Man’s Life After Posidonius or Crates

What path list you to tread? What trade will you assay?
The courts of plea by brawl and bate drive gentle peace away.
In house, for wife and child, there is but cark and care;
With travail and with toil enough in fields we used to fare.
Upon the seas lieth dread, the rich in foreign land
Do fear the loss; and there the poor like misers poorly stand.
Strife with a wife; without, your thrift full hard to see.
Young brats a trouble; none at all, a maim it seems to be.
Youth fond; age hath no heart and pincheth all too nigh.
Choose, then, the liefer* of these two: no life, or soon to die.

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