English literature -- Early modern, 1500-1700; English wit and humor; Great Britain -- Civilization -- 17th century -- Literary collections
[4.] A Minister going to one of his Parishioners he asked her, who
made her? She reply'd, She did not know: A Child standing by, he
asked him the same Question, who Answered, God; whereupon the Parson
Reproving the Old Woman, told her it was a shame that she should be
so Ignorant, who had lived to those Years, and that little Child could
tell. _Marry_, quoth she, _I am an old Woman, and have been made a
great while, and he was made but t'other day, he may well tell who
made him_.
I went to the Tavern, and then, [13.]
I went to the Tavern, and then,
I had good store of Wine,
And my Cap full of coyne
And the world went well with me then, then,
And the world went well with me then.
I went to the Tavern agen
When I ran on the score
And was turn'd out o' th' door
And the world went ill with me then, then, &c.
When I was a Batchelor then,
I had a Saddle and a Horse,
And I took my own Course,
And the world went well with me then, then &c.
But when I was marry'd, O then
My Horse and my Saddle
Were turn'd to a Cradle,
And the world went ill with me then, then, &c.
When I brought her home mony, then
She never would pout,
But clip me about,
And the world went well with me then, then, &c.
But when I was drunk, O then,
She'd kick, she'd fling,
Till she made the house ring,
And the world went ill with me then, then &c.
So I turn'd her away, and then,
I got me a Miss
To Clip and to kiss,
And the world went ill with me then, then &c.
I took my wife home agen,
But I chang'd her note
For I cut her throat.
And the world went well with me then, then, &c.
But when it was known, O then,
In a two wheeld Charret
To _Tiburn_ I was carry'd,
And the world went ill with me then, then, &c.
But when I came there, O then,
They forc't me to swing
To heaven in a string.
And the world went well with me then, then &c.
[1.] There was a man in the Country, who had not been any far
Traveller, and dwelt far from any Church except a Church that was
seven or eight miles from his house, and there they never sung Mass
nor Even song, but did ever say it. And on a time he came to _London_,
having never been here before, & being in _London_ he went to _Pauls_
Church, & went into the Chappel, where they sung Mass with Organs, and
when he heard the melody of the Organs and the singing together, that
he never heard before, he thought he should have gone to Heaven by and
by, and looked, and said aloud that every one heard, O Lord, shall
I go to heaven presently? I would thou wouldest let me alone till
I might go home and fetch my white stick and black hood, and then I
would go gladly with thee. Where at all the people laughed heartily.
_Sorte tuâ contentus._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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