| |
| EASE often visits shepherd-swains, | |
| Nor in the lowly cot disdains | |
| To take a bit of dinner; | |
| But would not for a turtle-treat, | |
| Sit with a miser or a cheat, | 5 |
| Or cankered party sinner. | |
| |
| Ease makes the sons of labour glad, | |
| Ease travels with the merry lad | |
| Who whistles by his wagon; | |
| With me she prattles all day long, | 10 |
| And choruses my simple song, | |
| And shares my foaming flagon. | |
| |
| The lamp of life is soon burnt out; | |
| Then who’d for riches make a rout, | |
| Except a doating blockhead? | 15 |
| When Charon takes ’em both aboard, | |
| Of equal worth’s the miser’s hoard | |
| And spendthrift’s empty pocket. | |
| |
| In such a scurvy world as this | |
| We must not hope for perfect bliss, | 20 |
| And length of life together; | |
| We have no moral liberty | |
| At will to live, at will to die, | |
| In fair or stormy weather. | |
| |
| Many, I see, have riches plenty— | 25 |
| Fine coaches, livery, servants twenty;— | |
| Yet envy never pains me; | |
| My appetite’s as good as theirs, | |
| I sleep as sound, as free from fears; | |
| I’ve only what maintains me! | 30 |
| |
| And while the precious joys I prove | |
| Of Tom’s true friendship—and the love | |
| Of bonny black-eyed Jenny,— | |
| Ye gods! my wishes are confined | |
| To—health of body, peace of mind, | 35 |
| Clean linen, and a guinea! | |
| |
