Having consider'd thus what's to be done,
The hazards, hardships, and the risque you run,
Consider with what strength you are endow'd,
What nature for th' encounter hath allow'd;
As if you affect th' Olympick exercise,
Examine well your back, your shoulders, thighs,
What brawn, what sinews for the enterprise
Nor will each sort of strength suit each exploit,
This runs, that leaps, this wrestles, throws the coit;
So if the combat with yourself you try,
And by strict methods of philosophy
Your own rebellious passions strive to tame,
And thus a more illustrious conquest gain,
You can't expect to indulge and gratify
You genius with accustom'd luxury.
Nay, 'tis a contradiction, 'tis to obey
Those very lusts you mean to drive away.
You should consider whether you can bear
The want of far-fetch'd dainties, travel'd chear:
You should consider whether you can dine,
Without a catalogue of costly wine,
Whether that squeamishness you can forget,
That makes you keep an almanack for meat,
That makes you sweat, and faint, when you behold
A novelty that's more than one day old;
And to be short and serious, what you think
Of roots for food, and the cold stream for drink.
Philosophy's like some brave heroe bred,
With labours harden'd, and with hardships fed:

Awake (she cries) and let the early sun
Blush that he sees his vigilance outdone;
Arise, pursue, press forward, drive away
With chearful toil the tedious ling'ring day,
Business thy sport, and labour be thy play.

You should consider how you can dispense
With leaving home to gain experience;
How you can part with friends and native air;
How the fatigues of travel you can bear;
How in a thread-bare garment, old and torn,
You can endure the slights, and saucy scorn
Of pages, grooms, who, in proud liv'ries drest,
Fancy a tatter'd coat a mighty jest:
How it will relish with you to be us'd
Worse than the basest slaves, to be refus'd
All honour, power, and trust, preferment, place,
Not to be call'd your worship, styl'd your grace.
In these examine well yourself, and try
Whether you're willing, at such rates, to buy
Freedom, a quiet mind, and constancy:
Lest like the boys I told you of, you prove
Now a philosopher, then fall in love
With frothy trash of orators, and thence
Straight a collector of th' excise commence;
Then tir'd with this, your fond desires dilate,
And wish to be a minister of state.
These are wide contraries, as opposite,
As virtue is to vice, as black to white.
You can but make one single man, and he
A wise good man, or foolish knave must be;
He the full sway over himself must have,
Or be to things, not in his pow'r, a slave:
Skill'd in these inward arts, or those without,
Be wise, or herd amongst the common rout;
Or a philosopher, or idiot.