THE
Young-Man & Maidens Fore-cast;
SHEWING HOW
They Reckon'd their Chickens before they were Hatcht.
To the Tune of, The Country Farmer. Or, The Devonshire Damosels
This may be Printed, R.P.
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I'LL tell you a Jest of a Provident Lass,
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Whose Providence prov'd her a Provident Ass;
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She laid forth her store in such brittle Ware,
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That very small profit did fall to her share;
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Thirteen to the Dozen of Eggs she would buy,
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And set a Hen over them carefully;
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As long as she went her footing she watch'd,
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She counted her Chickens before they were Hatch'd.
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Said she, if these Chickens five Capons do prove,
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Capons be Meat which Gentlemen love;
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Those Chickens she would sell to buy a Sow-Pig,
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That it might have young ones e're it was big:
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Then with her Pigs she would have an Ewe,
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It may have Lambs not kill'd with the Dew:
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And as she was thinking to buy her a Calf,
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Her Heels they flew from her a Yard and a half.
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Her Heels kiss'd the ground, and up flew her Leggs,
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Down came her Basket, and broke all her Eggs;
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There lay her Pigs, her Chickens, her Lambs
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She could not have young ones except she had Dams:
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Thus Fortune did frown by a fall that she catcht,
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Her Chickens prov'd Addle before they were Hatcht:
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Attend but a while, and I'll briefly declare,
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Bad fortune did likewise fall to the Mans share.
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And now the Man to the Market will go,
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To see what Dame Nature on him will bestow;
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He bought him five Eggs thinking to Thrive,
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And thus did the business finely contrive r
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Said he, if these Eggs five Cocks they will frame,
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And most of them prove to be Cocks of the Game,
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So soon as their Spurs are long enough grown,
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Then I may ingross a Cock-Pit of my own.
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Then may I have Gallants of every sort,
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Both Lords, Knights, and Squires, and all to see sport
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If they Fight bravely these Gallants to please,
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I may come to get Means by the rearing of these:
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And when I have done, I'll get me a rich Wife,
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That I may live happy all days of my Life,
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And in the Church we will be loving matcht,
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But count not your Chickens before they be Hatcht.
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And when he came home he set his Eggs by,
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He could not get up the Roost was so high;
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But fetching a Ladder that unhappy time,
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It was his hard luck with his Eggs for to Climb;
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These Ladders prove fatal to many a Man,
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And are undone by them now and than;
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So was this poor Man undone by a fall,
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Down comes the Basket, Man, Eggs and all.
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There lay the poor Man with a fall almost Lame,
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His Cock-Pits and Gallants, and Cocks of the Game
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The loosing of this grieved him to the Life,
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Yet the grief it was more in the loss of his Wife:
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All you Young Men live vertuous Lives,
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And think to get Portions now by your Wives;
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Take warning by me before you are Matcht,
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Pray count not your Chickens before they be Hatcht.
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