Read it through once

Give these, I exhort you, their guerdon and glory For daring so much, before they well did it. The first of the new, in our race’s story, Beats the last of the old; ‘tis no idle quiddit. The worthies began a revolution, Which if on earth you intend to acknowledge, Why, honor them now! (ends my allocution) Nor confer your degree when the folks leave college.