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EBBA 33570

National Library of Scotland - Crawford
Ballad XSLT Template
The BEGGERS Delight,
As it was SUNG at the
THEATRE-ROYAL.
To a pleasant New Tune:

COurtiers, Courtiers, think it no harm
that silly poor Swains in Love should be,
For Love lies hid in Raggs all torn,
as well as in Silks and Bravery:
For the Beggar he loves his Lass as dear,
as he that has thousands, thousands, thousands,
He that has thousand pounds a year.

State and Title are pittiful things,
a lower state more happy doth prove,
Lords and Ladies, Princes and Kings,
with the Beggar hath equal joys in Love;
And my pritty brown Cloris upon the Hay,
hath always as killing, killing, killing,
Hath always as killing Charms as they.

A Lord will purchase a Maiden-head,
which perhaps hath been lost some years before,
A beggar will pawn his Cloak and his Trade,
content with Love, to lye and live poor:

Ou eager imbraces in Coal-Sheds,
are always more pleasing, pleasing, pleasing,
Then theirs that are dull in Downy beds.

Our loris is free from Patches and Paint,
complexion and Features sweetly agree,
Perfections which Ladies often do want,
is always intail'd on our Pedegree:
Sweet Cloris in her own careless Hair,
is always more taking, taking, taking,
Then Ladies that Towers and Pendents do wear.

A Dutches may fail, created for sport,
by using of Art, and changing of things,
Tho' she were the Idol and Goddess o'th Court,
the joys and the pleasure of Don, Prince, or Kings:
Yet Cloris in her Old Russet Gown,
she's sound, she's sound, she's sound,
And free from the Plague and Pox of the Town.

A Begger's as boon and brisk in the dark,
as she that is painted red and white,
And pleases her mate, tho' not such a spark,
as lies by the side of a Lord or Knight:
And Cloris hath beauty to content,
so long as she's wholsome, wholesome, wholsome,
She pleases us we don't repent.

What tho' all the day she's attir'd in Rags,
yet once a week she changes her smock,
And she that has Gold and Silver in Bags,
she can do no more than match a good Cock:
She's willing and ready to show her Art,
and still with her kisses, kisses, kisses,
She'l conquer the sences and the heart.

All the night long we do hug and imbrace,
the greatest and Rich can do no more,
And when to the Swain she joyns her face,
he thinketh what joys there's for him in store:
By the tast of the blisses so happy's he,
he cry's there's no beggar, beggar, beggar,
Could so blest or so fortunate be.

The touch of her hand increases his flame,
who conquer'd by charms a Captive doth lye,
And when he but thinks of his true loves name,
he vows for her sake he could freely dye:
Then she revives him again with a kiss,
he cries you undoe me, undoe me, undoe me,
Had ever poor soul such pleasure as this?

Then gallants ne're envy the poors delight,
pleasure to Love, and a plague to be free,
Tho' some for our Poverty do us slight,
there's none alive more happy then we:
We well are content with what we enjoy,
& once in a twelvemonth, twelvemonth, twelvemonth,
We are blest with a Girl, or a boy.

Content is the thing we strive to possess,
and better it is then a golden Mine,
Since us with the same the Heavens do bless,
what cause have we for to repine:
No we've enough our hearts to suffice,
and he that doth murmur, murmur, murmur,
Will never be happy, nor wise.


FINIS.
Printed for P. Brooksby at the Golden-Ball, in
Pye-Corner.

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