"At the work-time, asking wages—is it like a faithful herd?
When the work's done, grudging wages—is that acting like a lord?"
"Serve the Sun with sweat of body; starve thy maw to feed the flame;
Stead thy lord with all thy service; to thy death go, quit of blame."
"Many prayers for him are uttered whereon many a life relies;
'Tis but one poor fool the fewer when the greedy jack-daw dies."
"Give thy Dog the merest mouthful, and he crouches at thy feet,
Wags his tail, and fawns, and grovels, in his eagerness to eat;
Bid the Elephant be feeding, and the best of fodder bring;
Gravely—after much entreaty—condescends that mighty king."
"By their own deeds men go downward, by them men mount upward all,
Like the diggers of a well, and like the builders of a wall."
"Rushes down the hill the crag, which upward 'twas so hard to roll:
So to virtue slowly rises—so to vice quick sinks the soul."