THE
NOBLEMANs Generous KINDNESS:
OR,
The Poor Country MANs unexpected HAPPINESS.
GIVING
An Account of a Nobleman, who taking Notice of a poor Mans industrious Care and Pains for the
maintaining of his Charge of Seven small Children, met him upon a Day, and discoursing with him, invited him and his
Wife, with his Children, home to his House, and bestowed upon them a Farm of Thirty Acres of Land, to be continued to
him and his Heirs for ever. To the Tune of, The two English Traveller.
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A Nobleman livd near a Village of late,
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Hard by a poor Thresher, whose Charge it was great;
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He had seven Children, and most of them small,
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And nought but his Labour to keep them withal.
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He never was given to Idle and Lurk,
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For this Nobleman saw him go daily to Work,
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With his Flail and his Bag, and his Bottle of Beer,
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As chearful as those that had Hundreds a Year.
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Thus careful and constant each Morning he went,
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To his daily Labour with Joy and Content;
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Jocund and jolly, hed both whistle and sing,
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As blyth and as brisk as a Bird in the Spring,
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One Morning the Nobleman taking his Walk,
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He met with the poor Man, and freely did talk;
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He askd him many a Question at large,
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Familiarly talking concerning his Charge.
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Thou hast many Children I very well know,
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Thy Labour is hard, and thy Wages are low;
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And yet thou art chearful, I pray thee tell true,
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How do you maintain them so well as you do?
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He answerd, I carry home all that I earn,
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And daily Experience by this I do learn,
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That though it is possible we may live poor,
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We still keep the ravenous Wolf from the Door.
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I reap and I mow, I harrow and sow;
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Sometimes I to hedging and ditching do go:
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No Work comes a miss, for I thresh and I plow;
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Thus I earn my Bread my the Sweet of my Brow.
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My Wife she is willing to pull at the Yoak,
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We live like two Lambs and we never provoke
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Each other, but like to the labouring Ant,
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We do our Endeavour to keep us from Want.
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And when I come home from Labour at Night.
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To my Wife and Children in whom I delight;
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To hear them come round we with prattling Noise,
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Tis these are the Riches that poor Men enjoys.
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Though I am weary as weary may be,
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The youngest I commonly dance on my Knee;
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[I] find that Content is an absolute Feast,
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I never repine at my Charge in the least.
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The Nobleman hearing then what he did say
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Was pleased and invited him home the next Day;
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His Wife and his Children he chargd him to bring,
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In Token of Favour he gave him a Ring.
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Then thanking his Honour and taking his Leave,
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He went to his Wife, who would hardly believe;
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But that this strange Story himself he might raise,
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Yet seeing the Ring, she was in Amaze.
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Betimes in the Morning the good Wife arose,
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And made them all fine with the best of their Cloaths;
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The good Man and Wife with their Children small,
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They went to dine at the Noblemans Hall.
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So when they came there, the Truth to report,
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All Things were prepard in a plentiful Sort;
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And they at the Noblemans Table did dine,
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With all Sorts of Dainties, and Plenty of Wine,
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All this being over he soon let him know,
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What he intended on him to bestow;
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A Farm, full thirty good Acres of Land,
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And gave him the Writings then with his own Hand.
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Because thou art careful and good to thy Wife,
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Ill make thy Days happy the rest of thy Life:
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It shall be for ever to thee and thy Heirs,
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For why, I beheld thy industrious Cares.
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No Tongue then was able to express,
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The Depth of their Joy and true Thankfulness;
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With many a Courtesy and Bow to the Ground,
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But such Noblemen there are few to be found.
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