ON A “TREATISE ON COINING MONEY”

BY NICOLAUS COPERNICUS

                                                                  (A. D. 1526)

Faithful in little and faithful in much,

A man as honest as the day is long

Cautioned his country (halting on the crutch

Of marks which had been minted for a song):

“Our land is weak because our money’s wrong.”

Like the moon’s pure silver and the sun’s pure gold,

His lucid logic shines above the throng

Of worldly men by whom he is extolled.

Copernicus knew better than to hold

Vain theories which can cripple a great nation;

But  scorning what rings true, we have been sold

Ideas whose currency is mere inflation—

Brilliant new papers backed by an alliance

Of minds too poor to grasp his wealth in science.