Slippery Will, or The old Bachelors complaint, with his
advice to all yong men not to doe as he had done:
His youthfull time he spent away,
Which makes him now this Proverbe say,
That he that will not when he may,
When he would, he should have nay.
To the tune of, The Bonny Bonny Broome.
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LOng have I livd a Batchelors life,
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and had no mind to marry,
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But now I would faine have a wife,
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either Doll, Kate, Sis, or Mary.
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These foure did love me very well,
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I had my choice of many,
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But one did all the rest excell,
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and that was pretty Nanny:
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O young men all, to you I cry and call,
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make not too long delay,
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For if you will not when you may,
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when ye would, ye shall have nay.
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These Lasses faire did love me very deare,
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when I was in my prime,
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But now give eare and you shall heare,
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how I spent away my time:
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I promisd Kate to be her true Love,
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and would not falsifie,
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But soone I did contrary prove,
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oh I cannot it deny.
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O young, etc.
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After Kate I went and wooed Doll,
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shee was my ducke and my deare,
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Her owne sweet heart she did me call,
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of mee shee had no feare,
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But I left her for Sifles sweet sake,
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for which poore Kate did grieve,
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And she did proclamations make,
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that no Maid should me beleeve.
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O young, etc,
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Now Sisly she my true love must be:
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many fine words I her told,
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And she most faithfully beleeved me,
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and gave me silver and gold;
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Which freely I in company
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did spend and made no care,
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Shee called me her deare honny,
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and bade I should not spare.
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O young, etc.
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Now I having wasted much of her coyne,
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she then began to grow weary,
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Then did she seeke me to combine,
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that I with her should marry.
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But I was loth to yeeld unto her will,
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I told her I would tarry.
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Then afterward I did use my skill,
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for to be beloved of Mary.
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O young, etc.
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Now Mary shee did thinke verily,
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that I had beene her owne,
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But she was much deceivd in me,
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as plainely shall be showne,
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She was so cunning, crafty and wise,
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that she would not part with her money,
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Then when I found her so precise,
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I went and wooed Nanny.
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O young men all, to you I cry and call,
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make not too long delay,
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For if you will not when you may,
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when you would, you shall have nay.
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The second part. To the same tune.
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SWeet Nan did love me deare indeed,
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shee would not see mee to lacke,
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Shee gave me money to serve my need,
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and apparell to my backe,
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Shee called mee her honny, conny, deare,
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her true delight and her love,
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And alwayes bade that I should not feare,
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but that shee would constant prove.
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O young men all, to you I cry and call,
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make not too long delay,
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For if you will not when you may,
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when you would you shall have nay.
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Thus did I spend away my time of youth,
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and now begin to ware old,
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The Proverbe now I finde is truth,
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Hot love soone wareth cold.
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I went and tryed my Lasses ore againe,
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but I found them all very strange,
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They tell me now it is in vaine,
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so often to fleet and change.
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O young, etc.
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When I came to prove my first true Love,
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asking her if she did well:
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But now she doth contrary prove,
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and withd that the Devill of Hell
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Might take me up upon his backe,
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and carry me about to sell;
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She bid me thence away to packe,
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and not come where she doth swell.
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O young, etc.
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From Kate to Doll I did then repaire,
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and called her my owne Sweet-heart,
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She asked me what I did there,
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and bade me thence depart,
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She cald me slave and cheating knave,
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and swore she would procure
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Some punishment for me to have,
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that I might smart endure.
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O young, etc.
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I hearing her to threaten me so,
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went quickly from her sight,
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Then to my Sisly I did goe,
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which was my hearts delight;
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But when she saw me at the doore,
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she would not let me in,
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But told me of my faults before,
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and said, Shee would baste my skin
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O young, etc.
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Then wandring from thence I went,
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and came to Mistresse Mary,
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Who was resolvd with full intent,
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my life for to miscarry:
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She fetcht a spit and ran at me,
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thinking to end my life,
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She used me most cruelly,
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and at me drew her knife.
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O young, etc.
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Then presently to Nan I hid,
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to see if she would be kind,
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But shee at me did raile and chide,
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and swore she would beat me blind.
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She tooke her Distaffe in her hand,
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and laid on me very sore;
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I thought it was no boot to stand,
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but got me out of doore.
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O young, etc.
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I must confesse that I did amisse,
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in loving of so many,
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O but now what a plague is this:
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I am not beloved of any:
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My heart is grieved very sore,
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to thinke on former joyes,
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O I shall never see them more,
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then list to me young boyes.
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For time and tide doth quickly glide,
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and time for none will stay,
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Then take your time when as you may,
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or perhaps you may have nay.
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