Let us live then and be glad While young life's before us! After youthful pastime had, After old age hard and sad, Earth will slumber o'er us. Where are they who in this world, Ere we kept, were keeping? Go ye to the gods above; Go to hell; inquire thereof: They are not; they're sleeping. Brief is life, and brevity Briefly shall be ended: Death comes like a whirlwind strong, Bears us with his blast along; None shall be defended. Live this university, Men that learning nourish; Live each member of the same, Long live all that bear its name; Let them ever flourish! Live the commonwealth also, And the men that guide it! Live our town in strength and health, Founders, patrons, by whose wealth We are here provided! Live all girls! A health to you, Melting maids and beauteous! Live the wives and women too, Gentle, loving, tender, true, Good, industrious, duteous! Perish cares that pule and pine! Perish envious blamers! Die the Devil, thine and mine! Die the starch-necked Philistine! Scoffers and defamers! XXII. I have now fulfilled the purpose which I had in view when I began this study of the _Carmina Vagorum_, and have reproduced in English verse what seemed to me the most characteristic specimens of that literature, in so far as it may be considered precursory of the Renaissance. In spite of novelty, in spite of historical interest, in spite of a certain literary charm, it is not an edifying product of medieval art with which I have been dealing. When I look back upon my own work, and formulate the impression left upon my mind by familiarity with the songs I have translated, the doubt occurs whether some apology be not required for having dragged these forth from antiquarian obscurity. The truth is that there is very little that is elevated in the lyrics of the Goliardi. They are almost wholly destitute of domestic piety, of patriotism, of virtuous impulse, of heroic resolve. The greatness of an epoch which throbbed with the enthusiasms of the Crusades, which gave birth to a Francis and a Dominic, which witnessed the manly resistance offered by the Lombard burghs to the Teutonic Emperor, the formation of Northern France into a solid monarchy, and the victorious struggle of the Papacy against the Empire, finds but rare expression in this poetry. From the _Carmina Burana_ we cull one chant indeed on Saladin, one spirited lament for Richard Coeur de Lion; but their general tone is egotistic.