Was Sir Walter Scott prescient?

[Mira]

“High though his titles, proud his name,
Boundless his wealth as wish can claim;
Despite those titles, power, and pelf,
The wretch, concentred all in self,
Living, shall forfeit fair renown,
And, doubly dying, shall go down
To the vile dust from whence he sprung,
Unwept, unhonour'd, and unsung.”

Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet FRSE FSA Scot (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832) was a Scottish historical novelist, poet, playwright, and historian. Many of his works remain classics of both English-language literature and Scottish literature. Famous titles include The Lady of the Lake (narrative poem) and the novels Waverley, Old Mortality (or The Tale of Old Mortality), Rob Roy, The Heart of Mid-Lothian, The Bride of Lammermoor, and Ivanho

[Wicked Blue]

1. Quite probably

Etymology of pelf

"From Late Middle English pelf, pelfe (“stolen goods, booty, spoil; forfeited property; money, riches; property; valuable object”),[1] possibly from Anglo-Norman pelf (a variant of pelfre (“booty, loot”)) and Old French peufre (“frippery; rubbish”); further etymology uncertain, possibly a metathesis of Old French felpe, ferpe, frepe (“a rag”).[2] The English word is perhaps related to Late Latin pelfa, pelfra, pelfrum (“forfeited or stolen goods”), Middle French peuffe and French peufe, peuffe (“old clothes; rubbish”) (Normandy), and pilfer.[3]"

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pelf

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. Thx for picking that word out. Had glossed over it. New one for me. Knew "pilfer", now know "pelf"

[Wicked Blue]

3. New to me too

The modern equivalent of pelf is probably pilferage.

I wonder how much he and his ilk pilfered from the White House.

[lagomorph777]

5. Much harder to rhyme "pilferage."

Well, maybe with "sufferage" or "umbrage."

[eppur_se_muova]

7. 2nd time I've encountered that word on DU ... ;) nt

[Wounded Bear]

4. The fall from grace is a universal theme in literature...nt

[ananda]

6. For him no Minstrel raptures swell ...

...