Classic Poem

We mortals make our gold our god ,
And to his shrine are bowing,
And money 's sweet enchanting road
We get, I can't tell, how in:
And when we are in we laugh at the sin,
Which our fortune is daily increasing;
And they that are out would all be in ,
And a finger would have in the fleecing .

Weak woman proves the force of gold ,
To vice your guineas win her,
And if you look in times of old,
It always made a sinner ;
'Twas gold as they say got Venus the day,
Paris knew the power of tipping ,
And to grant him a favour another way,
He gave her the golden Pippin .

'Tis gold that gives a bloom to age ,
And beautifies each feature,
That makes the greatest fool a sage ,
And hides defects of nature;
To turn whatever he touch'd to gold ,
Old M IDAS did Jove intreat, Sir,
But he starv'd with his gold , as poets have told,
Nor the shining metal could eat, Sir.

'Tis gold's the biass of church and state ,
For livings the parsons will fawn , Sir,
Like slaves they'll wait at a minister's gate,
To be stall'd or be cover'd with lawn , Sir:
They have merit and wit , who promotion can get,
Who have angl'd and pull'd a great fish up ;
But the priest that's in tatters the world bespatters,
And your Morals are bad, quoth the B — p .

'Tis gold that sorms the patriot 's scheme
And makes him attend the state , Sir,
And power , and place , and interest seem,
The things that move a debate, Sir;
Tho' we've parts and have wit , and a PEOPLE can get,
And from FREEDOM our POLITICKS spring, Sir,
Yet as well as the nation , for gold there's a passion ,
And a pension's a mighty good thing , Sir.

The wealthy rogue is much in vogue ,
And money's the darling passion,
The day of amendment we all prorogue ,
For VIRTUE is not in fashion;
When in fashion 'twill be, I can't well see,
As all men love to be getting ,
And there never will be, reformation in me ,
Till our Betters , EXAMPLES are setting.

And now let every glass be fill'd,
The toast is a golden age , Sir,
The leaves of life's short book to GILD ,
But let virtue adorn each page , Sir.
For virtue 's the thing that will happiness bring,
And make a man truely great , Sir,
Whilst money ill gotten will leave a sting ,
And tarnish the honors of state , Sir.