%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 ?-? Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 06/25/2014 32908

The University of California makes a claim of copyright only to original contributions made by Early Modern Center participants and other members of the university community. The University of California makes no claim of copyright to the original text. Permission is granted to download, transmit or otherwise reproduce, distribute or display the contributions to this work claimed by The University of California for non-profit educational purposes, provided that this header is included in its entirety. For inquiries about commercial uses, please contact:

Patricia Fumerton Early Modern Center - English Department University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93105 United States of America EMail: pfumer@english.ucsb.edu

1 Game at Cards. New Game at Cards, A Game at Cards. HOW now, good fellow, what all amort? / I pray tell me what is the news? Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 532 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. ?-?

This document follows the guidelines specified for TEI.

XML Generated Automatically at 6/25/2014 11:18:31 AM Using EMC

XBallad Parsing Engine developed by Carl Stahmer.

TEI Template developed by Gerald Egan and Modified by Carl Stahmer

All apostrophes are encoded as '.

Any dashs occurring in line breaks have been removed;

All dashs are encoded as ‐ and all em dashes as —.

 Early Modern Center Ballad Project Keyword Taxonomy advice affliction/ health alcohol Americas animals/ nature Bible/ biblical figures buildings/ architecture catastrophe children class clothing/ appearance country/ nation crime death economics/ commerce entertainments family Featured 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 groups royalty rural life servitude sex/ sexuality supernatural/ magic travel trickery/ deceit urban life vice violence virtue vulgar humor youth/ age Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 6/25/2014 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America economics/ commerce vice Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 6/25/2014 11:18:31 AM XBallad Saylor, Colton Created XML Version of Ballad 6/25/2014 11:18:31 AM Transcription Supervisor Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 6/25/2014 11:18:31 AM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 6/25/2014 11:18:31 AM Transcriptionist Two Yuen, Pui Transcription of ballad manuscript 6/25/2014 11:18:31 AM Transcriptionist One Becker, Charlotte Transcription of ballad manuscript 5/30/2013 Checker William Hildalgo Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 2/6/2013 Checker William Hildalgo Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 10/16/2012 Bibliographer Shannon Meyer Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Poor <hi rend="bold">ROBIN</hi>s DREAM,</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Commonly called</hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">POOR CHARITY.</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="4" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">I know no Reason but this harmless RIDDLE,</hi></seg> <seg n="5" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">May as well be Printed, as sung to a FIDDLE.</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="6" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">To a complete Tune, well known by Musicians, and many Others: Or, a Game at Cards.</hi></seg>
HOW now, good fellow, what all amort? I pray tell me what is the news? Trading is dead, and Im sorry fort, Which makes me to look worse than I use; If a man hath no employment whereby to get a penny, He hath no enjoyment if he wanteth Money, And Charity is not used by any. Ive nothing to spend, nor nothing to lend, I have nothing to do, I tarry at home; Sitting in my chair, drawing near to the Fire, I fell asleep like an idle drone; And as I slept I fell into a dream, I saw a play acted without eer a theme, But I could not tell what the play did mean.
But afterwards I did perceive, And something more did understand, The Stage was the World wherein we live, And the actors were all Mankind. And when the play is ended the stage they down do fling When 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 a scythe in his hand, With the globe of the world upon his breast, To shew how the same he could command. Theres a Time for to work, and a Time for to play, A Time for to borrow, and a Time for to pay, And a Time that doth call us all away.
Conscience, in order first takes place, And very gallantly plays his part; He fears not to fly in a Rulers face, Altho it cuts him to the heart. He tells him that this is the latter age, Which puts the actors in such a rage, That they kickd poor Conscience off the stage Plain-Dealing presently appears, In habit like a simple Man. The actors at him mock and jeer, Pointing their fingers as they ran: How came this fellow in our company, Away with him many a Gallant did cry, For Plain-Dealing will a Beggar die. Dissimulation mounted the stage, But he was cloathed in gallant attire; He was acquainted with Youth and Age, Many his company did desire: Then they entertain him in their very breast, There he could have harbour and quietly rest; For Dissemblers and Turn-Coats fair the best. Then cometh in poor Charity, Methinks she looks wondrous old, She quiverd and she quakd most piteously, It grievd me to think she was grown so cold; She had been both in the city and country, Amongst the Lawyers and Nobility, But there was no room for Poor Charity. Then come in Truth not cloathed in wool, But like unto youth in his white lawn sleeves, And sad, The court is full, is full, is full, Too full of Rebels, worse than Thieves: The citys full of poverty, the French are full of pride, Fanaticks full of Envy, which Order cant abide, And Userers bags are full besides. Hark! how Bellonas drums do beat, Methinks they go rattling thro the town; Hark! how they thunder thro the street, As tho theyd shake the chimnies down: Then comes in Mars the great God of War, And bids us face about and be as we were: But when I awaked I sat in my chair.