| |
| DEATH is a leveller; beauty and kings, | |
| And conquerours, and all those glorious things, | |
| Are tumbled to their graves in one rude heap, | |
| Like common dust as quiet and as cheap. | |
| At greater changes who would wonder then, | 5 |
| Since Kingdoms have their fates as well as men? | |
| They must fall sick and die; nothing can be | |
| In this world certain, but uncertainty. | |
| Since power and greatness are such slippery things, | |
| Who’d pity cottages or envy Kings? | 10 |
| Now least of all, when, weary of deceit, | |
| The world no longer flatters with the great. | |
| Though such confusions here below we find, | |
| As Providence were wanton with mankind: | |
| Yet in this chaos some things do send forth | 15 |
| (Like jewels in the dark) a native worth. | |
| He that derives his high nobility | |
| Not from the mention of a pedigree; | |
| Who scorns to boast the glories of his blood, | |
| And thinks he can’t be great that is not good; | 20 |
| Who knows the world, and what we pleasure call, | |
| Yet cannot sell one conscience for them all; | |
| Who hates to hoard that gold with an excuse, | |
| For which he can find out a nobler use; | |
| Who dares not keep that life that he can spend, | 25 |
| To serve his God, his country and his friend; | |
| Who flattery and falsehood doth so hate, | |
| He would not buy ten lives at such a rate; | |
| Whose soul, then diamonds more rich and clear, | |
| Naked and open as his face doth wear, | 30 |
| Who dares be good alone in such a time, | |
| When vertue’s held and punish’d as a crime; | |
| Who thinks dark crooked plots a mean defence, | |
| And is both safe and wise in innocence; | |
| Who dares both fight and die, but dares not fear; | 35 |
| Whose only doubt is, if his cause be clear; | |
| Whose courage and his justice equal worn, | |
| Can dangers grapple, overcome and scorn, | |
| Yet not insult upon a conquer’d foe, | |
| But can forgive him and oblige him too; | 40 |
| Whose friendship is congenial with his soul, | |
| Who where he gives a heart bestows it whole; | |
| Whose other ties and titles here do end, | |
| Or buried or completed in the friend; | |
| Who ne’er resumes the soul he once did give, | 45 |
| While his friend’s honesty or honour live; | |
| And if his friend’s content would cost the price, | |
| Would count himself a happy sacrifice; | |
| Who from the top of his prosperities | |
| Can take a fall, and yet without surprize; | 50 |
| Who with the same august and even state | |
| Can entertain the best and worst of fate; | |
| Whose suffering ’s sweet, if honour once adorn it; | |
| Who slights revenge, yet does not fear, but scorn it; | |
| Whose happiness in ev’ry fortune lives, | 55 |
| For that no fortune either takes or gives; | |
| Who no unhandsome ways can bribe his fate, | |
| Nay, out of prison marches through the gate; | |
| Who, losing all his titles and his pelf, | |
| Nay, all the world, can never lose himself; | 60 |
| This person shines indeed, and he that can | |
| Be vertuous is the great immortal man. | |
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