The poor Mans distress & tryal,
Or, Fortunes Favours after her Frowns.
When in Distress and heaviness,
The Rich doth poor Men hate;
But when the poor hath plenty store,
the Rich Mans love is great.
To the Tune of, The Two English Travellers. This may be Printed, R. P.
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A Poor man he lately did bury his wife,
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And soon he was brought into trouble and strife,
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He had a harsh Landlord to whom he ow'd rent,
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Quite void of all pitty, to cruelty bent.
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This Landlord he came to the poor man one day,
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And with bitter language to him he did say:
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Let me have my Money next week without fail,
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Or else I'le assure you, you lye in a Jail.
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The poor man in pittiful terms did relate,
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Good Sir be not cruel, my grief it is great,
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I hope with more sorrow you won't me oppress,
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Behold my poor Children that are Motherless.
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I ne'r in my life was a Spend-thrift you know:
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And therefore kind Sire, seek not my over throw,
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To pay you your money i'le make it my care,
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If you for a while will but patiently bare.
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I must and I will have my money, says he,
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Or else I will go to the extremity,
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It is not your children or what you can say,
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That ever shall make me much longer to stay.
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And thus in a fury from him he did part,
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At which the poor man he was griev'd to the heart,
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While tears from his eyes did in multitudes fall,
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Said he to his Children I must leave you all.
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With sorrowful sighing his heart wss near broke,
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His Children lamented as soon as he spoke,
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Dear Father don't leave us what ever you do,
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For we are all willing to suffer with you.
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In tender compassion, to them he reply'd,
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I am your dear Father, and still will provide
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For my little ones, who delighteth my mind,
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I cannot, nor never will leave ye behind.
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A trusty true Friend he had lived hard by,
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To whom the next Morning in haste he did hye,
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Said he, I must now leave my Countrey dear,
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Because a cold Prison I heartily fear.
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My Brother is rich, and has no Heir at all,
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And if he should Dye, then to me it may fall;
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I now will to London, though many a Mile,
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And there you may find me, if Fortune should smile.
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In Friendship they parted; to London he went,
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With his little Children, and liv'd in content
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By his dayly labour, quite free from all dread,
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At length there came tydings his Brother was dead.
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And made him and his the Sole heirs of his land,
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And therefore he straight-way went down out of hand
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His harsh cruel Landlord he now need not fear,
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Since he is possessed with hundreds a year.
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But now when he came for to pay him at last,
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His Landlord was sorry for all that was past,
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And told him he need not a wander'd away,
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I would not have done it, no, no by my fay.
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For those Childrens sake I would not you molest.
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What ever I said then I was but in jest,
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And therefore I hope you will not take it ill,
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But let us continue in true friendship still.
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Of all kind of comfort you did me bereave,
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And therefore I have not a faith to believe,
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For when I was poor you lookt sow're and big,
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And now for your friendship I care not a Fig.
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By this we perceive when the world it does frown
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Upon any person, all men runs them down.
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But yet when kind fortune a plenty shall send,
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Oh then to be sure we shall ne'r want a friend.
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FINIS.
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