A Wench for a VVeauer.
A Wench for a Weauer here you shall finde,
In defending his trade brought her to his minde.
To the tune of hang vp my Shuttle
The Weauer.
IT chanced on a day,
as I was walking,
In the pleasant Month of May,
with my Loue talking:
Most friendly arme in arme,
the weather being warme,
I swar
[...] I thought no harme,
as I am a weauer.
The substance of my spéech.
as we were going,
Was I did this maid beséech,
my request in wooing
Grant me thy loue quoth he,
or one swéet smile from thée,
Say walking vnto me,
thou honny weauer.
The Maid.
The Maiden then replide,
sure you are but iesting,
You needs must be denide,
of your requesting.
Without you can declare
your wits then doe not spare,
How Ile liue out of care,
you being a weauer.
For the common spéech is rife,
that Ile implore
To be a Weauers wife
is to liue poore.
Then cléere but you this case,
why a Weauer is counted base,
Then you I will imbrace,
none like a weauer.
The Weauer.
My owne true loue and deare,
since we came hither,
These slanderous words Ile cléere,
lets goe together.
If the Barke from the Trée you pill,
the root you néeds must kill,
So through husbands that are ill,
disgract are weauers.
Yet there are more as well as wee,
that haue disgraces,
As you may plainly sée
in diuers places.
For the richest of you all,
if your meanes begin to fall,
Then your trades worse then all,
as well as weauers.
The Maid.
Then I sée tis pouerty
that bréeds thy slander:
Yet I haue heard of thée
thou hast béene Commander.
Tho gone now are those dayes,
and other beares the swayes,
Yet thou hast had the praise
none like a weauer.
Séeing thou hast resolued me
of what I asked:
All the world plaine man sée
you are vainly taxed.
Yet show me the ground of all,
and how you first did fall.
That I may speake of all,
in praise of weauers.
The second part.
To the same tune.
The Weauer.
MY Loue at thy request,
thou shalt command me:
For why I loue thee best,
then vnderstand me.
Fortune sometimes frownes,
he raiseth and pulleth downe
As well Cities as Townes,
then why not weauers.
Canning Stréet you know,
where cloth is selling:
Weauers haue made like show
in their houses dwelling.
Tho they be gone and dead,
and Drapers crept in stead,
Yet I heard and read,
there dwelt braue weauers.
Iacke of
Nuberie,
tho he be dead and rotten,
Of Weauers famde was he,
he should not be forgotten.
Two hundred and fifty loomes
to maintaine he presumes,
That he noreth now the tombes
of worthy weauers.
Cheapside amongst the rest
shall not be forgotten,
There are some that make iests,
to sée them broken.
It is silke-men that doe breake,
they cannot hold they are so weake,
And more would go to racke,
were't not for weauers.
Be not so proud in heart,
although you flourish,
Giue Weauers due desart,
for we doe them nourish.
A Weauer they cannot want,
if they should their hart would pan
[...]
And they would féele more want:
then loue a weauer.
To write more then is my share
I should be sorry:
The truth I will not spare,
I haue read a story
Of a Weauer that was a King,
whose same through the world did ring,
Which makes me merily sing
speake well of weauers.
In those Golden dayes,
weauers had pleasure:
None like them then had prayse,
they gained much treasure.
Weauing did so excell,
none like them did so well:
Of all trades they bare the bell,
speake well of weauers.
If any offended be
at this my writing,
That no eloquence he sée
in my inditing:
Pardon me for this time,
though simply now I rime,
For here I meane to clime
in praise of weauers.
Thus here I end my song,
and eke my story,
I hope I haue done no wrong,
if I haue I am sorie.
Then how sayst thou my loue,
my constant hart then proue:
From thée Ile neuer moue.
then loue a Weauer.
Tho: Neale.
FINIS.
Printed at London for F. Coules.