For glory, virtue walk with opulence. Thou, like a god, since labour still is found The better part, shalt live belov’d, renown’d; If, as I counsel, thou thy witless mind, Though weak and empty as the veering wind, From others’ coveted possessions turn’d, To thrift compel, and food by labour earn’d. [69]Shame, which our aid or injury we find, Shame to the needy clings of evil kind; Shame to low indigence declining tends: Bold zeal to wealth’s proud pinnacle ascends. [70]But shun extorted riches; oh far best The heaven-sent wealth without reproach possest. Whoe’er shall mines of hoarded gold command, By fraudful tongue or by rapacious hand; As oft betides when lucre lights the flame, And shamelessness expels the better shame; Him shall the god cast down, in darkness hurl’d, His name, his offspring wasted from the world: The goods for which he pawn’d his soul decay, The breath and shining bubble of a day. Alike the man of sin is he confest, [71]Who spurns the suppliant and who wrongs the guest; Who climbs, by lure of stolen embraces led, With ill-timed act, a brother’s marriage bed; Who dares by crafty wickedness abuse His trust, and robs the orphans of their dues; Who, on the threshold of afflictive age, His hoary parent stings with taunting rage: On him shall Jove in anger look from high, And deep requite the dark iniquity: But wholly thou from these refrain thy mind, Weak as it is, and wavering as the wind. With thy best means perform the ritual part, Outwardly pure and spotless at the heart, And on thy altar let unblemish’d thighs In fragrant savour to th’ immortals rise. Or thou in other sort may’st well dispense Wine-offerings and the smoke of frankincense, Ere on the nightly couch thy limbs be laid; Or when the stars from sacred sun-rise fade. So shall thy piety accepted move Their heavenly natures to propitious love: Ne’er shall thy heritage divided be, But others part their heritage to thee. Let friends oft bidden to thy feast repair; Let not a foe the social moment share. Chief to thy open board the neighbour call: When, unforeseen, domestic troubles fall, The neighbour runs ungirded; kinsmen wait, And, lingering for their raiment, hasten late. As the good neighbour is our prop and stay, So is the bad a pit-fall in our way. Thus blest or curs’d, we this or that obtain, The first a blessing and the last a bane. How should thine ox by chance untimely die? The evil neighbour looks and passes by. [72]If aught thou borrowest, well the measure weigh; The same good measure to thy friend repay, Or more, if more thou canst, unask’d concede, So shall he prompt supply thy future need. Usurious gains avoid; usurious gain, Equivalent to loss, will prove thy bane.