%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The poor Mans Councellor./ OR/ The Marryed Mans Guide./ God have blest thee with a careful wife,/ [?]ke my directions how to lead thy life,/ [?]o riches thou do't want yet thou shalt find,/ Far greater wealth in a contented mind;/ Thy honest labour shall thy charge maintain,/ Being truly got, not by unlawful gain. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1684-1686 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 09/04/2007 20709

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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

2.86 R234292 1 The poor mans Comfort Bonny Sweet Robin; My Robin is to the Greenwood Gone The Poor Man's Comfort COme friend if thy leisure permit thee to stay,/ I'le teach the some precepts the same to obey, date from Simpson; title unclear: The poor Mans Councellor,/ OR/ The Marryed Mans Guide./ God have blest thee with a ca[r]eful wife,/ [?]ke my directions how to lead thy life,/ [?]o riches thou do't want yet thou shalt fiud,/ Far greater wealth in a contented mind;/ Thy honest labour shall thy charge maintain,/ B[e]ing truly got, not by unlawful gain. Pepys 2.86 Wing P2865B 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: 86 The poor Mans Councellor./ OR/ The Marryed Mans Guide./ God have blest thee with a careful wife,/ [?]ke my directions how to lead thy life,/ [?]o riches thou do't want yet thou shalt find,/ Far greater wealth in a contented mind;/ Thy honest labour shall thy charge maintain,/ Being truly got, not by unlawful gain. The poor Mans Councellor. OR The Marryed Mans Guide. God have blest thee with a careful wife, [?]ke my directions how to lead thy life, [?]o riches thou do't want yet thou shalt find, Far greater wealth in a contented mind; Thy honest labour shall thy charge maintain, Being truly got, not by unlawful gain. The Poor Man's Councellor. Or the Married Man's Guide. God Have Blessed Thee With a Careful Wife, [?]ke My Directions How to Lead Thy Life, [?]o Riches Thou Does Want yet Thou Shall Find, Far Greater Wealth in a Contented Mind; Thy Honest Labor Shall Thy Charge Maintain, Being Truly Got, Not by Unlawful Gain. 1/2 sheet oblong folio, 190 x 333 cropped left edge 1684-1686 Printed for I. Clarke, W. Thackeray, and T. Passinger. J. Clarke, W. Thackeray, T. Passinger. Blagden

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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 advice economics/trade marriage religiousfigures 9/4/07 Checker Rachel Mann Metadata updated, XML created 8/16/07 Checker Simone Chess/Soren Hammerschmidt Transcription checked 7/26/06 Transcriber Maggie Sloan Original transcription 8/18/2004 Bibliographer Maggie Sloan/Jessica Murphy Bibliographic SQL Database Record Created
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The poor Mans Councellor.</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic"><hi rend="bold">OR</hi></hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The Marryed Mans Guide.</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="4" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">God have blest thee with a careful wife,</hi></seg> <seg n="5" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">[?]ke my directions how to lead thy life,</hi></seg> <seg n="6" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">[?]o riches thou do't want yet thou shalt find,</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="7" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Far greater wealth in a contented mind;</hi></seg> <seg n="8" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Thy honest labour shall thy charge maintain,</hi></seg> <seg n="9" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Being truly got, not by unlawful gain.</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="10" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">To the Tune of, The poor mans Comfort.</hi></seg>
COme friend if thy leisure permit thee to stay, I'le teach the some precepts the same to obey, Now thou hast betaken thy self to a wife, How thou may'st live happy all days of thy life; Then take my directions though thou art but poor, I'le learn thee to keep out the wolf from the door. Tis not all mens fortune great Riches to have, And they that have little have most need to save, For Riches have wings and away they will flye, And leave them forsaken that once was so high, A little is better with peace and content, Then wealth in a bundance in misery spent. The wealth of the world doth too much bewitch, And they are too blame that make haste to be rich, For goods ill-gotten like Snow-balls will waste, And he that was rich shall be poor at the last; Therefore be content with a lowly degree, And good will provide for thy Children and thee.
If thou haste a wife that is loving and kind, Great comfort in her at all times thou wilt find, What ever betide thee she will bear a share, And help to advise thee in woe and wel-fare, Then strive not her patience all to provoke, But freely submit to draw both in one yoak. A wife that is froward I do not commend, What thou dost take pains for she'l lavishly spend, And do what thou can'st for to humour her still, She'l hold thee in scorn if she want of her will, Make much of thy wife that is loving and chaste, For she will be saving and fearful to waste. Each morning when thou dost thy labour begin, Have God in thy mind 'twill keep thee from sin, A penny hard earned since it is thy lot, Will do thee more good then a pound that's ill got, Then labour to thrive by the sweat of thy brows, For that's the best way all honest men knows.
If God give a blessing that Children you have, The more you must labour in time for to save, And do not you murmer and count them a charge, The better you'l thrive and your stock will inlarge, Twill be a great comfort thy Children to see, If that they obedient and dutiful be. Let no man intice thee thy money to waste, Be careful to spare and lay up what thou haste, Whoever shall ask thee, he is not thy friend, To go to the Ale-house thy money to spend, Avoide such bad courses as bring them to want, And thou shalt have plenty when others have scant. Lew'd houses and Gameing be sure that thou shun, There's many frequent them and so are undone, By such bad companions a man that's misled May quickly be brought to a morsel of bread, A cup of good liquor at home with they wife, Will cheat up your hearts and prevent further strife. Be courteous and kind to thy Neighbours about And then they will love thee thou need'st not to doubt Avoid all contention with strife and debate, For that will procure thee all honest mens hate, Be civil to all men as they are to thee, Then kindly respected thou shurely shalt be.
If times do prove hard and money be scant, Then labour for little before thou dost want, And thankfully take whatsoever God sends, As times do grow better it will make amends, A dinner of herbs with content serves as well, As all the rich dainties in which far doth excell. When thou for thy labour some moeny hast got, Besure do not spend it in tossing the put, Make haste to thy wife and thy children small, And that will supply when they for bread do call, 'Twould be a great grief to the whilst thou dost live To hear thy babes cry and have nothing to give. What ever affliction befall thee or thine, Yet do not thou murmer or seem to repine, For God that hath given thee means to subsist Can take it away whensoever he list, Therefore be contented what ever betide, Submit with all patience and God will provide. Take care to rember what here I have told, And value it dearer then silver or Gold, When thou art inclined to wander astray, Perhaps it may bring thee into the right way, And by thy example all others may be, 'Tis good to be careful and live honestly.
Printed for J. Clarke, W. Thackeray, and T. Passinger.