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Rise and repeat, when morn again has smiled;
Then may'st thou have a conscience undefiled,
And, blest of God, the well-earned treasures keep,
Which time may ne'er from thy possession sweep.
Before thy friends oft spread the welcome feast,
Though of such store thy foes may claim the least.
Thy nearest neighbor haste to make thy friend,
And good results may on your choice attend.
If honest, kind, and just, he'll prove the best
Of counsellors; a bad one is a pest.
But if thou would'st the love of all secure,
Treat kindly all, good, bad, or rich, or poor.
In all thy trade or dealings let thy pleasure
Yield to thy neighbor's; give him his own measure.
Such generous acts, displayed in prosperous days,
Enlist his friendship and exalted praise.
When thou giv'st alms, the gracious gift impart
Not with thy hand alone, but with thy heart;
Give freely, wouldst thou claim to be receiver,
Both God and man reward the cheerful giver.
Indeed, to give rewards the generous mind:
What greater luxury than being kind?
But, pray, let not yourself be duped too much
By lying beggars, hobbling on a crutch;
For though you give by littles, yet, depend,
Those littles will exhaust you in the end.
Though blind suspicion often proves a curse,
Yet blind belief is just as bad, or worse:
The one makes you of every doubt the slave,
The other a dupe of each designing knave.
Betwixt the two extremes 'tis best to steer,
Neither reject nor sanction all you hear.