When a man hath no freedom to fight for at home,
    Let him combat for that of his neighbours;
Let him think of the glories of Greece and of Rome
    And get knock'd on the head for his labours.
To do good to mankind is the chivalrous plan,
    And is always as nobly requited;
Then battle for freedom wherever you can.
    And, if not shot or hang'd, you'll get knighted.

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "When a man hath no freedom to fight for at home,
    Let him combat for that of his neighbours;
Let him think of the glories of Greece and of Rome
    And get knock'd on the head for his labours.
To do good to mankind is the chivalrous plan,
    And is always as nobly requited;
Then battle for freedom wherever you can.
    And, if not shot or hang'd, you'll get knighted." in the context of "Letter to Thomas Moore, 5 November 1820" to mean that wisdom is timeless.