Brave, manly hearts do not disgrace
Their souls with woe-worn maudlin face;
To puny boys, and women weak,
Leave it through sobs and sighs to speak
Their griefs, poor feeble willow wands—
But thou—stand firm with hard-clenched hands,
When see’st thou Fortune near thee reel
Her aye-revolving, changeful wheel.6770
Dost thou imagine thou canst stay
Its turning e’en for one short day?
Nay! never since first rose heaven’s sun,
Hath rich or poor that marvel done.
Nero deserted
Nero, of whom I lately spake,
And whose mere frown sufficed to shake
The world, o’er which he held such sway
As never tyrant till his day
Had known, had yet no power to check
Fortune, but bowed before her beck,6780
If history lie not, for ’tis said
Most wretchedly he perishèd.
So did he fire the people’s hate,
That rose they all infuriate
Against this monster. Then he sent
Envoys to all his friends, intent
To save his worthless life, but not
A single man he found, I wot,
To give him refuge. Then while rocked
His craven heart with fear, he knocked6790
With frantic strokes at many a portal,
But, to his thundering, not a mortal
Replied, and he aback returned,
While helpless rage his vitals burned.”
