Beds of roses (1)/The reformed drunkard

THE REFORMED DRUNKARD.

AS I was a walking the streets up and down,
I saw my young landlady drest in a silk gown,
With my elbows all out my breeches out at knee,
See how my young landlady frowns upon me

O then stept to her, and told her my cafe,
She up with her hand and struck me on the face,
Saying, Thou saucy fellow do not prat to me,
Dost thou think that I mind such a drunkard as thee!

See the impudent fellow and drunkard, said she,
Dost thou think that I mind such a drunkardas thee!
When you call’d for strong liquor, I gave you the dregs,
That bought me fine clothes & reduc’d you to rags.

But when I had silver and gold in my fist,
O then she would meet me and give me a kiss;
But now my money’s gone and my pockets empty,
See how the dissembler frowns upon me.

So now fellow-drunkards, you fee how I’m us’d,
When my money’s all gone then I am abus’d;
But now tor her sauce, I wiser shall be,
I will think on my wife and my family.

I’ll go home to my wife & children who are poor,
I us’d to abuse her and call her a whore;
The more I said to her, the more she did cry,
O what a filly drunkard and blockhead was I

But if I had been rul’d by my wife at the first,
I might have had silver and gold in my purse,
For to maintain my wife and children small,
But I prov’d a drunkard and ruin’d them all.

But now I’ll refrain, it’s high time to amend,
My money I’ll save, it will be my bell friend;
But to speak of the ale-wives, how oft I them fed,
While my wife & children were starving for bread.

Come all you drunkards take warning by me,
Your folly in time I would have you to fee;
And ail you in youth who’ve your time to begin,
Pray think of yourselves, let the landladies spin.

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