quote · Words worth keeping

If well thou view’st us with no squinted eye, No partial judgment, thou wilt quickly rate Thy wealth no richer than my poverty; My want no poorer than thy rich estate. Our ends and births alike, in this as I, Poor thou wert born, and poor again shalt die. My little fills my little-wishing mind, Thou having more than much, yet seekest more; Who seeks, still wishes what he seeks to find; Who wishes, wants; and whoso wants, is poor: Then this must follow of necessity, Poor are thy riches, rich my poverty. Though still thou gett’st, yet is thy want not spent, But as thy wealth, so great thy wealthy itch; But with my little I have great content— Content hath all, and who hath all is rich; Then this in reason thou must needs confess, If I have little, yet that thou hast less. Whatever man possesses, God has lent, And to his audit liable is ever, To reckon how, and where, and when he spent. Then thus thou bragg’st thou art a great receiver. Little my debt, when little is my store, The more thou hast, thy debt still grows the more. But seeing God himself descended down, T’ enrich the poor by His deep poverty, His meat, his house, his grave were not his own, Yet all is His from all eternity; Let me be like my Head, whom I adore, Be thou great, wealthy, I still base and poor.

If well thou view’st us with no squinted eye, No partial judgment, thou wilt quickly rate Thy wealth no richer than my poverty; My want no poorer than thy rich estate. Our ends and births alike, in this as I, Poor thou wert born, and poor again shalt die. My little fills my little-wishing mind, Thou having more than much, yet seekest more; Who seeks, still wishes what he seeks to find; Who wishes, wants; and whoso wants, is poor: Then this must follow of necessity, Poor are thy riches, rich my poverty. Though still thou gett’st, yet is thy want not spent, But as thy wealth, so great thy wealthy itch; But with my little I have great content— Content hath all, and who hath all is rich; Then this in reason thou must needs confess, If I have little, yet that thou hast less. Whatever man possesses, God has lent, And to his audit liable is ever, To reckon how, and where, and when he spent. Then thus thou bragg’st thou art a great receiver. Little my debt, when little is my store, The more thou hast, thy debt still grows the more. But seeing God himself descended down, T’ enrich the poor by His deep poverty, His meat, his house, his grave were not his own, Yet all is His from all eternity; Let me be like my Head, whom I adore, Be thou great, wealthy, I still base and poor.

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