%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> Seldome comes the better: / OR, / An admonition to all sorts of people, as Husbands, Wiues, Masters, and Ser- / uants, &c. to auoid mutability, and to fix their minds on what they possesse. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton ?-? Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 04/27/2011 30256

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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

S103210 2 the He-Deuill UNKNOWN The He-Devil the same tune UNKNOWN The Same Tune YOu men that are well wiued, / and yet doe raile on Fate, VVHen I consider well of this, / it sore doth vexe my minde; seldome comes the better. [with variation] in hope they shall haue better. [with variation] Roxburghe Ballads Editor None None None None Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 382 1: 383 Seldome comes the better: / OR, / An admonition to all sorts of people, as Husbands, Wiues, Masters, and Ser- / uants, &c. to auoid mutability, and to fix their minds on what they possesse. Seldome comes the better: OR, An admonition to all sorts of people, as Husbands, Wives, Masters, and Ser- vants, etc. to avoid mutability, and to fix their minds on what they possesse. Seldom comes the better: OR, An admonition to all sorts of people, as Husbands, Wives, Masters, and Servants, etc. to avoid mutability, and to fix their minds on what they possess. ?-?

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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 4/27/2011 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America advice marriage Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 4/27/2011 2:09:08 PM XBallad Doss, MacKenzie Created XML Version of Ballad 4/27/2011 2:09:08 PM Transcription Supervisor McAbee, Kristina, Nebeker, Eric Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/27/2011 2:09:08 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Zusky, Catherine Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/27/2011 2:09:08 PM Transcriptionist Two Mann, Rachel Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/27/2011 2:09:08 PM Transcriptionist One Becker, Charlotte Transcription of ballad manuscript 9/22/2010 Checker Charlotte Becker Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 7/16/2008 Bibliographer Giles Bergel Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created 2/9/2011 Checker Bethany Wong Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 10/22/2008 Checker Shannon Meyer Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 10/21/2008 Checker Shannon Meyer Edited Ballad Catalogue Record
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Seldome comes the better:<hi rend="bold">OR,</hi></hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">An admonition to all sorts of people, as Husbands, Wives, Masters, and Ser-</hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">vants, etc. to avoid mutability, and to fix their minds on what they possesse.</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="4" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">To the tune of the He-Devill.</hi></seg>
YOu men that are well wived, and yet doe raile on Fate, As though you were deprived thereby of happy state:Learne well to be contented with a good wife, if you get her, For often when the old wifes dead, seldome comes the better. I once had a wife, O would to God she had lived, For while the Lord lent me her life, indifferent well I thrived; Yet cause that she would chide at me, I wisht that death would fet her, But since I have got a worse then shee, for seldome comes the better. She would tell me for my good, that I must leave my vice, But I not rightly understood her counsell of high price; Full glad was I when she was dead, so much at nought I set her, But since I have got a worse in her stead, for seldome comes the better. I now have one thats not content with any thing I doe; The others tongue did me torment, this scolds and beates me too.
I thought when I was rid of one, that Fortune was my debtor:But now I see when one wifes gone, that seldome comes the better. That wife would onely me reproove, for wasting of my store; But this, as well as I doth love the good Ale pot, and more, Shel sit at the Alehouse all the day, and if the house will let her, Sheel run on the score, and I must pay; thus seldome comes the better. The other was a huswife good, when she a penny spent, It went from her like drops of bloud, to th Alehouse she nere went, Unlesse it were to fetch home me, for which at nought I set her, But this wife is quite contrary, for seldome comes the better. And if I doe rebuke her as a Husband ought and will, Shel call me Rogue and Rascall base, her tongue will nere lye still; Nay much a doe I have to shun her blowes if much I fret her; The other quickly would have done: thus seldome comes the better.
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The Second part, To the same tune.</hi></seg>
WHen I consider well of this, it sore doth vexe my minde; O then I thinke what tis to misse a wife thats true and kinde. Theres many men like me that have good Wives, yet wish for neater, And faine would send the old to th grave, in hope they shall have better. But that doth seldome come to passe, though many hope it will:Therefore let him that has a good Lasse, desire to keepe her still:Nay, though she hath some small defect, to chide when he doth fret her, Yet let him not her love neglect, for seldome comes the better. Some thinke that were their old Wives dead, such are their fickle mindes They should get richer in their steads, but few or none that findes Their expectation answered. suppose the portions greater, Yet he may say as I have sed, that seldome comes the better. Thers many Lads, and Lasses young, that in good service light, And yet they thinke that they have wrong to serve their time out quite, They love to shift from place to place, to th little from the greater, Till at last they say in wofull case, faith, seldome comes the better.
Change of pasture makes fat Calves, this is a proverbe usd, Which fore another like it salves, and helpes the first abusd, A roling stone nere gathers mosse: so hee that is a flitter From house to house, shall find with losse, that seldome comes the better. Likewise some men and women both, when they have Servants true, To keepe them over-long thare loth, but still they wish for new; And having put the old away, they take some farre unfitter, Which being tride, at last they say faith, seldome comes the better. And he that hath a perfect Friend, let him retaine his love, Lest losing th old, the new ith end a faigned frend doe proove:And so it happens many times, as some can tell that yet are Alive, and doe lament their crimes, with seldome comes the better. Therefore let all both Men and Wives. Servants and Masters all, Thinke on this Proverbe all their lives, the use ont is not small; If you are well, your selves so keepe, and strive not to be greater; Be sure to looke before you leape, for seldome comes the better.
FINIS. Printed at London.