A Health to all Good-Fellowes:
OR,
The good Companions Arithmaticke.
To the tune of, To drive the cold Winter away.
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BE merry my hearts, and call for your quarts,
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and let no liquor be lacking,
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We have gold in store, we purpose to roare,
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untill we set care a packing.
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Then Hostis make haste, and let no time waste,
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let every man have his due,
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To save shooes and trouble, bring in the pots double
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for he that made one, made two.
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Ile drinke up my drinke, and speak what I thinke,
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strong drinke will make us speake truely,
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We cannot be termed, all drunkards confirmed,
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so long as we are not unruly,
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Weele drinke and be civill, intending no evill,
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if none be offended at me,
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As I did before, so Ile adde one more,
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and he that made two, made three.
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The greedy Curmudgin, sits all the day snudging,
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at home with browne bread and small beare,
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To Coffer up wealth, he starveth himselfe,
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scarce eats a good meale in a yeare,
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But Ile not do so, how ere the world go,
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so long as I have money in store,
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I scorne for to faile, go fill us more Ale,
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for he that made three, made foure.
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Why sit you thus sadly, because I call madly;
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I meane not to leave in the lurch,
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My reckoning Ile pay, ere I go away,
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else hang me as high as a Church,
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Perhaps you will say this is not the way,
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they must pine that in this world will thrive,
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No matter for that, weele laugh and be fat,
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for he that made foure, made five.
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To those my good friends, my love so extends,
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I cannot truely expresse it:
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When with you I meet, your words are so sweet,
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I am unwilling to misse it,
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I hate all base slaves, that their money saves,
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and all those that use base tricks,
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For with joviall blades, Im as mery as the maids
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and he that made five, made six.
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Then drinke about round, till sorrow be dround,
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and let us sing hey downe a derry,
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I cannot endure to sit thus demure,
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for hether I came to be merry:
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Then plucke up a good heart, before we depart,
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with my Hostesse we will make even,
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For I am set a madding, and still will be adding,
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for he that made six, made seven.
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The second part, To the same tune.
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SAd mellancholly will bring us to folly,
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and this is deaths principall magent,
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But this course I will take, it never shall make,
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me looke otherwise then an agent,
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And in more content, my time shall be spent,
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and Ile pay every man his right,
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Then Hostesse go fill, and stand not so still,
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for he that made seven, made eight.
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At home I confesse, with my wife honest Besse,
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I practise, good husbandry well.
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I followed my calling, to keepe me from falling,
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my neighbours about me that dwell,
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Wil praise me at large, for maintaining my charge
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but when I to drinking incline,
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I scorne for to shrinke, go fetch us more drinke,
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for he that made eight, made nine.
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Then while we are here weele drinke Ale & Beer,
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and freely our money weele spend,
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Let no man take care, for paying his share,
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if need be Ile pay for my friend,
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Then Hostesse make haste, and let no time waste,
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youre welcome all kind Gentlemen:
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Never feare to carowse, while there is beere in the house,
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for he that made nine, made ten.
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Then Hostesse be quicker, and bring us more liquor
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and let no attendance be missing,
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I cannot content me, to see the pot empty,
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a full cup is well worth the kissing,
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Then Hostesse go fetch us some, for till you do come
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we are of all joyes bereaven,
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You know what I meane, make haste come again,
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for he that made ten, made eleven.
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With merry sollaces, quite voyd of all malice,
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with honest good fellowes thats here,
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No cursing nor swearing, no staring nor tearing,
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amongst us do see me to appeare,
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When we have spent all, to labour we fall,
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for a living weele dig or weele delve.
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Determind to be, both bouteous and free,
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he that made eleven, made twelve.
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Now I thinke it is fit, and most requisit,
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to drinke a health to our wives,
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The which being done, weele pay and be gone,
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strong drinke all our wits now deprives:
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Then Hostesse lets know, the summe that we owe,
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twelve-pence there is for certaine,
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Then fill tother pot, and heres money fort
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for he that made twelve, made thirteene.
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