it may be distant far,
nor crush them till—to-morrow.
These are cold, northern thoughts, conceiv'd
beneath an humble cot;
Not mine, your genius, or your state,
no [1]castle is my lot:
beneath an humble cot;
Not mine, your genius, or your state,
no [1]castle is my lot:
But
- ↑ Letter to Lord Lyttleton.
