%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The Country Mans Delight. / Or, The Happy Joyes of a Countrey Life. / Being a most pleasant New Song. / How bless'd are they who free from care and strife / In humble Cottages do lead their life? / They there posses those joys for which mankind / Of higher Rank, labour in vain to find. / They live more happy, at Content and Ease, / Than Princes in their stately Pallaces. / They feel not the tempestuous Storms of state, / Live all in peace are strangers to debate. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1681-1684 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 03/17/2008 22013

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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

4.349 R174296 1 Happy is the Countrey Life, or, Smiling Phillis, &c. Happy is the Country Life Happy Is the Country Life, or, Smiling Phillis, etc. HAppy is the Countrey life, / bless'd with content, & health, and ease Pepys 4.349 Wing C6550A 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: 349 The Country Mans Delight. / Or, The Happy Joyes of a Countrey Life. / Being a most pleasant New Song. / How bless'd are they who free from care and strife / In humble Cottages do lead their life? / They there posses those joys for which mankind / Of higher Rank, labour in vain to find. / They live more happy, at Content and Ease, / Than Princes in their stately Pallaces. / They feel not the tempestuous Storms of state, / Live all in peace are strangers to debate. The Country Mans Delight. Or, The Happy Joyes of a Countrey Life. Being a most pleasant New Song. How bless'd are they who free from care and strife In humble Cottages do lead their life? They there posses those joys for which mankind Of higher Rank, labour in vain to find. They live more happy, at Content and Ease, Than Princes in their stately Pallaces. They feel not the tempestuous Storms of state, Live all in peace are strangers to debate. The Country Man's Delight. Or, the Happy Joys of a Country Life. Being a Most Pleasant New Song. How Blessed are They Who Free from Care and Strfie in Humble Cottages Do Lead Their Life? They There Possess Those Joys for Which Mankind of Higher Rank, Labor in Vain to Find. They Live More Happy, at Content and Ease, than Princes in Their Stately Palaces. They Feel Not the Tempestuous Storms of State, Live All in Peace are Strangers to Debate. 1/2 sheet oblong folio, 210 x 318 cropped top and bottom edges, creased surface, uneven inking vertical rule and cast fleurons 1681-1684 Printed for J. Wright. J. Clark, W. Thackery and T. Passenger. J. Wright, J. Clark, W. Thackery, T. Passenger 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 3/17/2008 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America Various Subjects animals/nature love mythology/Classicalworld rurallife virtue 03/17/08 Checker Rachel Mann Metadata updated, xml created 07/23/07 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"><hi rend="italic">The Country Mans Delight.</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Or, <hi rend="bold">The Happy Joyes of a</hi> Countrey Life.</hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Being a most pleasant New Song.</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="4" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">How bless'd are they who free from care and strife</hi></seg> <seg n="5" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">In humble Cottages do lead their life?</hi></seg> <seg n="6" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">They there posses those joys for which mankind</hi></seg> <seg n="7" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Of higher Rank, labour in vain to find.</hi></seg> <seg n="8" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">They live more happy, at Content and Ease,</hi></seg> <seg n="9" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Than Princes in their stately Pallaces.</hi></seg> <seg n="10" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">They feel not the tempestuous Storms of state,</hi></seg> <seg n="11" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Live all in peace are strangers to debate.</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="12" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">To a new Tune of, <hi rend="bold">Happy is the Countrey life</hi>, Or, <hi rend="bold">Smiling</hi> Phillis, etc.</hi></seg>
HAppy is the Countrey life, bless'd with content, & health, and ease Free from Factious noise and strife, we only plot our selves to please: Peace of mind's the days d[e]light, And Love our welcome joy at night. Haile green fields, and shady Woods, haile Springs and streams that still run pure Nature's uncorrupted good, where virtue only is secure. Free from vice, and free from care, Age is no grief nor Youth no snare.
No sad fancies fill our breast, but happy, still we live at ease, Whilest Kings are with fears opprest we have joy and lasting peace: Natures pride bedecks each part, Whilest she to please us straines her art. In native green cloathes each Plain with blooming sweets perfumes the Ayr, And with gentle showres of Rain makes us her free bounties share: The Birds in Groves, Woods, and Field, Do hourly pleasant Musick yeild.
Whilst purling streams gently glide through flowry meads where Flocks do graze And loving Swaines on either side on slender Reeds tune soft lays, To charm each lovely Shepherdess, Whose looks her bashful thoughts express. Ignorant we are of wiles, desirous Mortals to ensnare, Who, still after many toiles in courting the disdainful fair, Nothing get but flouts and scorns, have for one role a thousand thorns. Whilest like Infant nature we bath in the streams of endless bliss, Air it self is not more free, nor ought exceed our happiness: Who then wou'd not toiles lay by? and let Ambition-feavour dye? Who wou'd not retire from strife? from sensless noise, and lewd debate? For a happy Countrey life, free from all cares and fears of state, Free from jealousie and pride, of greatness still the restless tide.
Joys attend the opening Dawn, fresh pleasures they do ever spring, Courtier-like we cannot fawn, yet are as Loyall to our King, Flatterers we ever hate, those Caterpillers of the State. Who strange discord daily breed, raising fools hopes above the Sky, Yet leave them when they have most need, to plunge themselves in misery: In wholesome Ware still we deal, Such as we need not to conceal. On each green Bank we lie down, and sport it 'midst a thousand joys, Easier than on beds of Doune, whilest there no fear our love destroys: Violets still perfume our way, Till evening does shut up the day. Then to homely Cottages our bleating flocks we do convey; Where soft slumber on us seizes, till Phoebus does restore the day: Who'd not then thus happy be? thus bless'd with all felicity.
Printed for J. Wright. J. Clark, W. Thackery and T. Passenger.