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Leaves of Grass.
- Without the farthest conceivable one coming a bit nearer the beginning than any.
11. Whatever satisfies Souls is true,
- Prudence entirely satisfies the craving and glut of Souls,
- Itself finally satisfies the Soul,
- The Soul has that measureless pride which revolts from every lesson but its own.
12. Now I give you an inkling,
- Now I breathe the word of the prudence that walks abreast with time, space, reality,
- That answers the pride which refuses every lesson but its own.
13. What is prudence, is indivisible,
- Declines to separate one part of life from every part.
- Divides not the righteous from the unrighteous, or the living from the dead,
- Matches every thought or act by its correlative,
- Knows no possible forgiveness or deputed atonement,
- Knows that the young man who composedly perilled his life and lost it, has done exceeding well for himself, without doubt,
- That he who never perilled his life, but retains it to old age in riches and ease, has probably achieved nothing for himself worth mentioning;
- Knows that only the person has really learned, who has learned to prefer results,
- Who favors body and Soul the same,
- Who perceives the indirect assuredly following the direct,
- Who in his spirit in any emergency whatever neither hurries or avoids death.
