%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The Forger's Doom: / OR, / John Currie's last Speech. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center English Broadside Ballad Archive (EBBA) Director Patricia Fumerton Associate Director Carl G Stahmer 1728-1728 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 07/15/2014 34324

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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

T212862 I Find I was a Fool to mock the Laws; / My Notes are finely chang'd for Hangie's Taas; Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 92 The Forger's Doom: / OR, / John Currie's last Speech. The Forger's Doom: OR, John Currie's last Speech. 1728-1728

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 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 7/15/2014 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America crime economics/ commerce punishment Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 7/15/2014 12:48:51 PM XBallad Chow, Jeremy Created XML Version of Ballad 7/15/2014 12:48:51 PM Transcription Supervisor Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 7/15/2014 12:48:51 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging McCants, Kristen Transcription of ballad manuscript 7/15/2014 12:48:51 PM Transcriptionist Two Gieringer, Darby Transcription of ballad manuscript 7/15/2014 12:48:51 PM Transcriptionist One Collins, Courtney Transcription of ballad manuscript 5/21/2014 Checker Erik Bell Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 2/10/2014 Checker Jeremy Chow Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 1/16/2013 Bibliographer Shannon Meyer Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The Forger's Doom:</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">OR,</hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic"><hi rend="bold">John Currie's</hi> last Speech.</hi></seg>
I Find I was a Fool to mock the Laws; My Notes are finely chang'd for Hangie's Taas; I thought to've turn'd them all to ready Cash; But now I'm paid for every Pound a Lash. Is this the Way to clear me o'er the Nail, To drive it thro' my Ears, and lash me down the Tail; Scurvy prompt Payment; fy upon such Clerks, Instead of Sterling Coin, to pay with good broad Marks; Trone Weight, i' faith, and that my Back will feell; They'l forge my Flesh, and there ingrave their Seal. The LAW of old, ingrav'n was on Stones; But now it is ingrav'n on Flesh and Bones; I thought that Rome and W-----s were not a-kin, But here's a Popish Penance for my Sin, To save my Soul, they'l mortify my Skin: That cruel Bank, O how was I beguil'd? Their Note was lawful, mine a Bastard Child, In shape and Features, and in Sense the same, How then can their's be straight, and mine be lame? Since they so much resemble one another, Why should not mine be honour'd as a Brother? Once I believ'd 'twas Policy and Sense, To draw a daily Bill on David Spence.
After a twelve Months Plea, I'll ne'er forget, Sharp was the Way he's ta'en to pay the Debt, Naked turn'd me to dance upon the Street; And yet they say, That Falshood hasn't Feet. Curst be the Man invented knacks of Law, A base Bug-bear, to keep the World in Awe; Of all it's Tricks, with which the World is curs'd, Conjunct Probations, surely is the worst. Why may not I, Bookbinder to my Trade, Forge Paper as a Smith may forge a Spade? Thanks to my Stars, I have a Pair of Hands, Can forge Bills faster, than the Smith's forge Bands; Some forge a Lie, and others forge an Oath; And yet the Law doth overlook them both. Is not this partial in a high Degree, To punish none, save dextrous Men like me. O is there not some blessed foreign Clime, Where Forg'ry yet was never made a Crime? I'll travel there, and carry on the Prank, Till all the Earth become John Curries Bank. Farewel, dear Friends, you'l shortly hear frae me And send my Compliments beyond the Sea. That ye may drink their Health who send me from a Tree.