| |
| WHEN words are weak and foes encountering strong, | |
| Where mightier do assault than do defend, | |
| The feebler part puts up enforced wrong, | |
| And silent sees that speech could not amend. | |
| Yet higher powers most think though they repine,— | 5 |
| When sun is set, the little stars will shine. | |
| |
| While pike doth range, the silly tench doth fly, | |
| And crouch in privy creeks with smaller fish; | |
| Yet pikes are caught when little fish go by; | |
| These fleet afloat while those do fill the dish. | 10 |
| There is a time even for the worms to creep, | |
| And suck the dew while all their foes do sleep. | |
| |
| The merlin cannot ever soar on high, | |
| Nor greedy greyhound still pursue the chase; | |
| The tender lark will find a time to fly, | 15 |
| And fearful hare to run a quiet race. | |
| He that high-growth on cedars did bestow, | |
| Gave also lowly mushrooms leave to grow. | |
| |
| In Haman’s pomp poor Mardocheus wept, | |
| Yet God did turn his fate upon his foe; | 20 |
| The Lazar pined while Dives’ feast was kept, | |
| Yet he to heaven, to hell did Dives go. | |
| We trample grass, and prize the flowers of May, | |
| Yet grass is green when flowers do fade away. | |
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