Gold's father is dirt, yet it regards itself as noble.

Gold's father is dirt, yet it regards itself as noble.

Commerce has set the mark of selfishness,
The signet of its all-enslaving power
Upon a shining ore, read more

Commerce has set the mark of selfishness,
The signet of its all-enslaving power
Upon a shining ore, and called it gold;
Before whose image bow the vulgar great,
The vainly rich, the miserable proud,
The mob of peasants, nobles, priests, and kings,
And with blind feelings reverence the power
That grinds them to the dust of misery.
But in the temple of their hireling hearts
Gold is a living god, and rules in scorn
All earthly things but virtue.

Truly now is the golden age; the highest honour comes by means of
gold; by gold love is procured.
read more

Truly now is the golden age; the highest honour comes by means of
gold; by gold love is procured.
[Lat., Aurea nunc vere sunt saecula; plurimus auto
Venit honos; auro concilatur amor.]

How quickly nature falls into revolt
When gold becomes her object!
For this the foolish overcareful fathers
read more

How quickly nature falls into revolt
When gold becomes her object!
For this the foolish overcareful fathers
Have broke their sleep with thoughts, their brains with care.
Their bones with industry.
For this they have engrossed and piled up
The cankered heaps of strange-achieved gold;
For this they have been thoughtful to invest
Their sons with arts and martial exercises.

Thou that so stoutly hast resisted me,
Give me thy gold, if thou hast any gold;
For read more

Thou that so stoutly hast resisted me,
Give me thy gold, if thou hast any gold;
For I have bought it with an hundred blows.

The man who works for the gold in the job rather than for the money in the pay envelope, is read more

The man who works for the gold in the job rather than for the money in the pay envelope, is the fellow who gets on.

I see, the jewel best enamelled
Will lose his beauty; yet the gold bides still
That others read more

I see, the jewel best enamelled
Will lose his beauty; yet the gold bides still
That others touch, and often touching will
Wear gold; and no man that hath a name,
By falsehood and corruption doth it shame.

Stronger than thunder's winged force
All-powerful gold can speed its course;
Through watchful guards its passage make,
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Stronger than thunder's winged force
All-powerful gold can speed its course;
Through watchful guards its passage make,
And loves through solid walls to break.
[Lat., Aurum per medios ire satellites
Et perrumpere amat saxa potentius
Ictu fulmineo.]

Truth comes to us from the past, then, like gold washed down from the mountains.

Truth comes to us from the past, then, like gold washed down from the mountains.