To the Readers, Hearers, and Buyers.
The first Lot.
IF there be any young Gallant that hath spent and wasted his Patrimony on Gaming, Whoring and drunkenness, and knows not how to live in y e World, If he desire to be made rich on a suddain, let him take up his Tooles [Page 2] and make hast to y e Spanish Mines, where he shall have Gold & Silver for the gathering up if they spéed well, and have made a good voyage▪ he shall be made welcome to all his old Friends and acquaintance, but if he come home poore, his Lot will be to be no more regarded then a Dog.
Lot, 2. If there be any married man y t loves his maid-servant better then he loves his wife let him doe as others have done before him, which is to kisse fréely. & fumble til she be with child, and then his Lot will be to pay for a Nurse and a cradle, and to kéep a Child that peradventure another man got.
Lot. 3. If there be any rich Farmers, or Grasters, y t have more store of money then he well knows well how to use▪ let him make his case [...] to some of the Common Lavrs of the Common Garden as some have dote of late, and his lot wi [...] be to have whores-flesh enough for his money, and perchance get a Wincheser Goose into the bargaine.
Lot. 5. Or if there be any y t are loath to venture their lives as to goe so far as y e Spanish Mines, there is a new silver Mine called little Jamaica, lately found in Lea-Leather-lane [Page 3] néere Grays Inn in London where they may have money ready coin [...] for the taking up if they can dig déep enough, but I would wish them to make hast, lest it be al gon before they come for then their lot wil be to loose their labors.
Lot. 5 If there be any one of Vulcan's sons y e desires to come acquainted with a dainty Schoole Mistriss y t can teach him his lesson hansomely, let him march forward & follow his nose till he come néere to Purpoole lane, and there he shall find a Nymph of Venus train that wil fit him to a hair, but it is thought that there was one black-smith knocking to get in at her. Alley-gate; every night in the wéek for a long time together, but if Mars the God of War light upon them whilst they are in conjunction, Vulcans lot will be to live a Cripple and die a Cuckold.
Lot, 6. If there be any that desire to learn y e art of fishing, let them repaire to Moore lane, where they may with much ease find there kind-hearted honest men, which have lately learn'd, & dearely paid for their experience therein, and now are able to teach others to lay the like baits, which must be, Shooes, Stockings, Boots; and Bréeches, & then if they doe not curse [Page 4] their Lot may be catcht Fish without nets, and one without a Cloak.
Lot. 7 If there be any new married man that loves to kéep the good will of his Wife, let him be sure to give her her own way in every thing she goes about, & let her lye a bed long in a morning, & let him make her a good fire against her uprising, then let him set a good tost to the fire and send for a cup of nappy Ale to stéele her nose before she goes foorth out of doors; & his lot will be to have much love & content all the day after, if his wife doe not come home drunk at night.
Lot. 8. If any man that hath a long time béen married, & is troubled with a scolding wife; let him buy her a new Hat and Gown, Taffety Scarfe, silke Aporn, fine Hose and Shooes, give her money in her pocket to goe a gossiping, and be sure to give her all that she should have, and all y t she would have, and his lot will be to have quietness so long as he is able to maintain her so bravely, but when all is gone, she will scold as fast as ever she did before.
Lot. 9. If any man be troubled with a fighting Wife and dares not to stand her fury, let him follow his worke dilligently, lay out his money carefully, look to his business [Page 5] warily, and please her humours gallantly, besides all this he must doe nothing [...]ut what she commands him to doe, nor spend one penny more then she alows him to doe, and then his Lot will be to save his bones from being broken, & his eyes from being scratcht out.
Lot. 10. If any man be troubled with a drunken Wife, let him sée to the house himselfe, let him make ready his victuals himselfe, let him look to his children himselfe, and let him be sure to kéep al things out of her way that will yield a penny, for fear she sel it or pawn it for Ale, whether it be Brasse or Pewter dishes, or spoons, or any thing else she can come at, for as the proverb goes, how that he which hath a drunken Wife must hire a Porter to lead her home, and his lot will be to be a very poore man.
Lot. 11. Or if there be any honest woman that hath gotten a knave to her Has hand, and y t she cannot kéep him at home with her at night for running into bawdy Houses▪ let her make her mind known to James Naylor the Sowgelder, and for a six penny péece she may have his stones cut out, and after that her lot will be to have him all to her selfe.
[Page 6] Lot. 12. If there be any pretly Maid with Child, and cannot tell whether to go to find a Father for it, let her put her head into a black bag that she may not be known who she is, and withall let her put some old Taffety Scarce about her neck which she may buy at the second hand for two groats, and let her be sure to put good store of poore whores lace upon her headdressings, and take a few shining Counters in her pocket, and then let her walke down into the Countrey, and her lot will be to be taken for a pretty Lady, and she shall quickly get her a Husband amongst the Tuskins, for you know that hungry dogs will eat dirty puddings.
13. If there be any rich Ʋsurer that hath gotten a great estate of Land, & mony by gréedy Extortion, and grinding the faces of the poor. If this said Rich man have a young prodigal to his Son, let him make his Son master of al his substance, & he shal make a shift to spend it ten tims faster then his father got it, For we sée by experience that evil gotten goods wil wast like butter against the Sun. And that which is gotten over y e Devils back, wil be lost under his belly; and the Father of such a Son shall have a Lot to work for [Page 7] his living, or beg for his living, if he lives to be old.
Lot. 14. If there be any spightfull men or women, that loves to goe to Law with their Neighbours, although they know no cause why, nor have no ground for what they goe upon If they have no money, let them sell their Houshold-stuffe, and their cloths from their backs, rather then want of their wils: And that is the ready way to make the Lawyers rich, and your selvs poore, and your Lot wil be to heare your Children cry for bread, when you have none to give them.
Lot. 15. If there be any Ale-wife that wants customers, let her kéep good drink, make good measure, and trust all y t comes, and her lot will be so, that her customers will never forsake her, so long as she is worth a groat.
Lot. 16. If there be any troublesome Knave in the Parish, which wil never let his Neighbors live at quiet, for harkning after tales and lies in one place & carrying them to another, making strife where soever he goes or comes, I wōld have such a fellow to be taken first, and thrown into a house of Office, then to be taken out again, & washt at a Pump til he be swéet [Page 8] and clean, and so let him passe for the first fault.
If in case he be taken the second time: then to be put in the Pillory, and boared through the tongue with a hot Iron, as James Naylor was served: if all this will not serve turn, but that he is taken playing the knave y e third time then there is no way but one, for tis very like that Squire Dun the Hangmans lot will be to have his cloths at the last.
Lot. 17 If there be any man in the Citty or Countrey, that hath got a civill modest, laborious, vertuous, chast, & wise woman to his wife, let him love. comfort & cherish her both by day & by night, & according to his abillity let him maintain her: and let her not want for comely habit, wholesome fare▪ hansome house-room, decent lodging, or any thing else that is convenient for her. And then will the lot of that Husband and that wife, be to sée many joyfull days together.