The Character of a Covetous Citizen or, A Ready Way to get Riches. A Poem [by Edward Ward] |
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| I. | CANTO I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
 | The Character of a Covetous Citizen |  |
CANTO I.
The Man who dotes on Gold, how curs'd his Fate!
Wretched if Poor, and Poor with an Estate;
Boundless his Hopes, exorbitant his Gain,
And as a Wolf on Sheep, he preys on Men;
Does the most Weak and Innocent betray,
Yet strives to be as guiltless thought as they.
Friendship and Faith he both alike explodes,
Locks are his Friends, and Guinea's are his Gods;
Gold is his Heav'n, his Refuge and Defence,
His Hopes and Fears are all deriv'd from thence:
One mighty Sum would make his Joys compleat,
But want of this does all his Ends defeat.
The Mine he seeks he covets but in vain,
'Tis more than Heav'n will grant, or Man obtain.
Like Tantalus he labours but to catch
The tempting Fruit that hangs beyond his reach.
Wretched if Poor, and Poor with an Estate;
Boundless his Hopes, exorbitant his Gain,
And as a Wolf on Sheep, he preys on Men;
Does the most Weak and Innocent betray,
Yet strives to be as guiltless thought as they.
Friendship and Faith he both alike explodes,
Locks are his Friends, and Guinea's are his Gods;
Gold is his Heav'n, his Refuge and Defence,
His Hopes and Fears are all deriv'd from thence:
One mighty Sum would make his Joys compleat,
But want of this does all his Ends defeat.
The Mine he seeks he covets but in vain,
'Tis more than Heav'n will grant, or Man obtain.
Like Tantalus he labours but to catch
The tempting Fruit that hangs beyond his reach.
Relations are his Enemies, if Poor,
Who he does more than midnight Thieves abhor:
And if they press him to Relieve their Need,
He gives them Stones and bitter Words for Bread.
Who he does more than midnight Thieves abhor:
And if they press him to Relieve their Need,
He gives them Stones and bitter Words for Bread.
His fraudulent Designs with Zeal he hides,
And with some rich Dissenting Party sides;
Not that his Conscience guides him to his choice,
But Int'rest calls him with her charming Voice.
Who leads her greedy list'ners to the Grave,
Still short of something they so fain wou'd have.
And with some rich Dissenting Party sides;
Not that his Conscience guides him to his choice,
But Int'rest calls him with her charming Voice.
4
Still short of something they so fain wou'd have.
Tho' ne'er so large deficient is his Store,
As his Wealth rises still his Wants are more,
His fatal Temper keeps him always Poor.
That Passion Fear, and sad Disease Dispair,
His dark unquiet Soul's Companions are:
One cries beware of Loss, when e'er he Lends;
The other threatens want of what he Spends.
Thus the ungodly Mammon so belov'd,
Must no way stir except to be improv'd.
If good round Int'rest and a clear Estate,
Wants a supply, they're welcome to his Gate;
But if a Neighbour (for a Friend he'as none)
Should Gratis ask some reasonable Boon,
The Beggar's hopes are equally as good,
That asks a hungry Tyger for his Food.
Misers, in Health, have little Pow'r we see
To do one deed of Christian Charity:
But dying, none more forward to attone,
By Pious Acts, for wretched Ills they've done.
Therefore, to please the Gen'rous, here 'tis show'd,
How their Wealth's rais'd, and how at last bestow'd.
For Wedlock's Woes, and wealthy Cares design'd,
As his Wealth rises still his Wants are more,
His fatal Temper keeps him always Poor.
That Passion Fear, and sad Disease Dispair,
His dark unquiet Soul's Companions are:
One cries beware of Loss, when e'er he Lends;
The other threatens want of what he Spends.
Thus the ungodly Mammon so belov'd,
Must no way stir except to be improv'd.
If good round Int'rest and a clear Estate,
Wants a supply, they're welcome to his Gate;
But if a Neighbour (for a Friend he'as none)
Should Gratis ask some reasonable Boon,
The Beggar's hopes are equally as good,
That asks a hungry Tyger for his Food.
Misers, in Health, have little Pow'r we see
To do one deed of Christian Charity:
But dying, none more forward to attone,
By Pious Acts, for wretched Ills they've done.
Therefore, to please the Gen'rous, here 'tis show'd,
How their Wealth's rais'd, and how at last bestow'd.
To Shop and Wife he's slavishly confin'd:
What each requires he with submission doth,
And with severe attendance humours both.
Being settl'd in a thriving part o'th' Town,
With cautious Steps he prosp'rously goes on,
Greedy t'impose, poor-spirited and base,
He grows, by knavish Conduct, rich apace:
5
Moves slow and follows Fortune at the heels.
Proud is his Heart, yet humble is his Mein,
A Saint without, but Hypocrite within.
Each gainful Lye he does for Truth protest,
Can his own Words to various Sences wrest:
The way you take 'em will your self deceive,
You're surely chous'd if you his Cant believe.
You and the Dev'l he strives alike to serve,
Cheat both, and save himself by a reserve.
All useful Frauds that to his Int'rest tend,
Or false Assertions that can serve his End,
He thinks by Custom are as lawful grown,
As Deeds, an honest Man dare do and own.
Watchful behind his Compter he appears,
And there all Day imprison'd sits, for Years:
Except when business Calls, he takes a loose,
At Noon to Change, or Night to Coffee-House.
His vacant Minutes in his Shop he spends
O'er News, to which he great attention lends;
Till he by reading Gazetts is become,
A Statesman in th'Affairs of Christendom:
And sundry ways can form, to regulate
The worst Disorders of a drooping State:
The cause of all its Miseries can tell,
And is as wise, in Thought, as Matchiavel:
Does the success of each attempt foresee,
Informs his Wife, who knows as well as he,
What the great End of all these things shall be.
6
Since Wise-men oft the Heavenly Knowledge want:
Yet who can tell how Gods their Gifts bestow,
An Ass we find has Prophesi'd e're now.
| The Character of a Covetous Citizen | |