So mighty strugglers after this world's fame, Find all their fury perish with their name. 'Tis seldom known that speculators thrive, Or long their great inventions may outlive. Others come on,--no end of new things known, One age will praise,--the next, the praise disown. Feathers you wear,--but feathers blown away, Will be succeeded by some new display. We ride on horseback, and survey the tide,-- The age will come, that horses none will ride; The age will be that coaches will no more Be seen with horses, two, or three, or four; But on will pass, and leave no other trace, Than iron's friction from a rapid pace. What would Gambado think, if he could see His own predictions made a verity? Who can predict one single year's advance? Truth is so strange it seems a day's romance. Things that last year were mighty,--are all gone; Works of great hope,--are perished and undone. Iron is moulded by the human hand; And wooden walls no more the seas command. All would be great, be rich, and all invent, But few there are, who are at all content. With lightning speed intelligence conveyed From land to land, the iron rails are laid,-- And 'neath the ocean's deep united cords, Convey the merchant's or the prince's words. But mostly all, by sea, or land, or train, Is that the traffickers may get their gain. The greatest gain, that ever man could get, Is sweet contentment after every fret. When projects are completed, all is vain, For other projects follow in their train; Old age comes on,--all projects quickly cease,-- Happy are they who live and die in peace. Gambado did so: Reader, may thy fame Rest with content on One Blest, Holy Name! THE END. [Illustration] Transcriber's Notes: The original publication did not contain a table of contents. This has been provided for the reader's convenience. There were a few printer's errors which have been corrected. For example, Chapter XIII was entitled "A Daisey Cutter, with his Varieties" whereas the name was spelt Daisy in the text. End of Project Gutenberg's Geoffery Gambado, by William Henry Bunbury