4. Hurtful and false, their spite they wreak;
And when exposed their falsehood lies—
The wrong they do not own, but sneak
And say, “No harm did we devise.”
“Thrice cent. per cent.!” Why, that is trade!
Yet ’twould the princely man disgrace.
So public things to wife and maid
Must not silkworms and looms displace.[310]
There are, however, numerous stanzas among the odes in the ‘National Airs’ which show their fairer side and go far to neutralize these, giving the same contrasts in female character which were portrayed by King Solomon during the same age.
VERSIFICATION OF THE SHÍ KING.