The poetical works of John Godfrey Saxe Household Edition : with illustrations |
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THE PHILOSOPHER AND THE RUSTIC.
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 | The poetical works of John Godfrey Saxe |  |
THE PHILOSOPHER AND THE RUSTIC.
A MORAL HOMILY.
A grave philosopher, whose name
To Scythia gave resplendent fame,
Intent his knowledge to increase,
A journey took through classic Greece,
Where, to his profit and delight,
He saw full many a novel sight,
Towers, temples, people,—and much more,
As brave Ulysses did of yore;
But chiefly he was struck to see
A simple man, of low degree,
Untaught in philosophic page,
But in his life a very sage.
His farm, a little patch of land,
He tilled with such a clever hand,
It yielded all he cared to spend,
And something more to treat a friend
To Scythia gave resplendent fame,
Intent his knowledge to increase,
A journey took through classic Greece,
Where, to his profit and delight,
He saw full many a novel sight,
Towers, temples, people,—and much more,
As brave Ulysses did of yore;
But chiefly he was struck to see
A simple man, of low degree,
Untaught in philosophic page,
But in his life a very sage.
His farm, a little patch of land,
He tilled with such a clever hand,
It yielded all he cared to spend,
And something more to treat a friend
Approaching where the rustic now
Was clipping at an apple-bough,
The Scythian gave a wondering look,
To see him wield his pruning-hook,
Here lopping off a withered limb,
There reaching high a branch to trim,
Correcting nature everywhere,
But always with judicious care.
“Sir,” said the Tourist, “tell me why
This wanton waste that meets my eye?
Your husbandry seems rather rough;
Time's scythe will cut them soon enough”
“Nay,” said the Sage, “I only dress
My apple-trees, and curb excess;
Enhancing thus, as seems but wise,
My fruit in sweetness, tale, and size.”
Was clipping at an apple-bough,
The Scythian gave a wondering look,
To see him wield his pruning-hook,
Here lopping off a withered limb,
There reaching high a branch to trim,
196
But always with judicious care.
“Sir,” said the Tourist, “tell me why
This wanton waste that meets my eye?
Your husbandry seems rather rough;
Time's scythe will cut them soon enough”
“Nay,” said the Sage, “I only dress
My apple-trees, and curb excess;
Enhancing thus, as seems but wise,
My fruit in sweetness, tale, and size.”
Returning home the Scythian took
Without delay his pruning-hook,
On all his trees the knife he tried,
And cut and carved on every side,
Nor from his murderous work refrained
Till naught but barren stumps remained.
Without delay his pruning-hook,
On all his trees the knife he tried,
And cut and carved on every side,
Nor from his murderous work refrained
Till naught but barren stumps remained.
MORAL.
This Scythian sage resembles thoseWho deem their passions are their foes;
And who, instead of pruning where
Excess requires the owner's care,
Cut down the tree that God has made
With fierce Repression's cruel blade;
And thus, for future life, destroy
All precious fruit of human joy.
| The poetical works of John Godfrey Saxe | |