Zeal without judgment is an evil, though it be zeal unto good; Touch not the ark with unclean hand, yea, though it seem to totter. There are evil who work good, and there are good who work evil, And foolish backers of wisdom have brought on her many reproaches. Truth hath more than enough to combat in the minds of all men, For the mist of sense is a thick veil, and sin hath warped their wills; Yet doth an officious helper awkwardly prevent her victory,-- These thy wounded hands were smitten in the house of friends:-- To point out a meaning in her words, he will blot those words with his finger; And winnow chaff into the eyes, before he hath wheat to show: He will heap sturdy logs on a faint expiring fire, And with a room in flames, will cast the casement open; By a shoulder to the wheel down hill harasseth the labouring beast, And where obstruction were needed, will harm by an ill-judged thrusting-on. A vessel foundereth at sea, if a storm hath unshipped the rudder; And a mind with much sail shall require heavy ballast. Take a lever by the middle, thou shalt seem to prove it powerless, Argue for truth indiscreetly, thou shalt toil for falsehood. There is plenty of room for a peaceable man in the most thronged assembly; But a quarrelsome spirit is straitened in the open field: Many a teacher, lacking judgment, hindereth his own lessons; And the savoury mess of pottage is spoiled by a bitter herb: The garment woven of a piece is rashly torn by schism, Because its unwise claimants will not cast lots for its possession. Discretion guide thee on thy way, noble-minded youth, Help thee to humour infirmities, to wink at innocent errors, To take small count of forms, to bear with prejudice and fancy: Discretion guard thine asking, discretion aid thine answer, Teach thee that well-timed silence hath more eloquence than speech, Whisper thee, thou art Weakness, though thy cause be Strength, And tell thee, the key-stone of an arch can be loosened with least labour from within. The snows of Hecla lie around its troubled smoking Geysers; Let the cool streams of prudence temper the hot spring of zeal: So shalt thou gain thine honourable end, nor lose the midway prize: So shall thy life be useful, and thy young heart happy. OF TRIFLES. [Illustration: "Y"]