Transcription
The Noble Man's Generous Kindness;
Or the Country-Man's Unexpected Happiness. Giving a True account of a Nobleman, who taking Notice of the poor Man's
Industrious Care and Pains for the maintaining of his Charge, which was Seven
small Children, meeting with him upon a day, Discoursed with him, and
invited him and his Wife, with his Children, home to his House; and
accordingly bestewed upon him a Farm of Thirty Aikers of Land, to be con-
tinued to him and his Heirs. To an Excellent. New Tune.
A NobleMan liv'd near a Village of late,
Hard by a poor Thresher whose Charge it was great;
He had seven Children and most of them small,
And none but his Labour to keep them withall,
He never was given to idle and lurk,
This Noble Man seeing him go daily to work:
His Flail, with his Bag, and his Bottle of Beer,
As cheerfull as those that had hundreds a year. Thus carefull and constant each morning he went
To his Daily Labour with Joy and Content,
So jocund and jolly, both whistle and sing,
As blith and as brisk as a Bird in the spring, One morning this Noble Man taking his Walk,
He met with this poor Man, and freely did talk,
He asked him many a Question at large,
Familiarly talking, concerning his Charge, Thou haft many Children I very well know
Thy Labour is hard, and thy Wages is low,
And yet thou art cheerful; I pray tell me true,
How you do maintain them so well as you do. I carefully carry home all that I earn;
Now daily experience by this I do learn;
That though it is possible we may live poor.
We still keep a ravenous Woof from the door. I Read and I Mow, and I Harrow and Sow.
Sometimes I to Hedging and Ditching do go:
No Work come amiss for I Thresh and I Plow
Thus I eat my Bread by the sweat of my Brow. My Wife she is willing to pull in Yoak,
We live like two Lambs, and we never provoke
Each other, but like to the labouring Ant
We do our endeavour to keep us from want. And when I came home from my Labour at night
To my Wife and Children, in whom I delight,
To hear them come round me with tattling noise
Now these are the Riches that poor Men enjoy. Though I am as weary as weary my be.
The youngest I commonly dance on my Knee.
I find that Content is an absolute Feast.
I never repin'd at my Charge in the least. The Noble Man hearing then what he did say
Was pleas'd, and invited him home the next day:
His Wife and his Children he charg'd him to bring
in token of Favour, he gave him a Ring. Then thanked his Honour; and taking his leave,
He went to his Wife, who would hardly believe;
But that this strange story himself he might raise,
Yet feeing the Ring she was then in a maze. Be times in the morning the good Wife arose;
And made them all fine in the best of their cloaths
The good Man and Wife, with his Children small,
They then went to Dine at the Noble Mans Hall, But when they come there, as the truth doth report
All things was prepar'd in a plentiful sort
And they at the Noblemans Table did Dine,
With all soats of Dainties, with plenty of Wine All things being over, he soon let him know:
What he then intended on him to be slow:
A Farm, with full Thirty good Acres of Land,
And gave him the writings into his own hand Because thou wast careful and good to thy Wife,
I'll make thy days happy the rest of thy life;
It shall be for ever to thee and thy Heirs:
For why, I beheld thy indsiurious Care. No Tongue then was able in full to express,
The depth of their joy & their true thankfulness.
With many a Courtesie and Bow to the ground:
But like such Noble Men there is few to be found. FINIS.
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