Fugitive Poetry. 1600–1878/Fools
Fools.
There are fools of pretension and fools of pretence,
Fools that can't understand even other folk's sense;
There are high-finished boobies from every great school,
And many worse fools in the world than "Tom Fool."
Fools that can't understand even other folk's sense;
There are high-finished boobies from every great school,
And many worse fools in the world than "Tom Fool."
For Tom was the merriest fool upon earth,
But Folly brought twin greater fools at a birth;
Young Hope-fool and Will-fool, fools of the first water,
And at last, to beat all, she bore Spite-fool a daughter.
But Folly brought twin greater fools at a birth;
Young Hope-fool and Will-fool, fools of the first water,
And at last, to beat all, she bore Spite-fool a daughter.
There are fools all for saving, and fools that all spend,
And great fools that borrow, and greater that lend;
Fools that rush into crime to accumulate wealth,
Fools that squander the best of all treasures—their health.
And great fools that borrow, and greater that lend;
Fools that rush into crime to accumulate wealth,
Fools that squander the best of all treasures—their health.
Fools that barter the best things of life for a song,
Fools of lovers whose folly but seldom lasts long:
There are fools that are single, and fools that are wed,
And fools have writ volumes that never were read.
Fools of lovers whose folly but seldom lasts long:
There are fools that are single, and fools that are wed,
And fools have writ volumes that never were read.
There are fools, too, that read, and are never the wiser,
And many's the fool takes the part of adviser:
There are fools to be wooed and still greater to woo,
And fools to give roguery plenty to do.
And many's the fool takes the part of adviser:
There are fools to be wooed and still greater to woo,
And fools to give roguery plenty to do.
There are fools that abuse and fools that applaud,
Great fools stay at home, and great fools go abroad;
And great fools return greater fools than they went,
Their morals all gone and their money all spent.
Great fools stay at home, and great fools go abroad;
And great fools return greater fools than they went,
Their morals all gone and their money all spent.
There are fools that see diamonds in Derbyshire spar,
And these are the fools found at every bazaar:
Fools to be stared at, and fools too to stare,
And mothers, great fools, let their daughters be there.
And these are the fools found at every bazaar:
Fools to be stared at, and fools too to stare,
And mothers, great fools, let their daughters be there.
There are fools in the city of pleasure and trade,
There are fools, country gentlemen, all ready made:
Great fools of great fortunes lose life and estate,
For the hunting a fox and the leaping a gate.
There are fools, country gentlemen, all ready made:
Great fools of great fortunes lose life and estate,
For the hunting a fox and the leaping a gate.
There are fools that are young, and fools that grow old,
Some fools too gentle, some given to scold,
Some fools that torment friends, children, and wives,
And greater that plague themselves out of their lives
Some fools too gentle, some given to scold,
Some fools that torment friends, children, and wives,
And greater that plague themselves out of their lives
I could tell of more fools without number or end,
That with all this my telling I never shall mend,
And perhaps lose myself, both my sense and my labour,
And perhaps I am quite as great fool as my neighbour.
That with all this my telling I never shall mend,
And perhaps lose myself, both my sense and my labour,
And perhaps I am quite as great fool as my neighbour.