A most Notaple Example of an ungracious
Son, who in the pride of his heart denyed his own Father, and
how God for his offence turned his meat into loathsome Toads.
To the tune of, Lord Darby.
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IN searching famous Chronicles,
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it was my chance to read
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A worthy story strange and true,
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whereto I took go[o]d heed,
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Betwixt a Father and a Son
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this rare example stands,
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which well may move the hardest hearts
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to weep wring their hands.
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This Farmer in the Country livd,
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whose substance did excell
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He sent therefore his eldest Son
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in Paris for to dwell,
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Where he became a Merchant man,
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and traffick great he used,
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So that he was exceeding rich
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till he himself abused.
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For having now the world at will
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his mind was wholly bent,
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To Gaming wine and wantonness,
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till all his goods was spent,
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Yea such excessive Ryotousnesse,
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by him was shew[e]d forth,
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That he was three times more in debt
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then all his wealth was worth.
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At length his credit clean was crakt
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and he in prison cast,
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And every man against him then,
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did set his act[i]on fast,
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There he lay lockt in Irons strong,
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for ever and for aye,
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Unable while his life did last,
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his grievous debt to pay.
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And living in this woful case,
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his Eyes with tears he spent;
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The lewdness of his former life
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too late he did repent,
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And being void of all relief,
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of helpe and comfort quite,
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Unto his Father at the last
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he thus began to write.
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Bow down a while your heedful ears
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my loving Father dear,
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And grant I pray in gracious sort
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my pittious plaint to hear,
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Forgive the foul offences all,
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of your unworthy son,
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Which through the lewdness of his life
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hath now himself undone.
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O my good Father take remorse
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on this my extream need,
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And succour his disteessed state
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whose heart for woe doth bleed,
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In direful Dungeon here I lye
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my feet in fetters fast.
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Whom my most cruel creditors,
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in Prison have me cast.
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Let pitty therefore pierce your brest,
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and mercy move your mind
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And to release my mesery.
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some shift dear Father find,
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My chiefest Chear is bread full brown
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the boards my saftest bed,
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And flintly stones my pillows serve,
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to rest my troubled head.
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MY garments all are worn to rags
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my body starves with cold,
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And crawling Vermin eat my fl[e]sh
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most grievous to behold,
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Dear Father come therefore with speed
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and rid me out of thrall,
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And let me not in prison dye,
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sith by your help I call.
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The good old man no sooner had
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p[e]rusd this written Scrowl,
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But trickling tears along his cheeks,
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most plenteously did rowl,
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Alas my son, my son quoth he,
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in whom I joyed the most,
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Thou shalt not long in prison be
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what ever it me cost.
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Two hundred heads of well fed beasts
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he changed into gold,
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Four hundred quarters of good coin,
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for silver eke he sold,
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But all the same could not suffice
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this hainous fact to pay,
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Till at the last constrained was
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to sell his land away.
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Then was his son released quite
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his debts discharges clean,
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And he like as well to live,
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as he before had been.
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Then went his loving Father home
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who for to help his son
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Had sold his living quite away
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and eke himself undone.
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So that he lived poor and bare
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and in such extream need,
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That many times he wanted food
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his hungry corps to feed,
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His son mean time in wealth did swim,
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whose substance now was such
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That sure within the City then
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few men were found so rich.
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But as his goods did still increase
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and riches in did slide
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So more and more his hardned heart
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did swell in hatefull pride,
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But it fell out upon a time
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when ten years woe was past,
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Unto his son he did repair,
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for some releif at last
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And being come unto his house
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in very poor array,
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It chanced so that with his son
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great state should dine that day
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The poor old man with hat in hand,
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did then the Porter pray,
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To shew his son that at the gate
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his Father there did stay.
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Whereat this proud disdainful wretch
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with taunting speeches said,
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That long ago his Fathers bones
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within the grave was laid,
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What Rascal then is that quoth he,
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that staineth so my state?
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I charge the Porter presently,
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to drive him from my gate,
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Which answer when the old man heard
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he was in mind dismaid,
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He wept, he waild he wrung his hand,
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and thus at length he said,
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O cursed wretch, and most unkind,
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and worker of my woe
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Thou monster of humanity,
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and eke thy fathers Fo.
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Have I been careful of thy case,
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maintaining still thy state,
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And dost thou now most dogged[ly]
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enforce me from thy gate.
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And have I wrongd thy brethre[n]
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from thrall to set thee free,
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And brought my self to begg[e]rs sta[te],
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and all to succour thee.
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Wo worth the time when first of al[l]
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thy body I espid:
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Which hath in hardness of thy hea[rt]
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thy fathers face denid
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But now behold how God that tim[e]
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did shew a wonder great,
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Even when his son and all his fri[ends]
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were setled down to meat.
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For when the fairest pye was cut
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a strange and dreadful case,
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Most ugly Toads came crawling o[ut]
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and leaped in his face,
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Then did this wretch his fault conf[ess]
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and for his Father sent,
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And for his great ingratitude
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full sore he did repent.
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All vertuous children learn by this
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obedient hearts to show,
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And honour still your Parents dea[r]
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for God commanded so
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And think how he did turn his mea[t]
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to poysonous Toads indeed,
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Which did his Fathers face deny
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because he stood in need.
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