Let lawyers harp about the law,
And all its majesty and might;
They find in every case a flaw
And think they're right.
Let politicians praise the truth
And laud its virtue to the sky —
They practice from their very youth
To give the lie.
Let prophets send the saints to heaven
And damn poor sinners e'en to hell —
How such authority is given
They cannot tell.
Let doctors prate of human pain
Alleviated by their skill,
When Death's dull sickness comes, in vain
Is every pill.
Let poets pipe of bloody war
And claim its carnal method right;
They're only piping cowards, for
Not one will fight.
And so it seems we mortals boast
Of knowledge where we know the least
And show our ignorance the most
Like any beast.