You young-men all I pray draw neer,
That does desire a song to hear,
It will teach you what wife for to chuse,
Who to take, and who to refuse,
And a man may have a woman in a trice,
They are termed to the chance o'the Dice,
But you must venture, have at all,
Whether you stand or get a fall.
To the Tune of, The World goes merrily round.
|
YOu young men that want skill in wooing,
|
and if ye desire to be wed,
|
Take counsel of me in your doing,
|
for fear least you should be misled:
|
Do not my kind proffer refuse,
|
it will never you deceive,
|
It will teach you what women to chuse,
|
and what creature you had best to believe;
|
But chielfly I wish you beware,
|
of a wench with a rowling eye,
|
For she that can cousen and swear,
|
can also dissemble and lye,
|
In the first place I do you advise,
|
take one not too high nor too low,
|
But according unto your own cise,
|
you may well her qualities know;
|
Take one not too rich nor too poor,
|
nor one that's a dirty foul slut,
|
The one she may Babble too lowd,
|
the other may poyson the gut;
|
But chiefly, etc.
|
It is better to wed an honest maid,
|
although she be never so poor,
|
Then to wed a Rich Gossip in stead,
|
least afterwards she should turn Whore;
|
And a widdow whose wealth doth surmount,
|
if that you do marry for gain,
|
She'l call you to double account,
|
so your pleasure will turn to your pain,
|
But chiefly, etc.
|
Besides she is apt to be jealous,
|
which is the fore-runner of strife,
|
As good to be hang'd at the Gallows,
|
as marry with such a cross wife;
|
And now in the Second Part, I
|
am purposed for to resite
|
My skill in Physiognomy,
|
wherein I will shew you a light;
|
But chiefly I wish you beware,
|
of a wench with a rowling eye,
|
For she that can cousen and swear,
|
can also dissemble and lye.
|
BY colour of Hair of the head,
|
or else by the favour o'th face,
|
I will teach you with whom for to wed,
|
and who you had best to imbrace:
|
The man that will chuse him a mate,
|
by colour of hair or complexion,
|
He must use many ways to entreat,
|
lest he be brought under subjection.
|
For chiefly I wish you beware,
|
of a wench with a rowling eye,
|
For she that can cousen and swear,
|
will also dissemble and lye.
|
You must note both her forehead and brow,
|
her cheeks, eyes, nose, and her chin,
|
God Cupid those things doth allow,
|
when you first to woo her begin:
|
All is not true gold that does glitter,
|
nor all is not lead that looks dull:
|
Fair Venus that chief of the sisters,
|
made Vulcan her husband a gull,
|
But chiefly, etc.
|
So many times beautiful Lasses,
|
which holds there poor husbands in scorn,
|
And cunningly breaks all the glass,
|
and makes them drink out of the horn.
|
She that hath her hair of bright yellow,
|
and dressed like wyers of gold,
|
If she meet with some pretty fellow,
|
her husband may chance to Cuckold.
|
But chiefly, etc.
|
But she that's by nature composed,
|
with round cherry cheeks and red hair,
|
But be she pink-eyed and long-nosed,
|
believe me she is dangerous ware:
|
The brown hair hath witty dicourse,
|
but commonly for her own ends,
|
I like her a great deal the worse,
|
because she dissembles with her friends,
|
But chiefly, etc.
|
A wench with an ash-coloured face,
|
her actions are often uncivil,
|
Her tongue will her husband disgrace,
|
just like to the second she-devil.
|
But the bonny wench with the black brow,
|
O she is a good one indeed,
|
For she will be true to her trust,
|
I would we had more of her breed.
|
But chiefly, etc.
|
And thus have I told you my mind,
|
concerning phesiognomy,
|
I wish no harm to women kind,
|
I swear by my honesty.
|
Least I should some female offend,
|
i'le lay by my pen and so rest,
|
What ever in the ditty is pend,
|
let young-men take where they like best,
|
But chiefly, etc.
|
But thus I may speak in regard,
|
and i'le maintain my words in a trice,
|
Some women may well be compared,
|
to the best chance or the worst of the dice:
|
Suppose a young-man goes to the dice,
|
to venture his goods and his store,
|
If he throw a sinck or a sice,
|
then the game is his own for evermore.
|
But chiefly, etc.
|
But if that his fortune be cross,
|
he throws but a duce or an ace,
|
His goods and his substance is lost,
|
and he left in a pittiful case:
|
Suppose in a like case, if a Lad,
|
can get him a provident wife,
|
His fortune can never be bad,
|
he is made all the days of his life.
|
But chiefly, etc.
|
But if that dame fortune do frown,
|
that dis wife and he cannot agree,
|
He is for ever cast down,
|
by woful experience you see;
|
Thus noble young-men adieu,
|
remember the words which I [say],
|
This song's like to prove to be true
|
then by it and bear it away:
|
But chiefly I wish you beware,
|
of a wench with a rowling eye,
|
For she that can cousen and swear,
|
can also desemble and lye.
|
|
FINIS.
|
|
|
|