Here begins a pleasant song of a Mayden faire,
To purchase her desire, her Coine she did not spare,
And shee most freely parted with her money
To a Youngman, the which shee call'd her dearest Honey.
To a pleasant new tune.
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A LL haile to thee my onely sweeting,
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I thinke this is a happy meeting:
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I long desired to see my dearest honey,
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Thy company is better farre than money.
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Kind Mistresse I am your debtor,
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And hang me if I prove a fleeter,
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I will remaine your deare and onely honey
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I love your company, and I love your money.
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I have five hundred pound, I know it,
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On thee my sweeting I will bestow it,
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Because I take thee as my dearest honey,
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Good company is better farre than money.
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It joyes my heart to heare your motion,
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Five hundred pounds is a good portion,
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I will remaine your onely sweet and honey,
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Yet I desire to see this summe of money.
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Then walke with me to yonder mountaine,
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Where money flowes like to a fountaine,
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Thou shalt not want for meanes my deerest hony
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Good company is better farre than money.
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Then let us goe as thou hast spoken,
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Ile take thy favour as a token,
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I love thee as my deare, my sweet, my honey,
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Thy company is good and so is money.
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Then let us now no longer tarry,
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But goe unto the Church and marry,
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Looke here is gold and silver store my honey,
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But company is better farre than money.
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Sweet heart, I freely yeeld unto it,
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The Priest and Clearke will quickely doe it:
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Yet there's no hast, my dearest honey,
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Thou hast my company and I thy money.
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For money thou shalt have it plentie,
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If thou lacke one pound, Ile fetch thee twenty,
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Because thou callest me thy dearest honey,
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Good company is better farre than money.
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Oh that is spoken very kindly,
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I know thy minde, Ile fit thee finely,
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I will continue still thy dearest honey,
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I love thee well, and so I doe thy money.
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My Boy, Ile have thee of the fashion,
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It will be for thy commendation.
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Thou shalt have gallant sutes, my dearest honey,
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And with the bravest thou shalt spend thy mony.
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Sweet heart I want a gallant Gelding,
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That to my pleasure may be yeelding,
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And with the bravest he, Ile roare and swagger,
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So long untill I cannot goe but stagger.
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The second part, To the s[ame t]une,
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T Hou shalt have what thou wilt require,
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For to fulfill thy hearts desire,
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Thou shalt not want for any thing my honey,
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Good company is better farre than money.
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Now I must here declare my Ditty,
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To all, both Countrey, Towne, and Citie,
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Of a youngman and his deare onely honey,
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And how he spent away his Lasses money.
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Give roome, here comes our new sprung gallant
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For to devoure his wenches talant,
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He having got the treasure of his honey,
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He bravely fals to spending of her money.
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Come Vintner bring's both Sacke and Claret,
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And for the rest I will not spare it,
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I have a Lasse that cals me her deare honey,
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She loves my company and I love her money.
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Come on my Blades, be blith, and merry,
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Wee'l have a quart or two of Sherry,
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Drinke round about and I will pledge my hony
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Because she'llowes me alwaies store of money.
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Thus he continues in his pleasure,
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And she repents her selfe at leasure,
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Her treasure being wasted on her honey,
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She wish'd that she had wisely kept her money.
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His company she now repenteth,
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And to some other she relenteth,
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Complayning alwayes of her dearest honey,
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And sayes that shee hath spent away her money.
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Nay more she sayes, he stole a Jewell,
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And for the same she holds him cruell,
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Her mayden-head departed with her money,
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Thus was she coozened with her onely honey.
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He gave her earnest on condition,
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But it is now a great suspicion,
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That she doth now repent her former bargaine
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Her belly is a token of regarding.
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All you that doe delight in pleasure,
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You see what followeth at leasure,
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This youngman coozened his dearest honey,
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Thus company doth cause the want of money.
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And thus to end my merry Dittie,
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Here's many Lasses in Towne and Citie,
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That do complaine likewise of their sweet hony,
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And say they lost their company and money.
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All you yong Maydes, by me be warned,
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Lest you [by] false youngmen be harmed
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Be careful in the choosing of your honey,
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Unlesse you [l]ose your mayden-heads and mony.
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