THE COMPLAINT OF THE NORTH-WEST COUTREY-MAN.
YOu are well over-taken good Neighbour,
Whether agoo this way,
O how do you good John,
I am very much diſcontented
2 At theſe times, and at my loſſes,
Tis no matter which way ich go:
Why man, be contented?
A be on the ſtrongeſt ſide,
And thou mayſt do well enough:
How? do wel enough ſay you neybour,
Why do you ſay ſo? whether ich am
Roundhead or Cavaleer, the ſoldiers
Will be ſhure to drink up all my Beer,
My Hens, Ducks and Geeſe,
They will be ſhure to have a fleece:
In my chimney ich was wont to have
Eight ſtitches of bacon fat and brave,
But now at night it may be well hung,
But in the morning it will be gon,
Such doings makes my heart to ake:
And I for feare do ſometimes ſhake,
A-pies take them all.
My horſes I in field have fed
3 In former time where they were bred,
And I road on them in peace,
But now my troubles do increaſe,
Altho for them I paid full deare,
Yet I have left me the ſmalleſt ſhare:
A-goodieer take them all.
My Butter, Cheeſe, Milk Curds, and whay,
They take my very ſpoon-meat away:
What a life is this?
Laſt week ich chad ſeven ſcore ſheep,
And ich made account them to keep,
Good profit for to make:
But now, alas, God wot:
They are all gone unto the pot,
Shuch havock now a-days they make,
My corn God Almighty bleſt upon the ground,
Into my Barn I brought it ſound,
Thinking therby to increaſe my eſtate,
4 And to make me and my honſhold fortunate:
But now I muſt think of another fate,
Alack, what ſhall I do:
My woollen, linnen, and ſhuch ſtuff:
Ye my verie Ruff in danger to be loſt,
My braſs and pewter & ſhuch things:
I and my wifes rings now muſt al-ago,
Mony I had but little ſtore:
But yet they ſay, they will have more:
But wher do think ich ſhould have it.
Ich have ſome religion as well as they,
Surely ſome men have gone aſtray,
That maketh ſuch a quille:
But our ſins (alas) it was the way ▪
That brought upon us all this fray:
God knoweth when toull end,
Our pride, ſecuritie, oppreſsion it was great:
When the Chriſtian World was in a fret:
And toild with bloudie War:
But now our ſhare is come in haſte,
5 And daily make us for to waſte,
The like was never known:
So many bloudy battels in four Yeers,
The like ſtorie you did never heare
In any Chriſtian age, our land,
Now full well is known to be in wars:
And jars, iſh bloudie ones in all the Chriſtian World:
This is the land, ſay they,
That lived in wealth and ſtore,
But nowtheir ſorrows are grown more denie,
Then any Land beſides:
This is Gods true Church wee cannot
But Chriſt abundance there will juſtifie,
God ſend them well to end.
God bleſs our King & Parlament,
And grant at laſt they may conſent,
To have a godly peace:
Lord bleſſe this people great & ſmall,
6 And grant that we on him may call
In truth and righteouſneſſe,
That he may ſend us a godly peace,
That ſo our joys they may increaſe:
And we may praiſe Gods Name therefore: AMEN.
FINIS.