Living
Nature requires five
From The Nursery Rhymes of England, collected by J. O. Halliwell (London: Warne; first ed. 1842; this printing 1886)
Living
Nature requires five,
Custom gives seven!
Laziness takes nine,
And Wickedness eleven.
✦ ✦ ✦
Codex Note
Halliwell's class: Proverbs. [Hours of sleep.]
Cite this poem
MLA
Anonymous (English nursery rhymes). “Nature requires five.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-english-nursery-rhymes/81/.
Chicago
Anonymous (English nursery rhymes). “Nature requires five.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-english-nursery-rhymes/81/.
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