MY AMBITION.

Ease often visits shepherd-swains, Nor in the lowly cot disdains To take a bit of dinner; But would not for a turtle-treat, Sit with a miser or a cheat, Or cankered party sinner. Ease makes the sons of labour glad, Ease travels with the merry lad Who whistles by his waggon; With me she prattles all day long, And choruses my simple song, And shares my foaming flagon. The lamp of life is soon burnt out; Then who’d for riches make a rout, Except a doating blockhead? When Charon takes ’em both aboard, Of equal worth’s the miser’s hoard And spendthrift’s empty pocket. In such a scurvy world as this We must not hope for perfect bliss, And length of life together; We have no moral liberty At will to live, at will to die, In fair or stormy weather. Many, I see, have riches plenty— Fine coaches, livery, servants twenty;— Yet envy never pains me; My appetite’s as good as theirs, I sleep as sound, as free from fears; I’ve only what maintains me! And while the precious joys I prove Of Tom’s true friendship—and the love Of bonny black-ey’d Jenny,— Ye gods! my wishes are confin’d To—health of body, peace of mind, Clean linen, and a guinea! Edward Lysaght (1763–1810).