And but two ways are offered to our will,
Toil with rare triumph, ease with safe disgrace,
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And but two ways are offered to our will,
Toil with rare triumph, ease with safe disgrace,
The problem still for us and all of human race.

At whose sight, like the sun,
All others with diminish'd lustre shone.

At whose sight, like the sun,
All others with diminish'd lustre shone.

Comparisons are odious.

Comparisons are odious.

Some say, compared to Bononcini,
That Mynheer Handel's but a ninny;
Others aver, that he to Handel
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Some say, compared to Bononcini,
That Mynheer Handel's but a ninny;
Others aver, that he to Handel
Is scarcely fit to hold a Candle:
Strange all this difference should be,
'Twixt Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee!

The bee and the serpent often sip from the selfsame flower.
[It., L'ape e la serpe spesso
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The bee and the serpent often sip from the selfsame flower.
[It., L'ape e la serpe spesso
Suggon l'istesso umore.]

Defining night by darkness, death by dust.

Defining night by darkness, death by dust.

Glass antique! 'twixt thee and Nell
Draw we here a parallel!
She, like thee, was forced to read more

Glass antique! 'twixt thee and Nell
Draw we here a parallel!
She, like thee, was forced to bear
All reflections, foul or fair.
Thou art deep and bright within,
Depths as bright belong'd to Gwynne;
Thou art very frail as well,
Frail as flesh is,--so was Nell.

To liken them to your auld-warld squad,
I must needs say comparisons are odd.

To liken them to your auld-warld squad,
I must needs say comparisons are odd.

It's wiser being good than bad;
It's safer being meek than fierce:
It's fitter being sane than read more

It's wiser being good than bad;
It's safer being meek than fierce:
It's fitter being sane than mad.
My own hope is, a sun will pierce
The thickest cloud earth ever stretched;
That, after Last, returns the First,
Though a wide compass round be fetched;
That what began best, can't end worst,
Nor what God blessed once, prove accurst.