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EBBA 34312

National Library of Scotland - Rosebery
Ballad XSLT Template
THE MERCHANTS AND HAMMER-MENS
COMPLAINT
AGAINST THE TAYLORS
Or, A hot GOOSE for Poet DAVIDSON, the Taylor; Author of, The Taylors Vindication.

COme Master Taylor let us try
Who wins the Battle, you [?];
Lay by your Nidle, Goose, and sheers,
[?] you and I go by the Ears.
But take this Cave't by the way:
What here of Taylors I do say,
Of all is not t'be understood,
In every Calling some are good.
The Taylors you call pretty Fellows,
Ye[?], better Men has got the Gallow[s];
But let us see for what you prize t[?]m,
Ere we begin t' Anatomize them.
And first you say, (or I mistake it)
Without their Works we would go nakd.
Next that this Calling did begin
Just on the back of Man's first Sin
And so its Antiquity reaches,
Since the first minute Man wore Breeces:
And Rome sure can no sooner state
Their own Religion's ancient date
And that their Work is us'd by
Both high and low, both great a[?]ll,
All sorts & sizes, rich and poor
The honest Woman and the Whore
Well, is this all, or what more say[?]e
Speak what you please I dare defy y[?]
In any thing you can say further,
Tho oft a Taylor's Tongue be harder
Than e'er his Hands were found to be
This Truth is known, I do not lie.
They say some of them, tho but young
Can clip Clouts with their very Tongue
But wherefore stand I thus to bable
The Matter let us fairly Table:
And first and foremost it is granted
That Taylors cannot well be wanted
What then? a Man his Arse noth need
As well as Liver, Heart, or Head;
Therefore the Bum says to the Eye,
I'm more to be esteem'd than thee:
Without Eyes Living Men there's som[?]
But never one that wants a Bum.
T' illustrate this; In Man there's hurl'd
The whole Abridgement of the World;
His Head or Brain doth represent
Him that has the chief Gover'ment.
The Clergy may be call'd the Eye,
That most in secret Things do see;
Also the Tongue to tell the rest
What way to steer their Course is best.

The Sould'ers may be call'd the Arms
That doth the Body guard from Harms.
The Merchant may be call'd the Heart
That giveth Life to every part.
I know this is by some deny'd
And to the Husband-man apply'd.
Well, let us then go try the matter,
And see which o' us shall have the better,
Now Money is the thing ye know
That only makes the Mare to go,
And where is Money to be had
But in the Hands of Men of Trade?
Is't not by Trade the Hogan Dutch
Has now increas'd their State so much?
And has not England that same way
Adv[?]'d to such a Monarchy?
In sho[?] what Nation great is made,
But chiefly by the Means of Trade?
Most of Princes Rents each where
Are Custom dues, on Merchant Ware.
What necessar is't ye can have,
But what from Merchants you receive?
If ye want Money then 'tis he
That only can your want supplie;
Whatever kind of Ware you bring
He buys, and then again each thing
Ye want, 'tis he that can afford
All sort of Goods; yea, in a word,
Just as the Heart, Blood forth doth send
To every Member, then in end
It back returns from every part,
And once more centers in the Heart.
The Merchant so doth All supplie,
And All to him beholden be:
And unto him returneth All,
The Heart we justly may him call
The Husbandman we may compare
To th' labo'ring hand, that doth with care
For the whole Body Food provide,
And soforth every Trade beside,
May be compar'd to Fingers, Toes,
And Anckles, Butocks, Chin, and Nose.
Among the Croud then let us [?]ind
What place to Taylors is assign'd;
The hinder-part or Bum, we judge
The fittest place for them to lodge,
For since th' are much possest with Fear,
'Tis proper they draw to the Rear;
But there's another cause also
For which their Post should be so low;

For scarce there is a Trade at all
But what of course before them fall.
The Gard'ner Trade in use has been
E're Breeks or Aprons first were seen.
To work can Tallors well proceed
Without their Needles, Sheers, & Threed
I hope a Smith must first be had
Before such working Tools be made.
I judge before he make a Coar
A piece of Cloth must first be got;
The Webster, Waker, and the Dyer
Above the Taylors must aspire?
And Wrights, and Masons that do dress
The Wake-mill, and the Dyers Press
Mus[t] all imployed be before
The Taylors Feet needs file your floor
With sevral other Trades-men more.
The Taylor then you plainly see
Is classed in the last degree.
Wha[t] other Arguments are us'd,
And counts on which the Taylors [?]
Have little weight. Where as he [?]
They made fine Work in Sol'mon's [?]
We think he other Arts doth wrong
For doubtless more praise doth belong
To those, that did them weave and spin,
Imbroder, Press, and dress so fine:
The Taylors work is easier far.
Than any o' these 'bove mention'd are.
Moreover had Sin never been
The World a Taylor ne're had seen;
And when the Righteous enter Bliss
No use for Taylors in that Place:
We shall not say that none are there.
But we much fear th' are woundrous rare
For three no Theef doth enter in,
But such as do repent of Sin,
And their defender is so far
From biding them for Death prepare [?]
That he doth in these words concl[?]
By wishing them all muckle go[?]
Of what they clandistenly Ste[?]
And few of them are reckon'd [?]
Therefor our fears are too we[?]
And on the hight of Reason [?]


FI[NIS]

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