GOLDEN VERSES

PYTHAGORAS.

FIRST to the gods thy humble homage pay;
The greatest this, and first of laws, obey;
Perform thy vows, observe thy plighted troth,
And let religion bind thee to thy oath.
A large curly brace on the right margin groups the next three lines of verse into a triplet.
The heroes next demand thy just regard,
Renown’d on earth, and to the stars preferr’d,
To light and endless life, their virtue’s sure reward.
Due rites perform and honours to the dead,
To ev’ry wise, to ev’ry pious, shade.
With lowly duty to thy parents bow,
And grace and favour to thy kindred show:
A large curly brace on the right margin groups the next three lines of verse into a triplet.
For what concerns the rest of human-kind,
Choose out the man to virtue best inclin’d;
Him to thy arms receive, him to thy bosom bind.
Possess’d of such a friend, preserve him still;
Nor thwart his counsels with thy stubborn will;
Pliant to all his admonitions prove,
And yield to all his offices of love:
Him from thy heart, so true, so justly dear,
Let no rash word nor light offences tear.

8