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Shut not thy purse-strings always against painted distress.
Shut not thy purse-strings always against painted distress.
 To steale the Hog, and give the feet for almes.
 [To steal the hog, and give the feet to read more 
 To steale the Hog, and give the feet for almes.
 [To steal the hog, and give the feet to alms.] 
 A kind and gentle heart he had,
 To comfort friends and foes;
  The naked every day he read more 
 A kind and gentle heart he had,
 To comfort friends and foes;
  The naked every day he clad
   When he put on his clothes. 
To pity distress it but human; to relieve it is Godlike.
To pity distress it but human; to relieve it is Godlike.
 Gifts and alms are the expressions, not the essence, of this 
virtue.  
 Gifts and alms are the expressions, not the essence, of this 
virtue. 
 It never was our guise
 To slight the poor, or aught humane despise.  
 It never was our guise
 To slight the poor, or aught humane despise. 
 By Jove the stranger and the poor are sent,
 And what to those we give, to Jove is lent.  
 By Jove the stranger and the poor are sent,
 And what to those we give, to Jove is lent. 
 In misery's darkest caverns known,
 His useful care was ever nigh,
  Where hopeless Anguish pour'd his groan,
read more 
 In misery's darkest caverns known,
 His useful care was ever nigh,
  Where hopeless Anguish pour'd his groan,
   And lonely want retir'd to die. 
 He believed that he was born, not for himself, but for the whole 
world.
 [Lat., Nec sibi sed read more 
 He believed that he was born, not for himself, but for the whole 
world.
 [Lat., Nec sibi sed toti genitum se credere mundo.]