OHAD I but ten thousand pounds a year! Fool, thou hast more, Had'st thou that Wish, thy Wealth would make thee swear That thou wert poor; And so thou art not now, who hast Enough to spend: wouldst have enough to waste? 2 Alas thou canst not; had thou all the Ore Both Indies breed Twould quite starve Prodagalitie; No store Knows how to feed The gulf of that strange Monster, whose Vast stomach by abundance greater grows. 3 My Lord, with his ten thousand pounds a year Doth cleerly want Full twice ten thousand Things which thou canst spare: His means is scant, But ample thine, for 'tis confest That he the richest is, who needeth least. 4 Besides, thou knowest not the charge of such A large estate: 'Twill spend thee all thy Rest, & cost so much Of Quiet, that No honest Beggar thou wilt finde So needy in Content, as thy poor Minde. 5 Thou must be put to finde so many Men And Horses for The service of that proud Estate; and then Maintain the Warr At thine own charge; that Warr whereby Thou must defend & keep thy Credit high. 6 Selfcheated Slave, the more thy Servants are The more hast thou Thyself to serve: less costly is the care Which they bestow Than thine; their Services sure end Is erning, thine doth only make thee spend. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE WHITE CASCADE by WILLIAM HENRY DAVIES OLD SUSAN by WALTER JOHN DE LA MARE THE MAID OF LLANWELLYN; A SONG by JOANNA BAILLIE A PRAYER FOR LOVE by ELSA BARKER THE WASHINGTON BICENTENNIAL by CLARA BECK |