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A Beggar, a Beggar,
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A Beggar I'le bee.
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There's none leads a Life so jocond as hee;
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A Beggar I was
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And a Beggar I am,
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a Begger Ile be, from a Begger I came:
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If (as it begins) our Trading do fall,
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I fear (at the last) we shall be Beggers all
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Our Trades-men miscarry in all their Affayrs,
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And few men grow wealthy, but Courtiers and Players
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A Craver my Father,
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A Maunder my Mother,
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A Filer my Sister, a Filcher my Brother,
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A Cauter my Unckle
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That car'd not for Pelfe;
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a Lifter my Aunt, a Begger myselfe;
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in white wheaten-straw, when their bellies were full,
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Then I was begot, between Tinker & Trul
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And therefore a Begger, a Begger I'le be,
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For none hath a spirit so jocond as he.
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When Boyes do come to us,
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And that their intent is
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to follow our Calling, we nere bind them Prentice
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Soon as they come too't,
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We teach them to doo't
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and give them a staff, & a Wallet to boo't,
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We teach them their Lingua, to crave and to Cant,
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The devil is in them, if then they can want.
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If any are here, that Beggers will bee,
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We without Indentures will make them free.
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We begg for our bread,
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But sometimes it happens,
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we feast it with Pigg, Pullet, Conny and Capons,
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For Churches Affairs,
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We are no Men-slayers;
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we have no Religion, yet live by our Prayers
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But if when we begg, Men will not draw their purses,
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We charge & give fire, with a vally of curses
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The Devil confound your good worship we cry
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And such a bold brazen-fac'd Begger am I.
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The second Part, To the same Tune
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WE do Things in season,
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And have so much Reason,
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we raise no Rebellion, nor never talk Trea-son.
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We Billet our mates
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At very low Rates,
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whilst some keepe their Quarters as high as the Gates
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With Shinkin ap Morgan, with Blew-cap, or Tege,
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We enter into no Covenant, nor League:
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And therefore a bonney bold Begger I'le be;
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For none lives a life so happy as he.
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We never do prate,
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In matters of State,
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For fear we should come to Hugh Peters his Fate
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Whilst Scripture unfolders,
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And Treason upholders,
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Have lost their heads, we keep ours on our shoulders
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Our Plots & our Projects, are never so tall
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To reach to the Top-mast of Westminster-hall
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And therefore a merry brave Begger I'le be,
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For none wears his Nodle so safely as he.
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For such petty Pledges,
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As Shirts from the Hedges,
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we are not in fear to be drawn upon Sledges
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But sometimes the Whip,
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Doth make us to skip,
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And then we from Tything to Tything do trip,
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For when in a poor housing-ken we do bib it
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We stand more in awe of the Stocks then the Gibbet:
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And therefore a merry mad Begger I'le be,
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For when it is night, to the Barn goes he.
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We throw down no Alter,
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Nor ever do falter
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So much, as to change a Gold-Chain, for a Halter:
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Though some men do flout us;
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And others do doubt us,
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we nere go without forty peices about us;
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But many brave fellows are fine & look fiercer
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That owe for their Cloths to the Taylor and Mercer:
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And if from the Stocks I can keep out my feet,
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I fear not the Compter, Kings-bench nor the Fleet.
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Sometimes I do frame,
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Myself to be lame;
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and when a coach comes, I do hop to my game:
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We seldome miscarry,
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Yet never do Marry,
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By the Gowns Common-Prayer, nor the Cloak, Directory,
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But Harry & Mary (like birds of a feather)
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do nothing but kiss, laugh, & lye down together
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Like Piggs in the pease-straw, intangld they lie
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Till there they beget such a bold Rogue as I.
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To summe all in brief,
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We live by relief,
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And pray for King Charles, our Commander in chief:
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God bless all the Peers,
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The wise Over-seers,
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that they may consider the poore Cavaliers,
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For if they let them but lower to fall,
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They'l take our profession & begger us all:
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And then it will be but a folly for me,
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A merry soul'd, bonny bold Begger to be.
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