Two-penny-worth of Wit
For a PENNY:
OR,
The Bad Husband Turnd Thrifty,
This Man that wrought his own decay,
And spent his Money night and day;
Is turnd so saving I do Swear,
Theres few that with him can compare:
And lives so Civil in his ways,
That all his Neighbours give him Praise;
And does Repent his wicked Crime,
And desires Good Fellows to turn in time;
Theres many a Man Runs himself clear out,
When Ales in his Head, then Wit is out.
To the Tune of, Packingtons Pound.
|
ALL Company-Keepers come hear what I say,
|
Heres a Notable Song if you please for to stay,
|
It will Learn you good counsel, be ruld by a Friend,
|
If you go to an Alehouse your money to spend:
|
For four-pence or Six-pence, you may spend I do say,
|
If you call any higher its all thrown away;
|
Then Barnaby will begin for to work in your head,
|
Theres many does forget that their Children want Bread.
|
Observe a good hour and loose not your time,
|
If you meet with a friend that you needs must go drink,
|
I desire you to take this counsel of mine,
|
Keep wit in your Noddle and your Pockets some Chink:
|
Then your wife will be pleased, your Children glad,
|
And a great deal of comfort there will be to be had:
|
But if you spend all your money and make yourself poor,
|
Then your Rent will be wanting youl be turnd out of door.
|
To see some men when they are got full of Drink,
|
What a Beastly condition it is we may think,
|
That they hardly can know one man from another,
|
They abuse their best friends if it were their own Brother:
|
Theyl tumble ith dirt, and theyl stagger ith street,
|
And affront ery man and woman they meet,
|
That when they are sober will scorn to do so,
|
For they hardly can know their friend from their Foe.
|
For I my own self have been in the same way,
|
And wasted my money by night and by day,
|
And never did think how my Children was servd,
|
Till neighbours did say that they almost were starvd:
|
If my wife chance to say that any thing she did lack,
|
I would call her base whore, and be sure pay her back:
|
That was the best comfort I could her afford,
|
Then I out to the Ale-house, and spend like a Lord.
|
I sold all my goods, and I wasted my store,
|
And at the long run I was grown very poor,
|
A hundred and fifty good pounds I have spent,
|
As long as any was left I could not be content:
|
My Hostess she would be so merry with me,
|
When I calld in for Liquor and paid fort too free,
|
And with slavering and Kissing she pleasd me to th life,
|
Thus I like a villain, did wrong my poor wife.
|
At last I considerd, and did think in my mind,
|
How to my own family I had been too unkind,
|
Which troubles my conscience to think on the same,
|
That with drinking and swilling I was much to blame;
|
My Children was bare and hard they did fare,
|
And I of their Misery never took care,
|
But now Ile begin for to live a new life,
|
And take pains to maintain both my Children and wife.
|
For I to the ale-house have been too kind,
|
Which to my undoing I plainly do find,
|
My poor little children are fallen into want,
|
Which grieves me to see them, full sore I repent,
|
That I had such fortune for to be so led,
|
With drunken Companions which causd me be bad,
|
But he runs a long Race, that ner has an end,
|
Ile make much of my money that God does me send.
|
Ile be careful of my Children and make much of my wife,
|
And provide meat and drink for to preserve their life,
|
That little thats left I hope to make it more,
|
With taking of pains, and with working full sore:
|
And ale-wives go hang themselves with what they have got,
|
No more of my Money shall fall to their Lot;
|
I have sowd my wild Oats, and I will have a care,
|
Of drunken Companions that made me so bare.
|
It is a brave thing when a winter comes cold,
|
To have something in store, with that a man may be bold,
|
Either Land men or Sea-men what ever they be;
|
All young men consider, be ruled by me,
|
For Hostesses and tap houses will fill you no Beer,
|
No longer then your money holds out you may swear,
|
For I my own self now do find it too true,
|
Which makes me to speak, for what I spent I do rue.
|
Since I took a good course and forsaken the bad,
|
With my wife and my Children there is enough to be had,
|
But while I kept drinking and loosing my time,
|
All my whole Houshold was ready to pine:
|
But it is a long day that ner has an end,
|
Therefore all good-fellows be ruld by a Friend,
|
keep money in your pockets and good cloaths to your back,
|
Drink to do your selves good, but take heed of a Crack.
|
Now in the Conclusion, that man is well blest,
|
That lives sober, and quietly, and forgoes Drunkenness,
|
He never will be out of reason with his wife,
|
If God give him a blessing hes free from all strife,
|
It is a brave thing if a Man do take pains,
|
If he works ner so hard if he bring home the gains;
|
Therefore take this counsel I pray you of mine,
|
Its a penny well bestowd, he that takes up in time.
|
|
|
|
|
|