What does it mean?

.
The early bird catches the worm.
.

Thank you Micawber, and this?

The poor must dance as the rich pipe.

.
Poor people must do what rich people wish them to do.
.

Volcano1985He that will thrive, must rise at five

Trollope notably applied the maxim. He paid one of his servants £5 p.a. to wake him at 5 o'clock each morning and bring him coffee. He was thus able to complete 2000 words of his latest novel before he dressed for breakfast each day. He consequently throve.

Sometimes,

MrPedantic He paid one of his servants £5 p.a. to wake him at 5 o'clock each morning and bring him coffee.

I think servants were treated better then than they are now.

Volcano1985The poor must dance as the rich pipe.

Deceptive use of "as." On first reading, we newbies might take it as The poor must dance while the rich pipe, suggesting that the musicians were better paid than the dancers.