But thou, profound one, thou sufferest too profoundly even from small wounds; and ere thou hadst recovered, the same poison-worm crawled over thy hand. Too proud art thou to kill these sweet-tooths. But take care lest it be thy fate to suffer all their poisonous injustice! They buzz around thee also with their praise: obtrusiveness, is their praise. They want to be close to thy skin and thy blood.

In some ageth the heart first, and in others the spirit. And some are hoary in youth, but the late young keep long young. To many men life is a failure; a poison-worm gnaweth at their heart. Then let them see to it that their dying is all the more a success. Many never become sweet; they rot even in the summer. It is cowardice that holdeth them fast to their branches.