%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The Poor Man put to a Pinch: / OR, / A DECLARATION of these hard Times. / The Times are bad, we all do see, / Pray God min it now, it if may be; / Both in Countrey and in Town, / Trading is very fore gone down; / Which makes great Poverty to be, / In City, and in Countrey: / And there's little Money to be had, / The Times are grown so very bad. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 0-1689 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 04/10/2008 21961

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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

4.299 R187315 1 The Description of this Age, or, Aim not to high Fortune My Foe The Description of This Age, or, Aim Not Too High POor people are over=charged sore with grief, / And the Aged sort, alass! they are the Chief; Pepys 4.299 Rollins (1) IV: 12-15; Wing P2863A 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. 4: 299 The Poor Man put to a Pinch: / OR, / A DECLARATION of these hard Times. / The Times are bad, we all do see, / Pray God min it now, it if may be; / Both in Countrey and in Town, / Trading is very fore gone down; / Which makes great Poverty to be, / In City, and in Countrey: / And there's little Money to be had, / The Times are grown so very bad. The Poor Man put to a Pinch: OR, A DECLARATION of these hard Times. The Times are bad, we all do see, Pray God mend it now, if it may be; Both in Countrey and in Town, Trading is very sore gone down; Which makes great Poverty to be, In City, and in Countrey: And there's little Money to be had, The Times are grown so very bad. The Poor Man Put to a Pinch: Or, a Declaration of These Hard Times. The Times are Bad, We All Do See, Pray God Mend It Now, If It May Be; Both in Country and in Town, Trading is Very Sore Gone Down; Which Makes Great Poverty to Be, in City, and in Country: And There's Little Money to Be Had, the Times Are Grown So Very Bad. 1/2 sheet oblong folio, 205 x 308 cropped top edge horizontal and vertical rules, and cast fleurons 0-1689 Printed for J. Conyers at the Black Raven a / little above St. Andrews Church in Holborn. J. Conyers BBTI

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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 4/10/2008 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America Various Subjects advice class economics/trade 04/09/08 Checker Rachel Mann Metadata updated, xml created 04/09/08 Checker Rachel Mann Metadata updated, xml created 07/18/07 Checker Rachel Mann Ballad checked 02/12/07 Transcriber Talya Meyers Original transcription 9/7/2004 Bibliographer Maggie Sloan Bibliographic SQL Database Record Created
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POor people are over-charged sore with grief, And the Aged sort, alass! they are the Chief; And many others that has a Charge to maintain, God comfort those that has so little gain. For Trading's down, and there's little to be got, A Poor Man scarcely can get Meat to th' Pot, Or Bread to serve his Children in their need; To see them want, would make ones Heart to bleed. There are many Shop-keepers about the City, Has nothing to doe; Alass! the more's the pity. What will this World come to! Can any tell? It is the Lord that can make all things well.
There are many lusty people walks up and down, There's no Imployment they can have in Town; Which makes so many to be so void of Grace, That they fall to Wickedness, and so do transgress. Pray God again we may see these times to mend, And every one to be carefull to the end; It is our Sins that causeth all the same, Let us fear God, and praise his Holy Name. If a Poor Man has a Charge of Children small, If he has no work to relieve them therewithall, It is a Grief for Parents to endure, To see their Children starved with hunger sore.
Pray God that Trading may be good again, And every one that hears now, say Amen; That Poor nor Rich may have cause for to complain, Let us serve God, and we shall see good Times again. But, Alass! alass! the Poor has all the smart, There's many are pinched to the very heart: Poor Peoples wants has been so very sore In many a place, I say amongst the Poor. But if Work and Trading do come in again, There will be some help for all sorts of Men: If Rich Men would but imploy the Poor, I say, To Labour for their Living, to give them pay. But alass, these Times we see is nothing, so They have enough themselves, they feel not the Poor mans Woe. The House-Mouse little understands the same, What the Field-Mouse endures in Cold and Rain. Remember what our Savior Christ did tell, To Love one another, and all things will be well: But that thing is wanting in this Nation sore, Which makes such Misery amongst the Poor. But yet, good People, let us be content, And Praise the Lord that hath all things to us sent; He in good time for us will take a care, When he is pleased we shall have better share. The Times again I hope will better be, Amongst us all, we then may live to see: In the mean time let's have a special care, That by no means we fall into despair. Now to all People that do's live but poor, God in his Goodness with encrease their store: He evermore will stand the Poor Man's friend, If we but serve the Lord unto the end. Now at the last, let's ever mind that thing, For to fear God, and honour our good King; That God may keep this Nation still in Peace, Then Trading and Plenty will with us increase.
Printed for J. Conyers at the Black Raven a little above St. Andrews Church in Holborn.