Give unto me, made lowly wise,
The spirit of self-sacrifice;
The confidence of reason give;
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Give unto me, made lowly wise,
The spirit of self-sacrifice;
The confidence of reason give;
And in the light of truth thy
Bondman let me live!

Not once or twice in our rough island story,
The path of duty was the way to glory.

Not once or twice in our rough island story,
The path of duty was the way to glory.

Alas! when duty grows thy law, enjoyment fades away.

Alas! when duty grows thy law, enjoyment fades away.

I slept and dreamed that life was Beauty;
I woke, and found that life was Duty:--
Was read more

I slept and dreamed that life was Beauty;
I woke, and found that life was Duty:--
Was thy dream then a shadowy lie?

Not aw'd to duty by superior sway.

Not aw'd to duty by superior sway.

Do your duty and a little more and the future will take care of itself.

Do your duty and a little more and the future will take care of itself.

It is better to do one's own duty, however defective it may be, than to follow the duty of another, read more

It is better to do one's own duty, however defective it may be, than to follow the duty of another, however well one may perform it. He who does his duty as his own nature reveals it, never sins.

So nigh is grandeur to our dust,
So near is God to man.
When Duty whispers low, read more

So nigh is grandeur to our dust,
So near is God to man.
When Duty whispers low, Thou must,
The youth replies, I can.

And, may I say to thee, this pride of hers,
Upon advice, hath drawn my love from her;
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And, may I say to thee, this pride of hers,
Upon advice, hath drawn my love from her;
And, where I thought the remnant of mine age
Should have been cherished by her childlike duty,
I now am full resolved to take a wife
And turn her out to who will take her in.