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- Often has it crossed my fancy, that the city loves to deal
- With the very best and noblest members of her commonweal, just as with our ancient coinage, and the newly-minted gold.
- Yea for these, our sterling pieces, all of pure Athenian mould,
- All of perfect die and metal, all the fairest of the fair,
- All of workmanship unequalled, proved and valued everywhere
- Both amongst our own Hellenes and Barbarians far away,
- These we use not: but the worthles pinchbeck coins of yesterday,
- Vilest die and basest metal, now we always use instead.
- Even so, our sterling townsmen, nobly born and nobly bred,
- Men of worth and rank and mettle, men of honourable fame,
- Trained in every liberal science, choral dance and manly game,
- These we treat with scorn and insult, but the strangers newliest come,
- Worthless sons of worthless fathers, pinchbeck townsmen, yellowy scum,
- Whom in earlier days the city hardly would have stooped to use
- Even for her scapegoat victims, these for every task we choose.
- O unwise and foolish people, yet to mend your ways begin;
- Use again the good and useful: so hereafter, if ye win
- 'Twill be due to this your wisdom: if ye fall, at least 'twill be
- Not a fall that brings dishonour, falling from a worthy tree.
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