Samuel Butler

You have a wrong sow by the ear.

You have a wrong sow by the ear.

Cheered up himself with ends of verse
And sayings of philosophers.

Cheered up himself with ends of verse
And sayings of philosophers.

The trenchant blade Toledo trusty.
For want of fighting was grown rusty,
And ate into itself for read more

The trenchant blade Toledo trusty.
For want of fighting was grown rusty,
And ate into itself for lack
Of somebody to hew and hack.

Your pettifoggers damn their souls,
To share with knaves in cheating fools.

Your pettifoggers damn their souls,
To share with knaves in cheating fools.

Like men condemned to thunderbolts,
Who, ere the blow, become mere dolts.

Like men condemned to thunderbolts,
Who, ere the blow, become mere dolts.