%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> Poor Robin's Dream; Commonly called, Poor Charity. / I know no Reason, but this harmless Riddle, / May as well be Printed, as Sung to a Fiddle. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1686-1686 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 05/09/2011 31279

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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

R221307 HOw now goodfellow, what all amort? / I pray thee tell me what is the News, Roxburghe Ballads Editor None None None None Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 3: 895 Poor Robin's Dream; Commonly called, Poor Charity. / I know no Reason, but this harmless Riddle, / May as well be Printed, as Sung to a Fiddle. Poor Robin’s Dream; Commonly called, Poor Charity. I know no Reason, but this harmless Riddle, May as well be Printed, as Sung to a Fiddle. Poor Robin’s Dream; Commonly called, Poor Charity. I know no Reason, but this harmless Riddle, May as well be Printed, as Sung to a Fiddle. Printer A.M. 1686-1686 A.M.

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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 5/9/2011 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America economics/ commerce vice Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 5/9/2011 2:22:42 PM XBallad Doss, MacKenzie Created XML Version of Ballad 5/9/2011 2:22:42 PM Transcription Supervisor McAbee, Kristina, Nebeker, Eric Transcription of ballad manuscript 5/9/2011 2:22:42 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Becker, Charlotte Transcription of ballad manuscript 5/9/2011 2:22:42 PM Transcriptionist Two Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 5/9/2011 2:22:42 PM Transcriptionist One Megna, Paul Transcription of ballad manuscript 2/14/2011 Checker Grafals Michael Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 1/28/2009 Bibliographer Shannon Meyer Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="bold"><hi rend="italic">Poor Robin</hi></hi><hi rend="italic">s Dream; Commonly called, <hi rend="bold">Poor Charity.</hi></hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="bold"><hi rend="italic">I</hi> know no Reason, but this harmless Riddle,</hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">May as well be Printed, as Sung to a Fiddle.</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="4" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">To a compleat Tune, well known by Musicians, and many others: Or, Game at Cards.</hi></seg>
HOw now good fellow, what all amort? I pray thee tell me what is the News, Trading is dead, and I am sorry fort, which makes me look worse than I use, [I]f a man hath no im[ployment w]hereby to get a penny [he hath no enjoyment if that he wantet]h money, [And Charity is not used by many.] [I have nothing to spend nor ive] nothing to lend, [ive nothing to do, I tarry at] home, [Sitting in my Chair, drawing] near to the fire, [I fell into a sleepe like an idle d]rone. [And as I slept I fell into a drea]m, [I see a Play acted without ere Thea]m, [But I could not tell what the Play did mean.]
But afterwards I did perceive, and something more I did understand; The Stage was the World wherein we live, the Actors they were all mankind. And when the Plays ended, the Stage down they fling, then there will be no difference in this thing, Between a Beggar and a King. The first that Acted I protest, was time with a Glass and Sithe in his hand, With the Globe of the World upon his breast, to shew that he could the same command: Theres a time for to work, & a time for to play, a time for to borrow, and a time f[or to] pay, And a time that doth call us [all away,]
COnscience in order takes his place, and very gallantly plays his part; He fears not to flie in a Rulers face, although it cuts him to the heart: He tells him that all this is the latter Age, Which put the Actors into such a rage, That they kickd poor Conscience off the stage. Plainly Dealing presently appears, in habit like a simple man: The Actors at him mocks and jears; pointing their fingers as they ran: How came this fellow into our company? away with him many a Gallant did cry, For Plain-Dealing will a Beggar dye. Dissimulation mounted the Stage, but he was cloathed in Gallant attire; He was acquainted with Youth and Age, many his company did desire; They entertaind him in their very breast, There he could have harbour, and quietly rest, For Dissemblers and Turn-coats fare the best
Then cometh in poor Charity, methinks she looked wondrous old She quiverd and she quak[d] most piteously, it grievd me to think she was grown so cold She had been ith City, and in the Country, Amongst the Lawyers and Nobility, But there was no room for poor Charity. Then comes in Truth, not cloathed in Wool, but like unto Youth in his white Laun sleeves, And says the Land it is full, full, full, too full of Rebels, worse than Thieves. The Citys full of Poverty, the French are full of pride, Phanaticks full of Envy, which order cant abide, And the Usurers bags are full beside. Hark how Bellonas Drums they do beat, methinks they go rattling through the Town Hark how they thunder through the street, as though they would shake the Chimneys down Then comes in Mars, the great God of War, And bids us face a[bo]ut, and be as we were, But when I wakd I sat in my C[hair].
Printed by and for A. M. and sold by the Booksellers [of Lo]ndon.