"My son, as I make ready

To seek my last long home, Some cares I had for Neddy,

But none for thee, my Tom: Sobriety and order

You ne'er departed from.

"Ned hath a brilliant genius, And thou a plodding brain; On thee I think with pleasure, On him with doubt and pain." ("You see, good Ned," says Thomas, "What he thought about us twain.")

"Though small was your allowance,
You saved a little store;

And those who save a little
Shall get a plenty more."

As the lawyer read this compliment,
Tom's eyes were running o'er.

“The tortoise and the hare, Tom,
Set out, at each his pace;
The hare it was the fleeter,

The tortoise won the race;
And since the world's beginning
This ever was the case.

"Ned's genius, blythe and singing, Steps gaily o'er the ground;

As steadily you trudge it

He clears it with a bound;

But dullness has stout legs, Tom,

And wind that's wondrous sound.

""Tis surely some mistake," Good-naturedly cries Ned; The lawyer answered gravely, ""Tis even as I said;

'Twas thus his gracious majesty Ordain'd on his death-bed.

"See, here the will is witness'd,
And here's his autograph;"
"In truth, our father's writing,'
Says Edward, with a laugh;
"But thou shalt not be a loser, Tom
We'll share it half and half."

"Alas! my kind young gentleman,
This sharing cannot be ;
'Tis written in the testament
That Brentford spoke to me,
'I do forbid Prince Ned to give
Prince Tom a halfpenny.

"He hath a store of money,

But ne'er was known to lend it;

He never help'd his brother;

The poor he ne'er befriended;

He hath no need of property

Who knows not how to spend it.

"Poor Edward knows but how to spend, And thrifty Tom to hoard;

Let Thomas be the steward then,

And Edward be the lord;

And as the honest labourer

Is worthy his reward,

Such was old Brentford's honest testament,
He did devise his moneys for the best,

And lies in Brentford church in peaceful rest.
Prince Edward lived, and money made and spent ;
But his good sire was wrong, it is confess'd,
say his son, young Thomas, never lent.

To

He did. Young Thomas lent at interest, And nobly took his twenty-five per cent.

Long time the famous reign of Ned endured

O'er Chiswick, Fulham, Brentford, Putney, Kew;

But of extravagance he ne'er was cured.

And when both died, as mortal men will do, 'Twas commonly reported that the steward

Was very much the richer of the two.