seek the chimney-nook of ease;

there ruminate with sober thought,

on all thou'st seen, and heard, and wrought,

and teach the sportive younkers round,

saws of experience, sage and sound:

say, man's true, genuine estimate,

the grand criterion of his fate,

is not,—arth thou high or low?

did thy fortune ebb or flow?

did many talents gild thy span?

or frugal nature grudge thee one?

tell them, and press it on their mind,

as thou thyself must shortly find,

the smile or frown of awful heav'n,

to virtue or to vice is giv'n,

say, to be just, and kind, and wise—

there solid self-enjoyment lies;

that foolish, selfish, faithless ways

lead to be wretched, vile, and base.

thus resign'd and quiet, creep

to the bed of lasting sleep,—

sleep, whence thou shalt ne'er awake,

night, where dawn shall never break,

till future life, future no more,

to light and joy the good restore,

to light and joy unknown before.

stranger, go! heav'n be thy guide!

quod the beadsman of nithside.