I would you never had said so, To the tune of upon the Meddow brow.
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TWo loving Friends once meeting
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by chaunce upon the way:
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In kindnesse gave each other,
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the good time of the day:
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And the one desir'd the other,
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along with him to goe:
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The other denayd, and to him said,
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I would you had not said so.
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Beeing demaunded why,
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that he that wish desir'd?
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Why sir quoth he my reason is,
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because I am almost tyr'd:
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And are you tyr'd quoth he,
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tis more then I did know?
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Then truely since with all my hart,
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I would you had not said so.
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But seeing you are weary,
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now let us take repose:
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Heere let us sit and rest us,
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and to you Ile disclose:
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Some Vices in the Country,
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amongst us dayly grow:
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If youle attend good Sir quoth hee,
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I would you had not said so.
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For truely in the Citty,
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from whence I came are more:
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More hatefull vices, name you one,
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Ile name you halfe a score:
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Ist possible (quoth he)
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the Citty so should flow?
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With Vice in such abundance,
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I would you had not said so.
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But now sir for the Country,
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because I must begin:
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Ile first speake of the Mizer,
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that lump, that heape of sinne:
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This urchin is a Farmer,
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whom many men doe know:
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He scrapes and hoards the Divell and all
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I would you had not said so.
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Though Barnes and Racks be full,
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though Chists be cram'd with Coine:
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And though he nothing wanteth,
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yet must he needs purloyne:
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His Tennants Rents heele raise,
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his Neighbors heele undoe:
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By removing of their Land markes,
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I would you had not said so.
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And if a Neighbour hath,
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neere him a pee[ce of?] ground:
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Heele never leave by right nor wrong,
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till it to him be bound:
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If true meanes cannot get it,
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he then to Law will goe:
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And wrong a poore man for his owne,
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I would you had not said so.
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The Second part. To the same Tune.
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THere are some in our Parrish,
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that too much are to blame:
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For in a yeere scarse once,
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they to the Church ere came:
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But doth the Alehouse haunt,
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and so themselves undoe:
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O Lord sure quoth the other againe,
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I would you had not said so.
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O sir I could reveale quoth hee,
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of truths a number more:
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Which shame makes me conceale,
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but yet I greeve therefore:
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For many doe offend,
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which heare I may not show:
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Truely replide the other then,
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I would you had not said so.
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Then heare me (qd.) the Townesman
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for fearelesse Ile begin:
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Apparantly to tell you,
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now of the Citties sinne:
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There's all the acts of Rogarie,
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or ought that longs thereto:
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Fore tend it quoth the Countryman,
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I would you had not said so.
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The Courtiers proud, and Lawyers,
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doth knavish cunning use:
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The Trades man by his bying,
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doth many men abuse:
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All the Informers are turnd knaves,
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they little good do do:
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The Sargeants cruell, sir quoth he,
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I would you had not said so.
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The Broker in the Hundred takes:
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good man but Foure score:
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His Conscience is so upright,
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he will not aske for more:
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The Bawd she will turne honest,
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when whores she doth forgoe:
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That will be never, sir quoth hee,
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I would you had not said so.
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The Curtizans shall vertious proove,
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when all their faults are fled:
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And Punckes shall surely honest live,
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when Panders all are dead:
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The Taylour he [sha]ll steale no more,
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when he hath no worke to doe:
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He cannot then the other said,
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I would you had not said so.
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The Brother gainst his brother,
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and Father gainst the Sonne:
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The sonne against the Father goes,
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till they are all undone:
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And Wives against their Husbands,
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doe make to much a doe:
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Sir this quoth th'other grieves me most,
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I would you had not said so.
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Most men so impious are,
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that they devise all evills:
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And in their dealings worser proove,
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then doe incarnate Divells,
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The Citty Wives phantastick prove,
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yet make a modest show:
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Their wiles theyle have the other said,
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I would you had not said so.
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Their Scycephanting Parrazites,
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their Mistris humours smooth,
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And eke the cheating basse Decoy,
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poore country men doe sooth:
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Till by their Cheating tricks,
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they quite doe them undoe:
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Quoth he this case is pittifull,
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I would you had not said so.
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Thus have you heard what newes,
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is now within the Citty:
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How all doe practise villanie,
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without remorse or pittie:
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Let us now having rested,
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upon our Jorney goe,
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Where to, though loath hee greed, yet said
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I would you had not said so.
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Trust me it is great pitty,
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to heare this bad report:
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Of Country, and of Citty,
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how all men doe extort:
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I would they would reforme,
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and thinke whats best to doe:
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That Countryman nor Cittizen,
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Might never gainst them say soe.
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FINIS.
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