BIFRONS JANUS [...] OR, SMAL TOKENS for the Old-Year, and LITTLE GIFTS for the New▪
Designed to Kiss the Hand
Of any at Sea, or Land,
Who
English understand,
‘—Ita vertere seriae ludo.’
OLD
Tusser's and Young
EHMAMP's two Money-Catches,
Or, if you will, two Silver-Watches,
Which, without mending, go about
Every month of th' Year throughout,
T. Think it is no slavery to get a peny savourly.
E. A mighti Monie-Rule it is for ever and for aie,
Alwaies receiv before Thu write and write before Thu pai.
MARCH
March is a month to purge and to let blood,
And Sweet meats now and drinks are very good,
And learn'd Physicians wou'd be understood.
As mad as is any
March-Hare,
Are words that very common are:
An old saying it is, but 'tis very handsom,
A bushel of
March-dust is worth a Kings Ransom.
Of this saying which abroad doth go most sure I am,
March comes in like a Lion and goes out like a Lamb.
Say we not
March-winds and
May-Sun,
Make linnen white, and sair Maids dun?
Of
March-winds some say this (besides,)
March-wind will run through 9 Bull-hides
On
[...]
Davids day Put barley in clay:
Whats here? March-beer.
VVhen
March borrow's of
April, three days then those three are ill.
APRIL
Causes of sickness now remove.
Aprii to all men crie's in love;
For now the Body-pores being ope, Extreme diseases see som hope
This Rule by heart in Gard'ning get, Sow ever dry, set ever wet,
VVhile som foe's think of fair, or Fairies,
Good Houswives now think of their Daries.
April-skuds bring
May buds.
April-showers bring
May-flowers.
MAY
No Garden now, or Hedge but it is good, To give the body Physick, or els food.
The Fields and Gardens walk and walk again; And from all salt, or hot meats quite refrain.
Sick-man, Cheer up,
Climb up May-hill, And longer 't may be live you will:
Heark what Field-Musick Birds do bring, Church-Musick is no better thing.
VVhat do you think? what do you say? Nought of the very month of
May?
Dread a windy
May and hot, Church-yards fat makes it not?
Let
May come early or late, It makes the Cow to quate.
O what a clutter, About
May- butter!
JUNE.
'Tis death, o'th ground rashly to lie, or sweat,
Or swill, or feed on gross and heavy meat.
Stilling of Roses now's in season, As Verses without Rhime, or Reason
Syrups and Conservs now're in prime, This month they're made, this is the time.
Now they talk to some tune, As fresh as a Rose in
June.
JULY.
Cold Baths and cooling herbs are much commended,
Till Dog-days furious heat is fully ended.
Yet for to vouch, in Rivers now to swim,
More wholsom is then Baths, will prove no whim.
Gall, Rue and Wormwood, gotten with great ease,
Strew'd on your floors are found to kill the fleas:
A sort of black-coats all for shift and shark:
One call'd them Demi-Devils in the dark.
AUGUST.
Use this month less then usually to eat,
And slip away from sleep now after meat
And sudden cold take heed of after-heat.
SEPTEMBER.
The Year declining to provide remember,
Your VVinter-Garments in this month
September;
And put them loosely on too, to prevent
VVhat else, beleeve it, after you'll repent.
Thi
[...]ty days hath
September,
April, Juneand
November:
February twenty eight alone,
But all the other thirty one.
Or thus mysticly but prettily.
March up your thumb, fore-finger down, Ring-finger down likewise,
The months all come wh'ave thirty one
Perkt up before your eyes.
OCTOBER.
In
October clad thee well,
If on Earth you long would dwell,
To the
Tailor this Tale tell,
Now his Physick bear's the Bell.
—And to conclude,—The Lord Mayor's day's next
Simon and
Jude.
Look the whole world through-in, throughout and it all round,
No Nation, Civ'tie, King, or Lord, like Our, is sound.
NOVEMBER.
This month an End of Physic make,
And 'xcept great need▪ till
March, none take
Yet take care that dry go your feet
Els Rheums and Colds will with you meet.
The fifth of
November, Sure all will remember,
DECEMBER.
To be born for himself a man will scorn,
Think then; who, this month for us all was
Born?
Think on the
Manger too: I
[...]le say no more,
To make thee, i
[...] rich, Give dole at thy door.
At Christ-Tide, A Cock-Stride.
The Ever Memorable NATIVITY-HYMN.
ALL this Night shril Chaunticler, Day's Proclaiming Trumpeter,
Clap's his wings, and loudly crie's, Mortals, Mortals, 'wake, Arise,
From the Earth is risen a Sun, Shines at night tho' day be done.
Awake, O earth, 'wake every thing; 'Wake and hear she News I bring.
'Wake and joy for all this Night; Heaven and every twinkling light.
All amazing, still stand gazing, Angels, Powers, and all that be,
Awake and joy the Sun to see.
Hail, O Sun, of blessed light, Sent into this world by night;
Let thy Rays and heavenly Powers, Shine in these dark souls of ours;
For most duty, thou art truly, God and Man I do confess,
Hail, O Sun of righteousness.
JANUARY. EHMAMPI Strena Or, His New-Year's Gift.
The Snake it self casts off it skin, And wil not Thu th' old man within,
That Man without a Navel, He Wil els both liv and Lord in thee,
Which Lording life wil doubl doubl so, As no toung can express Thour wo.
Thrice happi yet, if quitting sin, Thu New-born the New-year begin;
And, Christian Reader, that Thu it Both surer mai and sooner quit.
Cgno, judg, believ't a sin not littl, To think a sin smal wer't a tittl.
At Twelfth-Tide, an Hour-Wide.
Lo, here the Wisemen precious Gifts dispense,
To
Christ and
Mary, Gold, Myrrh, Frankincense;
So much astonish'd at this glorious thing,
A Maid at once to bear God, Man and King.
EHmampi Specimen, or, his Essaie on the same.
Gold, Myrrh, and Franckincens, here th'
Magi bring
To
Christ the Babe and
Marie it suckling:
The Maiden-Mather's 'maz'd, her ehast Womb can,
Hape at once th' Honors to bear God, King, Man.
In
Janiveer Pots freez by th'
Fier.
If the Good wife knew what it were, To eat a Hen in
Janiveer,
She wou'd leave but one in her stock, If that, t' accompany the Cock.
In
January 'tis not good, Without great need for to let blood,
And wondrous shy be to take cold, For Rheums and Colds are now too bold.
The last of
January but one, True
English bearss did bleed and groan.
FEBRUARY.
Of
February-Physick be thou wary, And of warm Air 'cause it doth vary.
If
Phoebus shine when
Mary is purified, More Frost look, after than before, t'abide
February Fill-Dike, With
black or
White, The
Rhime's wrong, but
Reason's right.
‘Omnium Pulvis, aut Cinis.’
FINIS
LONDON, Printed in the Year 1673/4.