%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> Impossibilities. / OR, / A matter of no thing, yet some thing youle finde / I know in the reading, will pleasure your minde, / Then heare it I pray, and when you have done, / You'le say that the thread is handsomely spunne. Ford, Edward University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1611-1611 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 04/18/2011 30102

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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

S125813 2 I sigh, I sob, &c. UNKNOWN I sigh, I sob, etc. the same tune UNKNOWN The Same Tune IMprimis, When men doe beginne, / To follow vertue, leaue off sinne: VV WHen men their chiefest care doe make, / To feed the poore for pitties sake: Then you may say, and justly too, / The old world now is turned a-new. | Then you may say and not till then, / The world is full of honest men. [alternate stanzas] Then you may say, and not till then, / The world is full of honest men. | Then you may say, and justly too, / The old world now is turned a-new. [alternate stanzas] Roxburghe Ballads Editor None None None None Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 164 1: 165 Impossibilities. / OR, / A matter of no thing, yet some thing youle finde / I know in the reading, will pleasure your minde, / Then heare it I pray, and when you have done, / You'le say that the thread is handsomely spunne. Impossibilities: OR, A matter of no thing, yet some thing youle finde I know in the reading, will pleasure your minde, Then heare it I pray, and when you have done, You’le say that the thread is handsomely spunne. Impossibilities: OR, A matter of nothing, yet some thing you'll find I know in the reading, will pleasure your mind, Then hear it I pray, and when you have done, You’ll say that the thread is handsomely spun. Ford, Edward 1611-1611 Edward Wright

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 Early Modern Center Ballad Project Keyword Taxonomy advice affliction/ health alcohol animals/ nature Bible/ biblical figures buildings/ architecture catastrophe children class clothing/ appearance country/ nation crime death economics/ commerce entertainments family folklore gender holidays/ seasons infidelity labor/ craft law London love maritime marriage military/ war monstrosity mythology/ Classical news nobility/ court politics/ government procreation punishment race/ ethnicity 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 youth/ age Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 4/18/2011 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America entertainments folklore London vice Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 4/18/2011 3:13:12 PM XBallad Doss, MacKenzie Created XML Version of Ballad 4/18/2011 3:13:12 PM Transcription Supervisor McAbee, Kristina, Nebeker, Eric Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/18/2011 3:13:12 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Zusky, Catherine Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/18/2011 3:13:12 PM Transcriptionist Two Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/18/2011 3:13:12 PM Transcriptionist One Becker, Charlotte Transcription of ballad manuscript 9/11/2010 Checker Shannon Meyer Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 7/8/2008 Bibliographer Giles Bergel Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created 4/15/2011 Transcriber Becker, Charlotte Created Ballad XML 4/15/2011 Transcriber Meyer, Shannon Created Ballad XML 4/15/2011 Double-Key Transcription Merger Zusky, Catherine Created Ballad XML 4/15/2011 Transcription Supervisor McAbee, Kristina, Nebeker, Eric Created Ballad XML 4/15/2011 XBallad Doss, MacKenzie Created Ballad XML 11/5/2008 Checker Shannon Meyer Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 1/20/2011 Checker Bethany Wong Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 1/20/2011 Checker Bethany Wong Edited Ballad Catalogue Record
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Impossibilities:</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">A matter of no thing, yet some thing youle finde</hi></seg> <seg n="4" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">I know in the reading, will pleasure your minde,</hi></seg> <seg n="5" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Then heare it I pray, and when you have done,</hi></seg> <seg n="6" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Youle say that the thread is handsomely spunne.</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="7" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">To the tune of, <hi rend="bold">I sigh, I sob, etc.</hi></hi></seg>
IMprimis, When men doe beginne, To follow vertue, leave off sinne: When women thinke it no disdaine, To doe indeede the very same, Then you may say, and justly too, The old world now is turned a-new. When Newgate is a place for Nuns, And through Cheapside a river runs, When Charing-Crosse has such a face, To justle Pauls out of her place: Then you may say and not till then, The world is full of honest men. When wood doth hew into the sea, And coaches doe the horses draw: When darknesse doth out-shine the light, And Snailes surpasse the arrowes flight: Then you may say, etc. When Lucipher an Angell turnes, And when in hell no fire burnes: When stars as thicke as haile doe fall, And new Bridewell no hospitall Then you may say, etc. When men are proned to such good will, That they to no one doe no ill: When ships doe saile on rocks of stone, And when the Whale has nere a bone: Then you may say, etc. When what is worst doth turne to best, When Crabs with Swallows build their nest: And when Musicians scornes to use, Such crotchets as they should refuse, Then you may say, etc.
When morning dew doth fall at night, And men lift crutches with a flight: When little children yet unborne, Doe say that many weares the horne: Then you may say, and not till then, The world is full of honest men. When Westminster doth eastward stand, And touches neither sea nor land: And when therein you cannot see, A Lawyer that will take his fee, Then you may say, and justly too, The old world now is turned a-new. When Usurers will gratis lend, And every one their lives doe mend: When the Moore has washt him cleane, and Turnbull street has nere a queane: Then you may say, etc. When Hens tread Cocks, & Cocks tread Geese, And ganders kitten like cats and mise: When as the earth doth beare no Moles, And little Foxes have no holes: Then you may say, etc. When oyle and water doe agree, And deadly foes attoned will bee: When Smithfield is a field of grasse, And when the Oxe doth ride the Asse. Then you may say, etc. When Sorcerers doe leave their charme, When spiders doe the fly no harme: And when the Black-bird leaves to sing, And likewise Serpents for to sting: Then you may say, etc.
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The second part to the same tune.</hi></seg>
WWhen men their chiefest care doe make, To feed the poore for pitties sake: And when tradesmen doe apply, To doe as they would be done by: Then you may say, and not till then, The world is full of honest men. When Letchers they doe leave their lust, And doe those things are good and just: When Harlots doe Susannas prove, And none but husbands dearely love, Then you may say, etc. When the blasphemer leaves to sweare, And unto goodnesse doth repaire: When old men doe incounter youth, And lyers speake the very truth, Then you may say, etc. When lovers they doe constant prove, And never daine for to remove: When little vallies top tall hills, And bad men leave their wonted ills: Then may you say, etc. When rich men doe esteeme the poore, And feast em till they cry no more: And when the streets you may passe free, And yet not scarce a begger see: Then you may say, etc. When servants doe their Masters sway, And blinde men lead the ready way: When dumb men talke with eloquence, And lame men run with eminence: Then you may say, etc. When Gunpowder doth leave his force, And every Pharoah feeles remorse: And when no sessions needs to be, Because all men loves honestie: Then you may say, etc. When all the prisons here about, Have justled all their prisoners out: Because indeede they have no cause, To keepe em in by common lawes: Then you may say, etc.
When birds in waters deepe doe lie, And fishes in the aire doe flie: When water burnes, and fire doth freeze, And oysters grow as fruits on trees: Then you may say, and justly too, The old world now is turned a-new. When as the spruce and courtiour too, Shall bid to complements adew: When little Bees shall castles beare, And flie so with em through the ayre: Then you may say, etc. When as Zacheus shall restore, His ill got goods unto the poore: And when the Camell shall espy, A way to passe the nedles eye: Then you may say, etc. When snow falls blacke, and crowes be white, And all things that are wrong turne right: When silly lambs doe causes plead, And weare long gownes of melted lead: Then you may say, etc. When Turkes doe leave their Mahomet, And all day long in churches set: When Pagans doe beleeve in God, And likewise feare his direfull rod: Then you may say, etc. When men with pearle do fatten hogs, And coward deere doe menace dogs: When men on sands their seeds doe sow, And peare trees they doe downward grow: Then you may say, etc. When Phoebus spreads his beames by night, And Cynthia doth by day give light: When God in mercy is resolved, That this same world shall be dissolved: Then you may say, and justly too, The old world now is turned a-new.
FINIS. E.F. London Printed for Edward Wright, dwel- ling at Christs-Church gate.