Poor sordid Man! like all your gold-slave race, You deem wealth happiness. Hence, all your doubts About God’s providence are based on gold. The wicked have it, and the righteous not. What you assert is oftenest reversed, And in a census of the world, you’d find The good, in every land, the wealthiest. But Earth is not the bar where Man is judged; But only where free-will and circumstance May join in general progress. Gold is good! Then good depends on use of circumstance, And not on moral merit. Well ’tis so! For were the righteous only blessed, all men Would righteousness pursue, from sordid aims,-- The most devout, who love their money best; And thus good actions’ essence would be lost, That they be done for good, within itself, And not for benefit to be conferred. Then for your doubts about the righteous poor; A certain law is fixed for general good,-- Some actions yield a gain and some a loss. A wicked man may use the first, and gain, A righteous man may use the last, and lose; The wicked does not gain by wickedness, But by compliance with this natural law. The righteous, still as righteous, might have gained By different course of conduct, had he known; But his condition now, can but be changed By special miracle; but miracles, In favor of the righteous, would destroy All strife for good as good. Their compensation in another world; The poor may find And even here, in consciousness of right, In surety of Heav’n, and peace of mind. And in the case you’ve stated, like all those Who talk as you have done, you overdraw, And color more with Fancy than with Truth. You’ll find no widow, perfect in her trust, As you’ve described, who is so destitute. Go search the lanes and alleys; where you find The greatest squalor, there is greatest crime; For poverty is oftenest but a name For reckless vice, and vile depravity. Your case is but exception to the rule, And not the rule, of Providence. To give The righteous, only, wealth and worldly store Would take away Man’s freedom, and all good.