The Lie
Sir Walter Ralegh
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Go, Soul, the body's guest1,                                                                    Tell age it daily wasteth;
Upon a thankless arrant2;                                                                    Tell honour how it alters;
Fear not to touch the best;                                                                    Tell beauty how she blasteth9;
The truth shall be thy warrant:                                                                    Tell favour how it falters:               40
Go, since I needs must die,                                                                    And as they shall reply,
And give the world the lie.                                                                    Give every one the lie.
   
Say to the court, it glows                                                                    Tell wit how much it wrangles
And shines like rotten wood;                                                                    In tickle points of niceness;
Say to the church, it shows                                                                    Tell wisdom she entangles

What's good, and doth no good:               10 

                                                                   Herself in overwiseness10:
If church and court reply,                                                                    And when they do reply,
Then give them both the lie.                                                                    Straight give them both the lie.
   
Tell potentates3, they live                                                                    Tell physic of her boldness11;
Acting by others' action;                                                                    Tell skill it is prevention12;                50
Not loved unless they give,                                                                    Tell charity of coldness;
Not strong but by affection4.                                                                    Tell law it is contention:
If potentates reply,                                                                    And as they do reply,
Give potentates the lie.                                                                    So give them still the lie.
   
Tell men of high condition,                                                                                               Tell fortune of her blindness;
That manage the estate,                            20                                                                    Tell nature of decay;
Their purpose is ambition5,                                                                    Tell friendship of unkindness;
Their practice only hate:                                                                    Tell justice of delay:
And if they once reply,                                                                    And if they will reply,
Then give them all the lie.                                                                    Then give them all the lie.              60          
   
Tell them that brave it6 most,                                                                    Tell arts they have no soundness13,
They beg for more by spending,                                                                    But vary by esteeming;
Who, in their greatest cost,                                                                    Tell schools they want profoundness14,
Seek nothing but commending:                                                                    And stand too much on seeming:
And if they make reply,                                                                    If arts and schools reply,
Then give them all the lie                           30                                                                    Give arts and schools the lie. 
   
Tell zeal7 it wants devotion;                                                                    Tell faith it's fled the city;
Tell love it is but lust;                                                                    Tell how the country erreth;
Tell time it metes8 but motion;                                                                    Tell, manhood shakes off pity
Tell flesh it is but dust:                                                                    Tell, virtue least preferreth:            70
And wish them not reply,                                                                    And if they do reply,
For thou must give the lie.                                                                    Spare not to give the lie.
   
                                                                     So when thou hast, as I
                                                                     Commanded thee, done blabbing15,
                                                                     Although to give the lie
                                                                     Deserves no less than stabbing,
                                                                     Stab at thee he that will,
                                                                     No stab the soul can kill.