The Young-Mans Labour lost:
He with a fair Maid was in love,
But she to him unkind did prove:
As by this Ditty you shall hear,
If Young men they will but draw near;
And Maidens too it doth advise,
To learn henceforth for to be wise.
To the Tune of, The Jeering Young-Man.
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AS I past by a Green-Wood side,
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A pritty Couple I espyd,
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A Young-man and a dainty Lass,
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But mark what after came to pass:
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He thought her humours for to fit,
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But yet she was too ripe a wit;
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She would not yield to his desire,
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As by this Story you shall hear.
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To Complement he did begin,
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The Maids affection for to win,
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With speeches fair he did intreat,
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And often said his heart would break;
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Quoth he, I am my Fathers Heir,
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And have Threescore Pound a Year,
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I will maintain you gallantly,
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If thou wilt yield my Bride to be.
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Therefore I pray you be not coy,
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For thou shalt be my only joy;
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If thou denyst thou wilt break my heart,
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For didst thou know the deadly smart
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Which I sustain both day and night
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For thee which art my hearts delight;
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Therefore my dearest pitty me,
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Or I shall dye for love of thee.
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The Maid.
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GOod Sir, I thank you for your love,
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Of your discourse I dont approve;
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For many now a days I see,
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Do bring themselves to Poverty,
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By Marrying whilst they are so young,
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But ile not do my self such wrong:
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Therefore forbear, thy suits in vain,
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I will not Marry I tell thee plain.
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You say you have threescore pound a year
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What if thou hast I do not care,
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I knew those that had three times more,
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And spent it all upon a Whore:
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And so may thou for ought I know,
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For all you make so fair a show:
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Then be content, and do not prate,
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For fear that I should break thy pate.
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The Young-Man.
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The Young-man standing in amaze,
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And on the Maid did strangely gaze;
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At last he made her this reply,
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And unto her these words did say:
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What ails thee for to be so cross,
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In troth I like thee worse and worse:
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Of all the Maids that ere I see,
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I never heard the like of thee.
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Sweet-heart believe me, or else chuse,
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Ide have thee know I am none of those,
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That spend my means upon a Whore,
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Or run upon the Ale-wives score:
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No, I will better be advisd,
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Its good to be merry and wise:
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For friends I see are very scant,
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If that a Man do come to want.
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Maid.
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My friend, quoth she, what you have said,
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Is not half true, I am afraid;
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I cannot think your so precise.
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One may see plainly by your eyes:
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Your Hair is of the Colour right,
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To couzen Maids is your delight:
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But thou shalt ner prove false to me,
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Or I will ner prove true to thee.
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Therefore forbear my company,
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And henceforth come not me nigh;
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For I am not resolvd to Wed,
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Nor yet to lose my Maiden-head:
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A single life is void of care,
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For marryd Wives must pinch and spare
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Their charge for to maintain I see,
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Therefore a single life for me.
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The Man.
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Seeing thou provest so unkind,
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I am resolvd to change my mind:
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A hundred pound I have in store,
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And threescore pound a Year and more:
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If I can find an honest Girl,
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Ile prize her more then Gold or Pearl,
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And she shall live a Ladies life,
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After shes made my wedded wife.
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And so farewel thou scornful Dame,
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In time thou mayst repent the same,
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That thou to me didst prove untrue,
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In time thou mayst have cause to rue:
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Before that I will Marry thee,
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I will be hangd upon a Tree:
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Rather I will give my wealth and store
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To one that begs from door to door.
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Maid.
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Farewel, be gone, thou sawcy Jack,
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With thy wealth and money prithee pack,
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My Portion is an hundred pound,
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In Silver and good Gold so round:
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Besides my Mother she doth cry,
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I shall have all when she doth dye;
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Then what need I care for thy wealth,
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Even as thou saidst, go hang thy self.
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For I am resolved as I begun,
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To end and so conclude my Song,
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A single Life I hold it best,
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And thereon still my mind is prest.
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For Marriage brings sorrow and care,
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So in it Ile not bare a share:
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Since Young-men are so fickle grown,
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I am resolvd to hold my own.
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So Maids of you ile take my leave,
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Let no false young-man you deceive;
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For many they are hard to trust,
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Scarce one in twenty proveth just:
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I for my own part will advise,
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All Maids henceforth for to be wise:
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And have a care who you do wed,
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For fear you bring a Knave to bed.
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