The Beggers Intrusion, Or the worlds Illusion. To the tune of Sallingers Rownde.

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A Begger of late most poore in estate
I truly will discover,
In behaviour rude, yet he would intrude,
no place he would passover,
Conceite the meaning Gentlemen
or else you doe me wrong:
For the worlds Illusion, in the conclusion,
is subject of my song.

He meetes first with a Prodigall,
and he shakes him by the clooke,
Who indisgrace uppon the face
did hit this Begger a strooke,
The poore man answered only this,
for ought that I can spy,
Though blowes be rife & you lead a proud life
yet a Begger you shall dy

There meetes he with a Serving man,
dect bravely in apparell,
Who spying of this begger than
made proffer for to quarrell,
Pray leave your wordes, and keepe your sword,
and live contentedly:
Were you in feare or you casherd,
then a Begger would you dy.

Then meetes he with a dainty Dame,
a Courtier I do think,
Who had a gowne most rich to see
beset with many a pinck,
Who spying of this Beggerman,
thou smelst quoth she fi fi:
Quoth the Begger aloude, be not to proude,
for a Begger you must dy,

Then meetes he with a Sergeant,
and in his hand his Mase,
The Begger then most lustily steps,
and comes toward him a pase,
What wouldst thou have thou arrant knave,
thou comst to hastely,
For to tell you this you live amisse,
and a Begger you must dy.

Then meetes he with a Lawyers Clarke,
and he tels him boldly thus:
Sir you are he or’t dimmes my eye,
that is the undoing of us.
For when your Master gives a tester:
you doe his guift deny,
But for all your procolle, hell hath your soule
and a Begger you wil dy.

Then meets he with a Usurer,
and he tels him to his teeth:
That he hords up store, & gives nought to the poore,
and clads himselfe with necke be[e]fe.
But Userer stay, marke what I say,
for in thy cares it’ll cry:
Thy conscience is large, and leese thy charge:
yet a Begger thou shalt dye.

Then meets he with a Broacker,
and he tells him to his face:
That often times he bought stole clothes,
was not this a deepe disgrace.
But though your conscience be ell longe,
next bargaine you doe buy:
Full well I know, will crosse you so,
that a Begger you shall dy.

The second part. To the same tune.

THen meets hee with a Farmer,
was pulling up his corne
Who when he spyed this Begger,
he made a shew of scorne,
Scorn not a man in misery,
for you so well as I
If heaven should but crosse your store,
a Begger sure would dy.

Then meets he a Promoter,
who lives by honest mens falles,
But being little to farr of
to him this Begger calles:
Saying pray leave of your course of life,
il’e show you a reason why,
Would men live in awe and obey the law,
then a Begger would you dye,

Then meetes he with a horemaster,
and he seekes by gentle Queanes,
For to withdraw this young mans minde,
from these abhored [q]eanes,
O fly there baites my gentle youth,
and live contentively,
Least you to late lament your state,
and so a begger dy.

Then meetes he with a Drunkard
and tels him of his vice,
O friend (quoth he) leave of in time,
and learne to be more wise,
This drinck confounds your substance,
like wash within it doth ly,
When ye have spent your store ye can spend-no more
then a Begger you must dy.

Then meets he with a Gamster great,
and intreats him to give ore
Leave [nody] new cut and penicth,
especially with a whore,
Leave wid ruff tickle me quickly to,
lay on and thereto by,
Play but a game at ruff or twaine,
least a begger you do dy,

To all Estates to all degrees
this begger bouldly went,
No house where thriftles riot was kept,
but he did it frequent,
And when he spied a man that loved
in the Alehouse for to ly,
He’d say my friend thy life amend,
least a Begger you doe dy,

Thus have you heard this wordles bad corse,
in living lives most rude,
And how this begger bouldly doth,
to all Estates intrude,
Let man and woman night and day,
pray to the Lord one hy:
That he would send, we our lives might mend,
that wee might not beggers dy.

FINIS. M.P. William Hockom.

Imprinted at London for E.W.

c.1620 William Hockom.
Copyright University of California, Santa Barbara 2005

Early Modern Center English Ballad Archive, 1500 - 1800

The Beggers Intrusion, Or the worlds Illusion. To the tune of Sallingers Rownde.