Lines Written on the Blank Leaf of a Bible
by Lord Byron, a few weeks before his death
Within this awful volume lies
The mystery of mysteries:
Happiest they of human race
To whom (their) God has given grace
To read, to fear, to hope, to pray,
To lift the latch — to force the way:
And better had they ne’er been born,
Than read to doubt, or read to scorn.
