%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The Wretched Miser: / OR, / A brief Account of a covetous Farmer, who bringing a Load of Corn to Market, / swore the Devil should have it before he would take the honest Market price; / which accordingly came to pass, as you shall find in these following Lines. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1664-1703 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 04/02/2008 21994

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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

4.331 R187767 1 O Folly, desperate Folly, &c. O Folly, Desperate Folly, etc. YOu Farmers now both far and near, / make conscience of what you do, O Farmers, covetous Farmers, / why wou'd you pinch the Poor? [with variations] Pepys 4.331 Rollins (1) V:299-303; Wing W3682A 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: 331 The Wretched Miser: / OR, / A brief Account of a covetous Farmer, who bringing a Load of Corn to Market, / swore the Devil should have it before he would take the honest Market price; / which accordingly came to pass, as you shall find in these following Lines. The Wretched Miser: OR, A brief Account of a covetous Farmer, who bringing a Load of Corn to Market, swore the Devil should have it before he would take the honest Market price; which accordingly came to pass, as you shall find in these following Lines. The Wretched Miser: Or, a Brief Account of a Covetuous Farmer, Who Bringing a Load of Corn to Market, Swore the Devil Should Have It before He Would Take the Honest Market Price; Which Accordingly Came to Pass, as You Shall Find in These Following Lines. 1/2 sheet oblong folio, ?195 x 315 cropped left and right edges, creased surface, uneven inking vertical rules 1664-1703 Printed for J. Blare, at the Looking-Glass on London-Bridge. J. Blare 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 4/2/2008 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America Various Subjects advice animals/nature economics/trade religiousfigures rurallife supernatural/magic 04/02/08 Checker Rachel Mann Metadata updated, xml created 07/19/07 Checker Rachel Mann Ballad checked 11/07/06 Transcriber Cat Zusky Original transcription 9/20/2004 Bibliographer Maggie Sloan Bibliographic SQL Database Record Created
<seg n="1" rend="left">The Wretched Miser:</seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">OR,</hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">A brief Account of a covetous Farmer, who bringing a Load of Corn to Market,</hi></seg> <seg n="4" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">swore the Devil should have it before he would take the honest Market price;</hi></seg> <seg n="5" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">which accordingly came to pass, as you shall find in these following Lines.</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="6" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">To the Tune of, <hi rend="bold">O Folly, desperate Folly,</hi> etc.</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="7" rend="left">Licensed according to Order<hi rend="italic">.</hi></seg>
YOu Farmers now both far and near, make conscience of what you do, A sad account I bring you here, Aa nd yet it's no more than true: Farmer who had a great-plenty of Grain, And sold it the Devil for lucre of gain, For which he in sorrow at length did complain O Farmers, covetous Farmers, why wou'd you pinch the Poor?
This Farmer to a Market went, and knowing that Corn did rise, His heart to cruelty was bent, that he wou'd not hear the cries Of thousand distressed that lives in this Land Who scarce had a morsel of bread at command He for a high price was resolved to stand: O Farmers, covetous Farmers, why wou'd you pinch the Poor?
An honest dealer to him came, and bid him a Market rate; But this rich Farmer, void of shame, he fell in a passion straight; Then setting his hand in a huff by his side, The Devil shall have all my Corn, he reply'd, Before I will 'bate you one Tester, he cry'd: O Farmers, covetous Farmers, why wou'd you pinch the Poor? The honest dealer went his way, to buy in another place; Now on the self same Market-day, in less than an hours space, To him there did come an old Fellow in black, Who having an old nasty Gown on his back, He told him a vast stock of Corn he did lack: O Farmers, covetous Farmers, why wou'd you pinch the poor? The Corn the Farmer then did show, which t'other did not dislike; They to an Alehouse straight did go, where they did a Bargain strike For that in the Market, and thirty load more Which he had at home in a plentiful store; He never had such a free Chapman before: O Farmers, covetous Farmers, why wou'd you pinch the Poor? Five pounds he in his hand did lay, the Bargain more firm to bind, Then pitching on a certain day, he Waggons and Teams wou'd find: The Farmer reply'd, I will do what I can; And thus did the Bargain go merrily on, Now this was the Devil in shape of a Man: O Farmers, covetous Farmers, why wou'd you pinch the Poor? This deed he had no sooner done, but straight he was grieved sore; And in his thoughts it then did run what he had said just before;
Then fearing that he with the Devil had dealt In tears of sad sorrow the Farmer did melt, No tongue can express the sad torment he felt. O Farmers, etc. Then for a pious Man he sent, who gave him his best advice, And bid him instantly repent that ever he made that price; And since with the devil this bargain you made Against the time get your Corn ready, he said, To some other Friend let the Money be paid: O Farmers, etc. A Conjurer he did employ, who did in the Barn stay, And when the hour did draw nigh, old Lucifer came straightway, With Waggons, which seem'd to be drawn in the air, By frightful strange mostrous fiends that were there, Which terrible sight did the Conjurer scare; O Farmers, etc. The Devil paid the Money down, then sweep'd away all the Corn, Then gave the Trustee such a frown, that never since he was born, Had he been so scar'd with a wonderful sight: In horrid confusion they then took their flight, Strange Vermine destroy'd as much more the next night: O Farmers, etc. Let other Farmers warning take, oppression is bad, you see; A Conscience here you ought to make, and be not so rash as he: It was a great mercy that this did suffice, He might have been torn in pieces likewise[,] This is a Deliverance which he may prize: Now Farmers, wealthy old Farmers, see that you love the Poor.
FINIS.
Printed for J. Blare, at the Looking-Glass on London-Bridge.