Humour, Wit, & Satire of the Seventeenth Century

English literature -- Early modern, 1500-1700; English wit and humor; Great Britain -- Civilization -- 17th century -- Literary collections

From street to street as I did pass,
  Folks cry'd, there goes a Drunken Ass,
  Who not long since had Money store,
  But now no Creature is more poor:
  For Pots and Pipes made him so low,
  That like a Beggar he doth go.

  Then who would pitty such a one,
  Who could not keep himself alone,
  If Wife and Children he had had,
  The case had then been far more sad:
  But he no pitty doth deserve,
  If for a bit of Bread he starve.

  This is the pitty I do find,
  That when I had it was so kind,
  To him that said he was my friend,
  I'de give him Wine and Money lend;
  But now myself I have undone,
  My Company all men do shun.

  Let this my case a warning be,
  That none may play the Fool like me:
  A greater plague there cannot be,
  Than falling from Prosperitie
  Into a state so deadly low,
  Your nearest friends will not you know.

  Account your Money as your friend,
  So shall you flourish to the end,
  But when you come of friends to borrow,
  It will but aggravate your sorrow:
  To see how they will slight you then,
  And say you are the worst of men.

  Your Pot Companions will you slight,
  In whom they once did take delight,
  And while your Money it doth last
  With Oaths they'l tye their friendship fast:
  But when that you have wasted all,
  Then from you will your Servants fall.

  Such servants you may have good store,
  Who help to eat you out of door,
  And by their drinking in Excess,
  Will help to make you Money less:
  Then Young-men warning take by me,
  That of my Money was too free.

  This doth my Passion much provoke,
  To think when I am like to Choake,
  Those that I heretofore did feast,
  They will not mind me in the least:
  Nor make me drink, who once were proud,
  To drink with me to be allow'd.

  My Kindred and Relations near,
  Who once did vow they lov'd me dear;
  Will know me not, but me despise,
  As loathsom to their scornful eyes:
  For without Money there's no Friend,
  And thus my Song in Woe doth End.

FINIS.

Printed for _F. Coles_, _T. Vere_, _J. Wright_, _J. Clarke_, _W.
Thackeray_, and _T. Passinger_.

    [Footnote 218: Used as a term of contempt for a publican,
    _taplash_ being very small beer, or the refuse of the casks.]

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

General

Humour, Wit, & Satire of the Seventeenth Century

English literature -- Early modern, 1500-1700; English wit and humor; Great Britain -- Civilization -- 17th century -- Literary collections

From street to street as I did pass,
  Folks cry'd, there goes a Drunken Ass,
  Who not long since had Money store,
  But now no Creature is more poor:
  For Pots and Pipes made him so low,
  That like a Beggar he doth go.

  Then who would pitty such a one,
  Who could not keep himself alone,
  If Wife and Children he had had,
  The case had then been far more sad:
  But he no pitty doth deserve,
  If for a bit of Bread he starve.

  This is the pitty I do find,
  That when I had it was so kind,
  To him that said he was my friend,
  I'de give him Wine and Money lend;
  But now myself I have undone,
  My Company all men do shun.

  Let this my case a warning be,
  That none may play the Fool like me:
  A greater plague there cannot be,
  Than falling from Prosperitie
  Into a state so deadly low,
  Your nearest friends will not you know.

  Account your Money as your friend,
  So shall you flourish to the end,
  But when you come of friends to borrow,
  It will but aggravate your sorrow:
  To see how they will slight you then,
  And say you are the worst of men.

  Your Pot Companions will you slight,
  In whom they once did take delight,
  And while your Money it doth last
  With Oaths they'l tye their friendship fast:
  But when that you have wasted all,
  Then from you will your Servants fall.

  Such servants you may have good store,
  Who help to eat you out of door,
  And by their drinking in Excess,
  Will help to make you Money less:
  Then Young-men warning take by me,
  That of my Money was too free.

  This doth my Passion much provoke,
  To think when I am like to Choake,
  Those that I heretofore did feast,
  They will not mind me in the least:
  Nor make me drink, who once were proud,
  To drink with me to be allow'd.

  My Kindred and Relations near,
  Who once did vow they lov'd me dear;
  Will know me not, but me despise,
  As loathsom to their scornful eyes:
  For without Money there's no Friend,
  And thus my Song in Woe doth End.

FINIS.

Printed for _F. Coles_, _T. Vere_, _J. Wright_, _J. Clarke_, _W.
Thackeray_, and _T. Passinger_.

    [Footnote 218: Used as a term of contempt for a publican,
    _taplash_ being very small beer, or the refuse of the casks.]

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Humour, Wit, & Satire of the Seventeenth Century

Humour, Wit, & Satire of the Seventeenth Century

No reviews yet