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