Bankrupt of life, yet prodigal of ease.

Dryden’s line juxtaposes two kinds of “spending.” To be “bankrupt of life” suggests a person has exhausted their moral, intellectual, or spiritual capital—living as though they have nothing substantial left to invest in purpose, duty, or virtue. Yet they remain “prodigal of ease,” lavishly indulging in comfort, leisure, and self-sparing habits. The sting lies in the paradox: someone who cannot afford to waste anything (because their life is already impoverished) nonetheless squanders what remains on idleness. The phrase functions as a compact moral critique of complacency and self-indulgence, implying that ease can be a form of ruin when it replaces meaningful action.