Devote thyself to serve the commonweal;
To her give all thy talents and thy time,
The flush of youth, and vigorous manhood’s prime;
And should the foeman come with deadly strife,
In her defence be swift to lose thy life,
Perchance with ‘failure’ branded on thy heart.
The road to wealth is surer; seek the mart,
Where cunning money-changers lie in wait,
Casting their nets with watered stocks for bait.
Or join the nobler throng, whose argosies