The heavy Heart, and a light Purse.
Being the good fellows Vindication to all his fellow Companions,
wishing them all to have a care, and keep out of the Ale-wives snare,
for when they are out you may get in, but when you are in you can't
get out, this by experience he hath found true, but now he bids you
all adieu.
This Song it was composed and made
By a Loyal Heart that is called John Wade.
Tune of, My Lord Monks March to London; Or, Now we have our freedom.
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FUll fifty Winters have I seen,
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yet nine and forty too many,
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Except that I had better been,
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and not spent my means so vainly:
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For I did rore and spend my store,
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no company could shun me,
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But now I find and bear in mind,
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my kind heart hath undone me.
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Once I had means and lived well,
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my Neighbours all they know it,
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But by the ringing of the Alewives bell
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I quickly did forgo it.
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My Land I sold for silver and gold,
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they then so easily won me,
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Which makes me say, as well I may,
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my kind heart hath undone me.
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My Wife she would me intreat
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for to be more wiser;
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Then I told her with anger great
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it's rare to be a miser:
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Hang it (quoth I) let mony fly,
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sorrow shall ne'r o'rerun me,
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But now I see, I was so free,
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that my kind heart hath undone me.
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Before i'd give one penny to my wife,
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i'd spend two with my fellows;
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My children must fast which bred much strife
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whilst I sate in the Alehouse:
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Whilst I drank sack, they small beer did lack
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no grief could over-run me,
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They liv'd in want, whilst I did rant
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till my kind heart had undone me.
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SO long as I had store of coyn,
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i'd never leave my ranting,
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Whilst I did with good fellows joyn,
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my wife she sate awanting.
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Though they did cry, yet what car'd I,
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sorrow should ne'r o'rerun me,
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Let who wou'd call i[']de pay for all,
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till my kind heart had undone me.
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Here would I trust, there would I lend,
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and spend my mony vainly,
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For strong liquor I oft would send,
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now I must tell you plainly,
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My children they would to me pray,
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dear Father let company shun ye,
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Yet i'de not spare nor for them care,
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till my kind heart had undone me.
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I had good house, I had good land,
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and lived in good behaviour:
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But I spent it all at their command
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now jeers me for my labour.
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My Hostess she would wait on me,
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my Host then easily won me,
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Cause they did see that I was free
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till my kind heart had undone me.
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Run Tap, run Tapster I would cry,
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hang sorrow, let's be merry,
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My gold and silver I let fly
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in both White-wine and Sherry:
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For my own part, I ne'r will start,
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no company will shun me,
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Good-fellows all I wou'd you call
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till my kind heart had undone me.
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My Hostess she would still provide
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for me Larks, Chickens and Cony:
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To bed at night she would me guide,
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but 'twas for the sake of my mony:
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She would me lap, my head would cap,
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thus by their tricks they won me:
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Thus with a Pin they drew me in,
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till my kind heart had undone me.
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My Hostess she was very wise,
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if that my head grew addle,
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I' th' morn as soon as I could rise
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she would provide me a Caudle.
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Then comes my Host strait with a Toast
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saying boy i'le not shun thee,
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Thus by their wile they me beguile
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till my kind heart hath undone me.
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But when that I no mony had,
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to call I could not leave it,
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To be rid of me then they was glad,
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at last they did perceive it.
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Then where I spent and mony lent,
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they strait began to shun me,
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My Hostess Brown began to frown
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when my k[i]nd heart hath undone me.
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I sent my child, thought to prevail,
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a shilling for to borrow,
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Or else to trust me two quarts of Ale,
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lo thus began my sorrow:
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She'd send me none, bid her be gone,
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thus grief did over-run me,
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Full fourty pound with her I drown'd,
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till my kind heart hath undone me.
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So by that means I strait grew wise,
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and quickly left my ranting,
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You'l say 'twas time to be precise,
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when everything was wanting:
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For I scarce had to buy me bread,
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grief did so over-run me;
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They did not care though poor I were
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when my kind heart had undone me.
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Now I wish good fellows every one
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in time for to be ruled,
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Let Ale-wives sing a mournful Song,
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and never by them be fooled.
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You that do spend in time amend
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before grief over-run ye,
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Those that do rant in time may want,
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for my kind heart hath undone me.
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If I had but half that I spent in vain
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methinks I should live bravely,
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For I lived once and paid no Rent
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though now I am bound to slavery,
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For I am poor, turn'd out of door,
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grief doth so over-run me,
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So farewel all both great and small,
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for my kind heart hath undone me.
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