Close ×

Search EBBA

Advanced Search

EBBA 30415

British Library - Roxburghe
Ballad XSLT Template
Money that makes a Man:
OR, The Good-Fellows Folly.
Here in this Song Good-Fellow thou mayst find,
How Money makes a Man, if thourt not blind?
Therefore return ere that it be too late,
And dont on Strumpets spend thy whole estate,
For when all is gone, no better thou wilt be:
But Laught to scorn in all thy poverty.
To a pleasant new Tune: Bonny black Bess: Or, Digby.
By J. Wade.

OH what a madness tis to borrow or lend,
Or for strong Liquor thy Money to spend;
For when that is wanting thy courage is cool,
Thou must stand Cap in hand to every fool:
but if thy pockets can jingle, they will take thy word
Oh then thou art company for Knight or yet Lord:
Then make much of a Penny as near as you can,
For if that be wanting thourt counted no man.

Then listen a while and ile tell you in brief,
The most of my sorrow, my care, and my grief;
I had an estate Ile make it appear,
Besides all my stock, was worth fifty a year:
But so soon as I to drinking then fell,
My Land I then Morgaged, my Cattle did sell;
No sooner the money I for them had took,
But it went to the Ale-house ile swear on a book.

Thus in a short time my money did waste,
And I found my self not a pin better at last,
Whilst other Tradesmen were working full hard,
I from an Ale-house could not be debar[]d:

There would I sit tipling day after day,
And my Wife she unto me full often would say,
Make much of a Penny as near as you can,
For if that be wanting thoult be counted no man.

But the words that she spoke id regard not a straw
But would kick her, & beat her, & keep her in awe;
My children at home might eat the bare wall,
Whilst I in an Ale-house for strong liquor did call:
And my Hostis forsooth must needs sit on my knee
though my wife she hath twice more beauty then she
Yet that would not please my letcherous mind,
Because for my Money my Hostis was kind.

But in the conclusion here comes all my care,
My back it grew thin, and my pockets grew bare;
Then I told my Hostis my pittiful tale,
In hopes that my sorrows she would bewail:
But she turnd up her nose; and she looked as quoy,
You might have been wiser she straight did reply;
This was all the comfort that I got from she,
That always pretended my friend for to be.

THerefore all young-men that loves the Ale-bench
Some counsel ile give them before they go hence;
If thou sitst day an night, & drinkst never so fast
Yet thoult find thy own home is the best at last:
It is but for your money they wait you upon,
And when that is wanting your lightly lookt on;
If she sees but two-pence you run on the score,
She[]l swear by her troth she will trust you no moe

Then have a care young-men, be ruled in time,
Lest drink overcome thee, in old days you pine:
For you see Good-fellows how thread-bare they go
And what good-husbandry brings a man to;
For some lives most bravely tho means they have small,
An some that has hun[d]reds do quickly spend all;
Then make much of a Penny as near as you can,
For if that be wanting thourt counted no man.

Tis money you see makes a Lord, or yet Earl,
Tis money you see that sets out a young Girl;
Likewise tis money makes the Lawyer to prate,
& tis money doth make the man love his wife Kate
And tis money breeds love where never was none,
Although she be old, yet money makes her young:
A Knight or a Begger, whatever they be
If they have but money theyr welcome to me.

Thus money you see, and do well understand,
If a poor man can but get it, he buys house and land
But it must not be those that works hard all day,
And at night in an Ale house doth throw it away.

Nay, that will not serve, but twice as much more
If his word it will pass, he runs on the score;
Then all the week after, though then he dont heed
He wanteth bread-corn his poor children to feed.

Therefore he advised boon Companions all,
For you see the worlds so they laugh at a mans fall
With speed your old haunts pray begin for to shun
Take warning by others the which are undone:
Youl say a good-fellow it is a brave name,
But many a man doth pay dear for the same:
The which hath all spent, now in Goal he doth lye,
And none will relieve him in his poverty.

But some men have got such a spark in their throat
That I would not be him that should quencht for a groat;
All the fair words his wife can him give,
Yet hel not be ruled though poor he doth live:
Hang money he crys, till all ont is gone,
As for house and Land I mean to buy none;
I must see my Hostis to go neat and fine,
Although that my family doth starve and pine.

And thus have I told you the conditions of some,
That all long of strong liquor will never keep home
His stock it decays, although his wife cries,
And in the conclusion a begger he dies:
but a good husbands means you see doth increase
He maintains his houshold in joy and in peace;
Then make much of a penny as near as you can,
For if that be wanting, thoult be counted no man


FINIS.
With Allowance, Ro. LESrange.
Printed for F. Coles, T. Vere, [J.] Wright, J. Clarke, W. Thackery, and T. Passinger.

View Raw XML