The Tradesman's Lamentation: OR THE Mechanicks Complaint.
WHat Learned Doctor hath such Skill profound,
Can raise up
Trade which now lies on the ground
Gasping for breath? Except some course be taken
I fear, of it we shall be quite forsaken;
Which holds not onely up our
City's Wall
But
Cititiz'ns too, who shortly else will fall:
For
Trading Chiefly doth uphold the Land,
And
Money gives it Legs whereon to stand;
Both which are fled, and left's in desperation,
Which is the Subject of this Lamentation.
Walk any where, in Shops, i'th'Streets, or Lanes;
Not
One alone, but
All in
One complains,
Money's so scarce, and
Trading is so dead,
That
Tradesmen now can scarsly buy them bread,
And to maintain them decent, and their Charge
From beggery and want; it were a task too large
For to recount their misery, I protest
By this rude Pen it cannot be exprest.
But stay; Methinks it seemeth somewhat strange,
Though each thing's turn'd, that
Trading too should change:
For though Distractions we have had great store,
Such
Trade as then was, never will be more.
We hop'd those Flames had buryed been in ashes,
But they (like Lightning still break out in flashes;
'Tis greatly fear'd (
Trade making such a stand)
Some greater Revolution's nigh at hand.
Then what's the reason
Trading's such a slave,
Seeing we great Peace with every Nation have:
The
Spaniard sends us Gold, the
Russian Silks good store,
Methinks 'tis very strange that
Trade should be so poor!
I fear, 'tis this whereat the
Tradesman frets,
Great men are grown so high, they scorn to pay their debts:
Then
Tradesmen surely, must of force be poor,
When as the Rich, run on the Poor-man's score.
Nay, that's not all, for it is daily known,
A man dares scarcely ask them for his own.
Tradesmen must needs be poor I really think,
When they are only paid with Dam and Sink;
Who make a man believe they'd run him through:
But God be thank'd there's Law for such as you;
Such Tricks as these seem very much unfit,
T'eat Poor mens Meat, and give them ne'r a bit.
This, this is it, that makes our
Trading shake,
And cause us poor Mechanicks for to quake.
Well, I could wish some course with't might be taken,
T
[...]at poor Men and
Trade may not be quite forsaken.
Another reason's here worse then the other,
We are so hateful grown towards one another;
Which caused is by some Phanatick brain,
That does both Truth and Justice now disdain;
Whether they be
Trapanners, Pimping Sectists, Nippers,
Tarpaulins, Currers, Quakers or
Dippers,
No matter what; They so much strife have made,
They break the Peace and spoile our daily
Trade.
Well, I do hope ere long, that by degrees,
Our Nation may be purg'd of such as these.
To find a fourth, I need not long to stand,
We have such Grand Intruders in our Land,
Who take our
Money, and our
Trading too
Out of our hands, and poor
Tradesmen undoe;
Who do our daily
Trading much entrench,
Ask who they be? I answer, th'
Dutch, and
French:
These take our maintainance from out our hands,
Th'
Dutch Fish our
Sea, th'
French fish our
Trade by land
Now Fellow-Subjects, these things are not fair,
That nothing will go off that's
English Ware:
But if a
French man puts it out to sale
Though ne'r so bad, of 's price he shall not faile;
Our
English must them give (oh 'tis a grief to tell!)
One portion of their Wares, the other for to sell.
Our
English Subjects, by such means as these
(Without a speedy help) their Freedome soon will leese.
But to Conclusion I must haste a pace,
And on this subject will no longer trace:
But wish some remedy may soon be made
To help the Poor, and to support our
Trade:
Then I, with Loyal hearts will ever sing
Our
Trade re-flourishes;)
GOD SAVE THE KING.
LONDON, Printed for the Author. 166 [...]