Samuel Butler

Beside, he was a shrewd philosopher,
And had read ev'ry text and gloss over
Whate'er the crabbed'st read more

Beside, he was a shrewd philosopher,
And had read ev'ry text and gloss over
Whate'er the crabbed'st author hath,
He understood b' implicit faith.

So justice while she winks at crimes,
Stumbles on innocence sometimes.

So justice while she winks at crimes,
Stumbles on innocence sometimes.

To swallow gudgeons ere they're catch'd.
And count their chickens ere they're hatch'd.

To swallow gudgeons ere they're catch'd.
And count their chickens ere they're hatch'd.

For as our modern wits behold,
Mounted a pick-back on the old,
Much farther off, much further read more

For as our modern wits behold,
Mounted a pick-back on the old,
Much farther off, much further he,
Rais'd on his aged Beast, could see.

'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have lost at all.

'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have lost at all.