I have been reading books wherein 'tis shown
(In diction autocratic, sour, un-civil),
That nothing can be absolutely known,
Save that the Universe is wholly evil!
And even this poor result is only plain
To Genius--which, of course, is quite a rarity.
_I_ should have thought this would have given it pain,
And moved it to both modesty and charity;
But what surprises _me_ (--ZOILUS, to mock sure,
Will whip me with sham-epigrams would-be witty,--)
Is that Agnostics seem so awfully pure,
And Pessimists so destitute of pity.
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