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EBBA 21913

Magdalene College - Pepys
Ballad XSLT Template
The BEGGARS Delight;
as it was SUNG at the
THEATRE-ROYAL:

COurtiers, Courtiers, think it no harm,
that silly poor swains in love should be,
For love lies hid in raggs all torn,
as well as in Gold and bravery:
For the beggar he loves his Lass as dear,
as he that hath thousands, thousands, thousands,
He that has thousand pounds a year.

State and Title are pittiful things,
a lower state more happy doth prove,
Lords and Ladies and Princes and Kings,
with the beggar hath equal joys in love,
And my pretty brown Cloris upon the Hay,
hath always as killing, killing, killing,
Hath always as killing charms as they.

A Lord will purchase a Maiden-head,
which perhaps hath been lost some years before,
[A] Beggar will pawn his Cloak and his trade,
[? to love] and live poor:

Our eager imbraces in Cool-shades,
are always as pleasing, pleasing, pleasing,
Then theirs that are dull in downy Beds.

Our Cloris is free from patches and paint,
complection and features sweetly agree,
Perfections which Ladies often do want,
is always intail'd on her pedegree:
Sweet Cloris in her own careless hair,
is always more taking, taking, taking,
Then Ladies that Towers and Pendents do wear.

A Dutches may fail created for sport,
by using of art, and changing of things,
Tho' she was the Idol and Goddess o'th Court,
the joys & the pleasure of Don. Prince, or Kings
Yet Cloris in her old Russet Gown,
she's sound, she's sound, she's sound,
And free from the Plague and Pox of the Town.

A Beggar as boon and brisk in the dark,
as she that is painted red and white,
And pleases her mate, though not such [?]
as lies by the side of a Lord or a Knight,
And Cloris hath beauty to content,
so long as she's wholsome, wholsome, wholsome;
She pleases as we don't repent.

What though all the day she's attir'd in rags,
yet once a week she changes her smock,
And she that hath Gold or Siver in Bags,
she can do no more that match a good Cock:
She;s willing and ready to shew her art,
and still with her kisses, kisses, kisses,
She'l conquer the sences and the heart.

All the night long we do hugg and imbrace,
the greatest and rich can do no more,
And when to the swain she joyns her face,
he thinketh what joys there's for him in store:
By the tast of the blisses so happy's he,
he cry's there's no beggar, beggar, beggar,
Could so blest or so fortunate be.

The touch of her hand encreases his flame,
who conquer'd by charms a captive doth lye
And when he but thinks of his true loves name,
he vows for her sake he freely would dye,
Then she revives him again with a kiss.
he cries you undoe me, undoe me, undoe me,
Had ever poor soul such pleasure as this?

Then gallants ne'r envy the poors delight,
'tis pleasure to love, and a plague to be free,
Tho some for our poverty do us slight,
there's none alive more happy then we;
We will are content with what we enjoy,
& once in a twelve month, twelve month, twelve month
We are blest with a Girl or a Boy.

Content is a thing we strive to possess,
and better it is then a Golden Mine,
Since us with the same the Heavens do bless,
what cause have we for to repine:
No, we've enough our hearts to suffice,
and he that doth murmer, murmer, murmer,
Will never be happy nor wise.

FINIS.

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