A Merry Life and a Short: Or, The VVay to bring a Noble to Nine-Pence.
By this Example you may learn to shun
Expences vain, which many bath undone:
A Hawk, a Hound, and also change of Whores,
Will turn a rich man quickly out of doo
[...]s,
Tune of the new Corant, now
[...]l in use.
THe VVorld it goes merrily round
now
I have time for to reckon my gains,
I once had ten hundred pound,
& now
I have nothing but 9 pence remains:
I thought it would never be day,
my money in my Pocket did burn,
But now it is melted away,
and o
[...]re a new leaf
I must turn.
To tell you what hast
I did make,
thinking my gold it would never have end,
I prodigal courses did take.
[...]
My silver I lost it like hay,
for
I had no need for to borrow,
I would have my humour to day,
and
I never took care for to morrow.
I bought me a Hawk and a Hound,
and a good Gelding to gallop along,
I hunted within my own ground,
and thus
I followed my pleasure ding dong
I got whatsoever
I thought,
at all might my sences delight,
Believe me
I wanted for nothing,
but a Lady to lye with all night.
I ranged the City about,
of all the beauties to take a full view,
And many a fine girl
I found out,
every day changing an old for a new,
I then was so wanton and wild,
and given so much to the game,
Although
I got twenty with child,
I yet acknowledged the same.
VVhen
I met with a wench that was fair,
then
I would lay her down flat as a cake,
Her humour
I pleas
[...]d to a hair,
& Gloves & Ribbons
I bought for her sake.
I tumbled her over and over,
and call'd for a glass of good sack,
And after
I saw
I could love her,
I gave[?] her what e're she did lack.
THere was scarce a girl in the town,
but she was willing my love to imbrace
Because I was prodigal grown,
and never valued for cost in the case.
Rich Dinners I oft did provide,
my Ladies of Pleasure to feast,
Then afterwards up and go ride,
for the second course still I would fast.
There's dainty fine simpering
Sue,
lives at a house of resort in the
strand,
And if I should give her her due,
a better never ingag'd with a man.
There's
Moll at the
maypole as good,
and
Grace in the heart of the City,
And
Nan at the
Man in the wood,
all are Girls that are wondrous pretty.
Besides many more I could name,
girls that are used to play in the dark,
Dame
Venus hath taught them the game,
& ever since they will mount like a lark.
On such I my money would wast,
to charm all their sences asleep,
The pleasures of Love I would tast,
though
I pumpt my purse never so deep.
One morning as I did go out,
I heard a Lady most sweetly did play,
And casting my eye all about,
I saw the window wherein her lute lay.
Then up to her chamber in hast,
I came for to bid her good morrow,
And lovingly then we imbrac'd,
but it afterward prov
[...]d to my sorrow.
Although in Dame
Ve
[...]u
[...] sweet wars,
I a bold VVarriour often had been,
I still did escape without scars,
for such hot service I never had seen.
A pox take her trade for a whore,
Old Nick take her craft so to move me,
To leave her I had not the power,
when I heard her cry love me, O love me.
I wish I had been in the stocks,
when I did gaze on her powder and paint,
She sent me away with a pox,
and prov
[...]d a devil more like then a saint.
And t
[...]us from the best to the
[...]orst,
I danced my Sellingers round,
But I may remember the last,
for it cost me no less then ten pound.
And thus I have taken my swing
till my money was wasted and gone,
A Noble to Nine-pence to bring,
that you do see may be easily done:
But if that you follow my ways,
you never will thank me for't,
For t
[...]o many do now a days,
live a merry life and a short.
Printed for P. Brooksby, at the Golden-ball, neer the Hospital-Gate in Westsmit [...]-field.