Noblemans Generous Kindness:
OR,
The Country Mans Unexpected Happiness:
Giving a true Account of a Nobleman, who taking notice of the Poor Mans Industri-
ous Care and Pains for the maintaing of his Charge, which was seven small Children, meeting him upon a Day, discoursed with him and invited him and his Wife, with his Children, home
to his House, and accordingly bestowed upon him a Farm of thirty Acres of Land, to be con-
tinued to him and his Heirs for ever.
To the Tune of, The Two English Travellers. Licensd according to Order.
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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 none but his labour to keep them withal.
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He never was given to idle and lurk,
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This Nobleman see him go daily to work,
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His flail, with his bag, and his bottle of beer,
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As cheerful 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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So jocund and jolly, both wistle and sing,
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As blithe and as brisk as a Bird in the Spring.
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One Morning this Noble Man taking his walk,
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He met with this poor Man, and freely did talk;
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He asked 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 is low,
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And yet thou art chearful; I pray tell me true,
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How you do maintain them so well as you do?
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I carefully carry home all that I earn;
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Now dasly 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 a ravenous wolf from the door,
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I reap and I mow, and I harrow and sow,
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Sometimes I to hedging and ditching do go;
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No work comes amiss, for I thresh [?]d I plow:
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Thus I eat my bread by the sweat of [?] brow.
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My Wife she is willing to pull in 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 my 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 me with tatling noise;
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Now these are the riches that poor Men enjoys.
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Though I am as 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 repind at my Charge in the least.
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The Nobleman hearing then what he did say,
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Was pleasd, 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 thanked 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 then 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 his Children small,
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They then was to dine at the Noblemans Hall.
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And when they came there, as the truth doth report,
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All things was 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, with plenty of Wine.
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All this being over, he soon let him know,
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What he then intended on him to bestow:
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A Farm, with 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 wast 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 Heir,
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For why? I beheld thy industrious care.
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No tongue then was able in full to express
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The depth of their joy, and their true thankfulness,
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With many a courtesie and bow to the ground.
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But such Noblemen there is few to be found.
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