The Scholars

    Old， learned， respectable bald heads

    Edit and annotate¹ the lines

    That young men， tossing on their beds，

    Rhymed out in love‘s despair

    To flatter beauty‘s ignorant ear.

    All shuffle² there； all cough in ink；

    All wear the carpet with their shoes；

    All think what other people think；

    All know the man their neighbour knows.

    Lord， what would they say

    Did their Catullus walk that way？