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| 6. |
 | The collected works of Ambrose Bierce |  |
[Cynic perforce from studying mankind]
Cynic perforce from studying mankindIn the false volume of his single mind,
He damned his fellows for his own unworth,
And, bad himself, thought nothing good on earth.
Yet, still so judging, and so erring still,
375
His learning all was got by dint of sight,
And what he knew by day he lost by night.
When hired to flatter he would never cease
Till those who'd paid for praises paid for peace.
Not wholly miser and but half a knave,
He yearned to squander but he lived to save,
And did not, for he could not, cheat the grave.
Hic jacet Pixley, scribe and muleteer:
Step lightly, stranger, anywhere but here.
| The collected works of Ambrose Bierce | |