%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The Present State of England:/ CONTAINING/ The Poor Man's Complaint in a Land of PLENTY;/ Occasioned by the many Abuses offer'd by the Ingrossers of Corn, and likewise Brandy-/ Stillers, which makes a Scarcity in a time of Plenty. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1692 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 09/04/2007 20701

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Patricia Fumerton Early Modern Center - English Department University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93105 United States of America EMail: pfumer@english.ucsb.edu

2.77 R234284 1 O Folly, desperate Folly, etc. O Folly, Desperate Folly AS I was musing all alone,/ with sorrowful heart of care, O England, sorrowful England,/ When will thy troubles end? [with variations] date from content Pepys 2.77 Rollins (1) IV:8-11; Wing P3262A Pepys Library The Pepys ballads : facsimile volume Editor W.G. Day D.S. Brewer Cambridge [England] 1987 Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 2: 77 The Present State of England:/ CONTAINING/ The Poor Man's Complaint in a Land of PLENTY;/ Occasioned by the many Abuses offer'd by the Ingrossers of Corn, and likewise Brandy-/ Stillers, which makes a Scarcity in a time of Plenty. The Present State of England: CONTAINING The Poor Man's Complaint in a Land of PLENTY; Occasioned by the many Abuses offer'd by the Ingrossers of Corn, and likewise Brandy- Stillers, which makes a Scarcity in a time of Plenty. The Present State of England: Containing the Poor Man's Complaint in a Land of Plenty; Occasioned By the Many Abuses Offered by the Engrossers of Corn, and Likewise Brandy-stillers, Which Makes a Scarcity in a Time of Plenty. 1/2 sheet oblong folio, ?182 x 313 cropped top and right edges horizontal and vertical rules 1692 Printed for C. Bates, at the White Hart in West-Smithfield. C. Bates Weinstein: content

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 Taxonomy used by Pepys to Organize Ballads in Albums A Small Promiscuous Supplement Devotion & Morality Drinking & Good Fellowship History - True & Fabulous Humour, Frollicks &c Love Pleasant Love Pleasant and Unfortunate Love Unfortunate Marriage Sea State & Times Tragedy Various Subjects Early Modern Center Ballad Project Keyword Taxonomy advice affliction/health alcohol animals/nature appearance Bible/biblical figures buildings/architecture catastrophe children class clothing/fashion country/nation crime death economics/trade entertainment family/procreation folklore gender historical figures & events holidays/seasons infidelity law London love maritime marriage military/war monstrosity mythology/Classical world news nobility/court politics/government punishment religious concepts religious figures religious types & sects royalty rural life servitude sex/sexuality supernatural/magic The New World travel trickery/deceit urban life vice violence virtue vulgarities/crass humor Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 9/4/2007 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America Devotion & Morality country/nation economics/trade vice virtue 9/4/07 Checker Rachel Mann Metadata updated, XML created 7/26/07 Checker Simone Chess/Soren Hammerschmidt Transcription checked 7/26/06 Transcriber Unknown Original transcription 8/18/2004 Bibliographer Maggie Sloan/Jessica Murphy Bibliographic SQL Database Record Created
<seg n="1" rend="left">The Present State of England:</seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">CONTAINING</hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The Poor Man's Complaint in a Land of PLENTY;</hi></seg> <seg n="4" rend="left"><hi rend="italic"><hi rend="bold">Occasioned by the many Abuses offer'd by the Ingrossers of Corn, and likewise Brandy-</hi></hi></seg> <seg n="5" rend="left"><hi rend="bold"><hi rend="italic">Stillers, which makes a Scarcity in a time of Plenty</hi></hi>.</seg> <seg n="6" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">To the Tune of, <hi rend="bold">O Folly, desperate Folly</hi>, etc</hi>.</seg>
AS I was musing all alone, with sorrowful heart of care, To see how hard the times was grown, it carry'd me to despair; I sigh'd to my self, and shed many a tear, To think of poor people who live far and near, Who could not get money, yet ev'ry thing dear. O England, sorrowful England, When will thy troubles end?
I fear the times grow worse and worse, in Country and in Town, Too many wears an empty purse, like wanderers up and down, Because they have little or nothing to do, Their trading now dead, and provision dear too It makes them with sorrow look pitiful blew. O England, restless England, When will thy troubles end?
A restless people we have been, which never are satisfi'd, This makes our griefs come flowing in, like billows on ev'ry side: With war, want, and poverty we are opprest, Yet were the land loyal we soon should be blest, But we are a people that ne'er are at rest. O England, restless England, When will thy troubles end? Each Meal-man is a cunning elf, the corn they engrose and buy, Thus ev'ry man is for himself, the poor they may starve and dye; For tho' they might buy at a moderate price, They lay up the same in hopes of a rise, And let the poor perish and starve in a trice, O Meal-men, covetous Meal-men, You are this day to blame. Sometimes I have been at a stand, when hearing the poor complain, As knowing this a fruitful land, In every sort of grain: I thought to my self there was knavery us'd, By which the whole Kingdom was grossly abus'd, Now this is a crime which cannot be excus'd. O Villains, covetous Villains, Why would you starve the Poor? I do not blame the Farmers, no, who bringing their Corn to Town, Will sell it there as prises go, soon after they set it down; 'Tis those that I blame who do keep it in store, In hope they shall sell it for twice as much more, 'Tis these that endeavour to starve up the poor. O Villains, covetous Villains, What do you mean to do?
Another thing I have been told, which causes the Corn to rise, They say in Markets it is sold, to carry as Marchandize A cross the wide ocean, but I know not where: Yet here is one thing which is true I declare, The poor are incumber'd with trouble and care. O England, sorrowful England, When shall we see good days? There is another gross abuse, which makes our good Corn so dear, Rich Stillers buy it for their use, in making of Brandies here: And thus they destroy all the best of our wheat, To make drunkards tumble & roul in the street, When some han't a morsel of bread for to eat. O Stillers, desperate Stillers, Are you not much to blame? Sure Conscience now is from us fled, which we did of late injoy, For though men sees the want of bread, our Corn they do still destroy; Hot liquors they make with the staff of our food, To please old drunkards, the Brandymens brood For which I declare they deserve to be su'd. O Stillers, covetous Stillers, Are you not much to blame? If men had honest hearts indeed, and brotherly love also, The poor they might in plenty feed, As well as the rich I know; But if the whole truth I must tell you in brief, Base covetousness is the cause of our grief, And the poor they do languish for want of relief. O England, covetous England. What do you mean to do?
Printed for C. Bates, at the White Hart in West.Smithfield.