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Part I |
| 1 |
Young people all I pray draw near,
And listen to my ditty here,
Which subject shews that drunkenness
Brings many mortals to distress. |
| 2 |
As for example now I can
Tell you of one, a gentleman,
Who had a very good estate;
His earthly travels they were great. |
| 3 |
We understand he had a son
Who a lewd wicked race did run;
He daily spent his father's store,
When moneyless he came for more. |
| 4 |
The father oftentimes with tears
Would sound this alarm in his ears:
'Son, thou dost all thy comforts blast,
And thou wilt come to want at last.' |
| 5 |
The son these words did little mind;
To cards and dice he was inclind,
Feeding his drunken appetite
In taverns, which was his delight |
| 6 |
The father, ere it was too late,
He had a project in his pate,
Before his aged days were gone
To make provision for his son. |
| 7 |
Near to his house, we understand,
He had a waste plat of land,
Which did but little profit yield,
On which he had a cottage built. |
| 8 |
'The Wise-Man's Project' was its name;
There was few windows in the same;
Only one door, substanti[a]l thing,
Shut by a lock went by a spring. |
| 9 |
Soon after he had playd this trick,
It was his lot for to fall sick;
As on his bed he did lament,
Then for his drunken son he sent. |
| 10 |
Who, sent for, came to his bed-side;
Seeing his son, he then reply'd,
'I sent for you to make my will,
Which do you faithfully fulfil. |
| 11 |
'To such one cottage is one door;
Neer open it, do thou be sure,
Until thou art so poor that all
Do then despise you, great and small. |
| 12 |
'For to my grief I do perceive
When I am dead this life you live
Will soon melt all thou hast away:
Do not forget these words, I pray. |
| 13 |
'When thou hast made thy friends thy foes,
Pawnd all thy lands, and sold thy cloaths,
Break ope the door, and there depend
To find something thy grief to end.' |
| 14 |
Thus being spoke, the son did say,
Your dying words I will obey;
Soon after this his father dear
Did die and buried was, we hear. |
| |
Part II |
| 15 |
Now pray observe the second part,
And you shall hear his sottish heart:
He did in taverns so frequent
Till he three hundred pounds had spent. |
| 16 |
This being done, we understand
He pawnd the deeds of all his land
Unto a tavern-keeper, who
When poor did him no favour shew.
|
| 17 |
For to fulfil his father's will
He did command this cottage still;
At length great sorrow was his share,
Quite moneyless, with garments bare. |
| 18 |
Being not able for to work,
He in the tavern there did lurk,
From box to box, among rich men,
Who often times revil'd him then. |
| 19 |
To see him sneak so up and down,
The vintner on him he did frown,
And one night kickd him out of door,
Charging him to come there no more. |
| 20 |
He in a stall did lie all night,
In this most sad and w[r]etched plight;
Then thought it was high time for he
His father's legacy to see. |
| 21 |
Next morning, then, opprest with woe,
This young man got an iron crow,
And, as in tears he did lament,
Unto this little cottage went.
|
| 22 |
When he this door had open got,
This poor distressed drunken sot,
Who did for store of money hope,
He saw a gibbet and a rope. |
| 23 |
Under this rope was plac'd a stool,
Which made him look much like a fool,
Crying, Alas, what shall I do!
Destruction now appears in view. |
| 24 |
'As my father foresaw this thing,
What sottishness to me would bring,
As moneyless and free of grace,
This legacy I will embrace.' |
| 25 |
So then, opprest with discontent,
Upon the stool he sighing went,
And then, his precious life to check,
Did place this rope about his neck. |
| 26 |
Crying, Thou God, who sittst on high,
Who on my sorrows hast an eye,
But thou knowst I have not done well,
Preserve my precious soul from hell. |
| 27 |
'T is true the slighting of thy grace
Brought me to this most wretched case,
And as thro folly I 'm undone,
I'll now eclipse my morning sun.'
|
| 28 |
When he with sigh had these words spoke,
Jumpt off, and down the gibbet broke;
In falling, as it plain appears,
Droppd down about this young man's ears, |
| 29 |
In shining gold, a thousand pound,
Which made the blood his ears surround:
Tho in amaze, he cry'd, I 'm sure
This golden salve will heal the sore. |
| 30 |
'Blest be my father,' then he cry'd,
'Who did this portion for me hide,
And while I do alive remain
I never will be drunk again.' |
| |
Part III |
| 31 |
Now by [the] third part you will hear
This young man, as it does appear,
With care he then secur'd his chink,
And to this vintner went to drink. |
| 32 |
When the proud vintner did him see,
He frownd on him immediately,
And said, Begone, or else with speed
I'll kick thee out of doors indeed. |
| 33 |
With smiles the young man he did say,
Thou cruel knave, tell me, I pray,
As I have here consum'd my store,
What makes thee kick me out of door? |
| 34 |
To me thou hast been too severe,
The deeds of eight-score pounds a year
I pawnd them for three hundred pound;
Which I spent here; what makes thee frown? |
| 35 |
The vintner said unto him, Sirrah,
Bring me one hundred pounds tomorrow
By nine o'clock, take them again:
So get you out of doors till then. |
| 36 |
He answerd, If this chink I bring,
I fear thou wilt do no such thing;
He said, I'll give under mine hand
A note that I to this will stand. |
| 37 |
Having the note, away he goes,
And straightway went to one of those
Who made him drink when moneyless,
And did the truth to him confess. |
| 38 |
They both went to this heap of gold,
Wherre in a bag he fairly told
A thousand pounds in yellow boys,
And to this tavern went their ways. |
| 39 |
This bag they on the table set,
Which made the vintner for to fret,
And said, Young man, this will not do,
For I was but in jest with you. |
| 40 |
So then bespoke this young man's friend,
And [said], Vintner, thou mayst depend
In law this note it will you cast,
And he must have his land at last. |
| 41 |
This made the vintner to comply,
Who fetchd the deeds immediately;
He had one hundred pounds, and then
The young man got his deeds again. |
| 42 |
At length, the vintner, for to think
How he was foold out of his chink,
Said, When 't is found how I came off
My neighbours will me game and scoff. |
| 43 |
So, to prevent their game and laughter,
The vintner, in a few days after,
Being void of grace, as will appear,
He cut his throat from ear to ear. |
| 44 |
Thus he untimely left the world,
Who to this young man prov'd a churl;
Now he who followd drunkenness
Lives sober and [does] his lands possess. |
| 45 |
Instead of wasting all his store,
As formerly, resolves no more
To act the same, but does inde[e]d
Poor fatherless and mother-feed. |
| 46 |
'And let all young men, for my sake,
Take care how you such havock make,
For drunkenness, you plain may see,
Was near my ruin for to be.' |
