THE CIVIL SERVICE BERNARDO
The Civil Servant bowed his headAnd keeping down his ire,He begged and prayed the ministerTo make his salary higher.“The winter’s coming on,” he said,“And everything’s so dearI can’t afford to eat,” he said;“And keep warm, too, that’s clear.”“Rise! Rise! Even now a bill is drawnWhich will take care of you;Even while we speak of itIt may have been passed through.”Then lightly rose that trustful clerk,His face no longer sad,And hied him to the House to see,The bill to make him glad.When lo! the bill being duly readAnd well conned o’er and o’er,The Civil Servant couldn’t seeWhere he got any more.He pondered o’er it line by lineAnd scanned it clause by clause,But he’d be blowed if he could seeFor gladness any cause.Then straightway to the ministerThe Civil Servant went;He knocked upon the green baise doorAnd in his card he sent.And, when he saw the minister,He nailed him with a look,And put the bill before his faceAnd talked just like a book.“What farce of bill is this?” he cried,“All framed with base intent;You know full well, as well as I,It don’t give me a cent.”“Why, really,” said the minister,“It does appear quite so;“But we can make another bill“Quite easily, you know.”And so another bill was madeJust in the same old way—That is, with plenty words,The clerk got very little pay.But still he had the honour leftOf working for the King,Which although it doesn’t pay,Is a genteel kind of thing.The minister was not to blame,He did not give it thought—Fact is, he didn’t know as muchAbout the matter as he ought.Whatever he set out to doWas sure to do by guess,Because of C. S. he knew little,And cared a little less.The minister was not aloneIn his ignorance dark as night;All the members of the HouseWere just in the same plight.You know, dear reader, that the HouseHas many things to Do;And it cannot think of themAnd the Civil Service, too.
The Civil Servant bowed his headAnd keeping down his ire,He begged and prayed the ministerTo make his salary higher.“The winter’s coming on,” he said,“And everything’s so dearI can’t afford to eat,” he said;“And keep warm, too, that’s clear.”“Rise! Rise! Even now a bill is drawnWhich will take care of you;Even while we speak of itIt may have been passed through.”Then lightly rose that trustful clerk,His face no longer sad,And hied him to the House to see,The bill to make him glad.When lo! the bill being duly readAnd well conned o’er and o’er,The Civil Servant couldn’t seeWhere he got any more.He pondered o’er it line by lineAnd scanned it clause by clause,But he’d be blowed if he could seeFor gladness any cause.Then straightway to the ministerThe Civil Servant went;He knocked upon the green baise doorAnd in his card he sent.And, when he saw the minister,He nailed him with a look,And put the bill before his faceAnd talked just like a book.“What farce of bill is this?” he cried,“All framed with base intent;You know full well, as well as I,It don’t give me a cent.”“Why, really,” said the minister,“It does appear quite so;“But we can make another bill“Quite easily, you know.”And so another bill was madeJust in the same old way—That is, with plenty words,The clerk got very little pay.But still he had the honour leftOf working for the King,Which although it doesn’t pay,Is a genteel kind of thing.The minister was not to blame,He did not give it thought—Fact is, he didn’t know as muchAbout the matter as he ought.Whatever he set out to doWas sure to do by guess,Because of C. S. he knew little,And cared a little less.The minister was not aloneIn his ignorance dark as night;All the members of the HouseWere just in the same plight.You know, dear reader, that the HouseHas many things to Do;And it cannot think of themAnd the Civil Service, too.
The Civil Servant bowed his headAnd keeping down his ire,He begged and prayed the ministerTo make his salary higher.“The winter’s coming on,” he said,“And everything’s so dearI can’t afford to eat,” he said;“And keep warm, too, that’s clear.”
The Civil Servant bowed his head
And keeping down his ire,
He begged and prayed the minister
To make his salary higher.
“The winter’s coming on,” he said,
“And everything’s so dear
I can’t afford to eat,” he said;
“And keep warm, too, that’s clear.”
“Rise! Rise! Even now a bill is drawnWhich will take care of you;Even while we speak of itIt may have been passed through.”Then lightly rose that trustful clerk,His face no longer sad,And hied him to the House to see,The bill to make him glad.
“Rise! Rise! Even now a bill is drawn
Which will take care of you;
Even while we speak of it
It may have been passed through.”
Then lightly rose that trustful clerk,
His face no longer sad,
And hied him to the House to see,
The bill to make him glad.
When lo! the bill being duly readAnd well conned o’er and o’er,The Civil Servant couldn’t seeWhere he got any more.He pondered o’er it line by lineAnd scanned it clause by clause,But he’d be blowed if he could seeFor gladness any cause.
When lo! the bill being duly read
And well conned o’er and o’er,
The Civil Servant couldn’t see
Where he got any more.
He pondered o’er it line by line
And scanned it clause by clause,
But he’d be blowed if he could see
For gladness any cause.
Then straightway to the ministerThe Civil Servant went;He knocked upon the green baise doorAnd in his card he sent.And, when he saw the minister,He nailed him with a look,And put the bill before his faceAnd talked just like a book.
Then straightway to the minister
The Civil Servant went;
He knocked upon the green baise door
And in his card he sent.
And, when he saw the minister,
He nailed him with a look,
And put the bill before his face
And talked just like a book.
“What farce of bill is this?” he cried,“All framed with base intent;You know full well, as well as I,It don’t give me a cent.”“Why, really,” said the minister,“It does appear quite so;“But we can make another bill“Quite easily, you know.”
“What farce of bill is this?” he cried,
“All framed with base intent;
You know full well, as well as I,
It don’t give me a cent.”
“Why, really,” said the minister,
“It does appear quite so;
“But we can make another bill
“Quite easily, you know.”
And so another bill was madeJust in the same old way—That is, with plenty words,The clerk got very little pay.But still he had the honour leftOf working for the King,Which although it doesn’t pay,Is a genteel kind of thing.
And so another bill was made
Just in the same old way—
That is, with plenty words,
The clerk got very little pay.
But still he had the honour left
Of working for the King,
Which although it doesn’t pay,
Is a genteel kind of thing.
The minister was not to blame,He did not give it thought—Fact is, he didn’t know as muchAbout the matter as he ought.Whatever he set out to doWas sure to do by guess,Because of C. S. he knew little,And cared a little less.
The minister was not to blame,
He did not give it thought—
Fact is, he didn’t know as much
About the matter as he ought.
Whatever he set out to do
Was sure to do by guess,
Because of C. S. he knew little,
And cared a little less.
The minister was not aloneIn his ignorance dark as night;All the members of the HouseWere just in the same plight.You know, dear reader, that the HouseHas many things to Do;And it cannot think of themAnd the Civil Service, too.
The minister was not alone
In his ignorance dark as night;
All the members of the House
Were just in the same plight.
You know, dear reader, that the House
Has many things to Do;
And it cannot think of them
And the Civil Service, too.
Trust not the man who is honest because he fears hell.
Be ready and willing to modify thy ideas as years are added to thee.
The Game is not the acquirement of wealth, honour, power, position, or glory, for in no one of these things is happiness inherent. A little of each goeth a long way.
Pleasure is a mere word and meaneth one thing to one and another to another, he that dissecteth a worm or pinneth a bug on a cork hath pleasure therein, but who shall say which hath the more pleasure, the bug hunter or he that chaseth after ambition.