Broadside ballad entitled 'In Praise of the Gallant Weavers'

Transcription

Proper new Ballad in praise of the gallant Weavers.

To its own proper new Tune.                              

Gentlemen, and listen well
to a Song I'm to endite,
Praise of all the Weavers
how much do I delight;
to speak forth what I think of them,
for they deserve the praise,
And of their works these Garments are,
which makes pride now a days.

Oh all you Trades and Callings,
to offend you I am loath;
But if the Weavers be not fine,
from whence comes the fine Cloath?
What is't that makes us gallent?
comes not from that ingine?
Who works the Silks and Satins,
Strips, Stuffs, and Cloath so fine.

Is't not the gallant Weavers?
to praise them I am glad;      
Were not their work, full of Ingine;
sure I would go unclade.   
Come here ye peeping Rascals
that Weavers discommends;
Were't not their handy work, Sirs,
you'd go with naked Lends.

The Dyer says, we colour Cloath,
and the Tailor sayes we sew,
Through Weavers hands it must first come
ere it get Seam or Hew.
Fair fall the gallant Weavers,
that is of such Ingine,
Whose works to be commended,
there Cloath it is so fine.

Forth comes some others, reasonless,
Thief Webster they will cry;
Hold ye your tongue my Neighbours;
you'r obliged, so am I,
No thieves for to esteem them,
but honest men they are ;
Your Mothers Reel may prove o're short,
their measure it may marr.

I pray, good Wives, if ye do think
your Yarn they do steale,
Keep it at Home beside your Pose,
and then ye will do weel.
These things that are most necessar,
folks uses to think best;
'Mongst such wee'll place the Weavers:
to overcome the rest.

If ye can work your Yarn at home,
wee'll Weavers nought esteem,
But it's the thing ye cannot do,
so hold your tongue good Deem,
And with me praise the Weavers,
whose work ye cannot want,
and cease from all ignominy.
when ye begin to rant.

Then comes one forth without a cause,
them creashie he will call.
And silly man he mindeth not
his Minnies fault at all.
How she must Oyl and Butter have,
though all the rest should want,
To creash her Wool ere it be spun,
then he begins to rant,

And calls the Weavers creashie,
when she the same begins;
For all that if it were not Creasht,
her wool much the worse spins.
There's no Creash that he uses
may make you raise this name,
On him who makes his work right tight;
when ye do creash your wame.

I pray you hold your tongue, Sir,
and speak no more to me
He had better strive to mense his work,
than Creash his womb like thee:
The Creash that be makes use of,
upon his work is seen:
But making use as thou does,
it is devoured clean.

How Should I praise the weaver,
whose worth cannot be told?
Whose work is the most usefull,
therefore they may be bold
To kyth themselves to be Work men;
when others hold their tongue:
And he that discommends him,
I'd beat him with a Rung.

I held my tongue and heark'ned
when some more fit than I
Should have mark'd these abuses
which so reproachfully
Did overcome the Weaver,
that's an industrious man,
But negligent I found them,
So I at last began

The Weavers Commendation
not able to make end,
Because they are so commodious,
the half cannot be Penn'd.
Pry pardon me brave Weavers;
when me far short ye see
Of your Deserts that's matchless,
it is the veritie.

14. The weavers Work I do desire
so long as I may live,
An worthy Estimation
I of these Work men have;
Now all my gallant Weavers,
my leave I take of you,
And wisheth you to prosper,
so fair a while Adieu,
FINIS

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