A New Ballad against unthrifts,
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When raging louts with feble braines,
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moste wilfully wyl spend a-waye:
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And eke consume more then their gaines,
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in riotyng al the longe day.
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And spend with him that wil spend moste:
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yet of their gaine they need not boste.
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When drunken Drunkerds will not spare,
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the Alehous daily for to plye:
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But sit and tipple there full square,
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and to their gaines wil have no eye.
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Nor will not cease I warrant ye:
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so long as they have one penny.
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When rufling roisters wil bestowe,
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upon thir backs suche fine aray:
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And be not wurth that whiche they owe,
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falling therby into decay.
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Yet wil they set theron a face:
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and bragge and crake it out apace.
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When lively lads wil plye the dice,
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consuming there away their good:
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No man wil count them to be wice,
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but rather to be mad or wood.
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For when that all their money is gone:
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then are they dressed like a mome.
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When lasie loiterers will not wurk:
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and honestly their livings get:
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But had rather in corners lurk,
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then that they wold with labor swet.
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Therfore no welth they can attain:
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but live in trouble and in pain.
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When doting doltes wil enterprise,
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to wurk suche feates as I have tolde:
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Not ceassing for to exercise,
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worse deeds then those with courage bold.
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Then some do lay their cotes to gage:
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til that they have received their wage.
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Then some the Counter oft doo kisse,
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if that the money be not paid:
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Or if that they their day doo misse,
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for whiche to gage their Cote was laid.
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Yet wil they not by this take heed:
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but stil continew to proceed.
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Then some therby their credit lose
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so that no wise man wil them trust:
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Wherfore they can no lenger glose,
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but rub and revel not they must.
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For whersoever they become:
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they are not so wel trust as knowne.
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Then some at length do beg their bread,
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who if in time they had been wise:
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Might wel have had inough to fed,
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themselves, their children & their wives:
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But when that all is gone and spent:
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it is to late then to repent.
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Then some to pilfer doo begin,
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but as sone as they be espied:
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With whips they are laid on the skin,
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at a carts ars being wel tied.
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But al this cannot those amend:
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that wil doo mischefe to the end.
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Then some proceed to rob and kyl,
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counting al fish that comes to net:
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And yf that they might have their wil,
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for right or wrong they wuld not let.
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Til at the last they fall in bands:
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and cannot escape out of hands.
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Then some at Newgate doo take ship,
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sailing ful fast up holborne hil:
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And at Tiborn their anckers piche,
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ful sore indeed against their wil.
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But then it is to late I say:
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to cal againe the yesterday.
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Wherfore al ye that use this trade,
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leave of betimes yf ye be wise:
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Lest that perchaunce this way ye wade,
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ful sore against your owne devise.
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For heer ye see the end of suche:
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as litle have and wil spend muche.
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