A Groatsworth of Good Counsel for a Penny;
Or, The Bad Husbands Repentance.
Bad Husbands all, come hear what I have pend,
I hope this song to you will be a friend,
And let no man now spend his means in waste,
It brings him into poverty and disgrace,
And now bad Husbands hear what I say,
And save a groat against a rainy day.
To the Tune of Packingtons Pound; Or, Digby's farewel.
With Allowance.
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COme hither good fellows and hear what I say,
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A new song I will sing if you please for to stay
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And if you will be warned by me,
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To be careful in time and save your mony,
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Foul Winters are long, and cold weather is hard
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And a man without money no one will regard,
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Let your wife and your children be your chief care,
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For wring-spiggots care not how hard they do fare
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There's some are so cunning they'l hold you in play
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For to get your money, they'l cause you to stay:
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With so many fine words, and may chance a fine bit
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While your money doth last, she will cause you to sit
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Until their strong liquor doth flye in your face,
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You are apt all your money then to part with apace,
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Then the Ale-wives market is got to a head,
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while your wife & children may chance to want bred.
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If you sell house or Lands or put goods unto sale,
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If they see you have money you shall not want ale;
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For as long as my money did hold out and run,
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I was bravely respected by every man:
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But now I do know and I plainly do see,
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It was more for the love of my mone[y] then me;
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As long as a man has a coat on his back
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To fill in their liquor they will not be slack.
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This by experience I find to be true,
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Which makes both my back and my belly to rue,
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For when I had Gold and silver good store,
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There would be such buslings to set me ashore:
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But I have spent and wasted my store,
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I may knock twenty time e're they open the door,
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And if I say I want money, will you trust me a quart
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Then they say honest friend we'r not trusted Malt.
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If a man can be wise and consider this Song,
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It may chance to do him good for to guide him along
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For spending and wasting consumes a mans state,
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Then he falls into misery and repents when to late
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But that's not the way as I told you today,
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It is the ale-wives delight to make them their prey
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The best thing that I know is for a man to take care
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Then his wife and his children the better will fare,
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What is a man better to have store of means,
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And waste it away like butter in the Sun,
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Then he like a Cow that doth fill a great pale,
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And after to cast it all down with her heel,
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But be careful to labour in an honest way
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Then God he will bless you by night and by day.
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that man is bewicht that hath a good state of his own
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And not be content till 'tis gone down the red lane.
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If you drink the very shirt and Coat from your back,
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If some get your money they care not who lack,
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And they sit in their Chair in pomp and in state,
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As long as you have a penny they'l hold you in prate:
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But if that they see that your pockets are bare,
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They say honest friend we will fill no more beer:
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Pray pay your reckoning and go home to your wife,
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If she chance to look you, she'l lead you a bad life.
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I told you before in a Song I did sing,
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That winter is long and much hungar doth bring,
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And many a family comes unto want,
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Where husbands are given to drink and to rant:
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Therefore it is good to keep something in store,
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And learn to pass by ale-houses door,
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And think of cold winter, for be sure it will come,
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If means then be wanting then all are undone.
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Let old Age and Sickness be a mans chiefest care,
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Be sure it will come, we must all have a share,
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Then bad husbands will think what they spent in vain pots
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When they have gon home and made themselves sots;
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Is it not then folly for a man to do so,
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He knows not his friend then I say from his Foe;
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He wasteth his wit and consumes his estate,
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And repenteth his folly when it is too late.
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Now in spending your money be not too free,
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But trust to yourse[l]ves when you do no[t] see me,
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And be sure to save something against a rainy day,
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Then your own pot at home the better will play:
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And to your own Wi[f]e and Children be kind,
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And that will be the part o' an honest mans mind;
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And not spend your money in a drunken crew,
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Lest they want it at home then the fault is in you.
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Now in the Conclusion I have a word more to say,
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Take everyone one, and make no delay,
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The price is but a penny and that is not dear,
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The best penny worth of wit that you bought this 2 year:
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And be sure to observe it when you have it at home,
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It may chance do you good when I am dead and gone,
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It may save you a groat when you would cast it away,
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For to do you good in a cold winters day
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