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<DATE>2008-09-06</DATE>
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<NAME>Mona Logarbo</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B080811.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<STC T="W">B1699</STC>
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<VID>181434</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="poem">
<PB REF="1" MS="y"><!-- PDF PAGE 8 -->
<HEAD>The Beggars Wedding: Or The Jovial Crew.</HEAD>
<HEADNOTE>
<P>Printed with Allowance, <DATE><HI>Octob.</HI> 19. 1676.</DATE></P>
</HEADNOTE>
<LG>
<L>_WHilome there Liv'd an aged Beggar old,</L>
<L>That in his Life full four&s;core years had told;</L>
<L>His head all frozen, beard long, white as Snow,</L>
<L>With a Staffs prop, on nought el&s;e might he go;</L>
<L>With bleared Ey'n, all parched, dry and cold,</L>
<L>Shaking with Pal&s;ie, little could he hold;</L>
<L>His cloaths &s;o tatter'd, for they were &s;o worn,</L>
<L>Older than he, in many pieces Torn:</L>
<L>The prying'&s;t Eye, and &s;ubtil'&s;t brain, though &s;een,</L>
<L>Could never gue&s;s what &s;tuff they e're had been:</L>
<L>On's Cloak more &s;everal patches there did &s;tick,</L>
<L>Then labouring <HI>Algebra</HI>'s Arithmerick</L>
<L>Could once tell how to number; and was fuller,</L>
<L>Then is the Rain-bow of each various colour,</L>
<L>But not &s;o fre&s;h; &s;o faded they were &s;een,</L>
<L>None could gue&s;s which was Blue, or Red, or Green.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>His Turf hou&s;e lean'd on an old &s;tump of Oak,</L>
<L>A hole a Top, there to avoid the Smoak</L>
<L>Of &s;ticks and &s;catter'd bones. He &s;till was fed</L>
<L>By daily begging of his daily bread.</L>
<L>There on a little Bench I'le leave him then,</L>
<L>Within a while I'le &s;peak of him agen.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>A wither'd Begger-woman, little &s;undred</L>
<L>From him, whom all the Town &s;aid was a hundred:</L>
<L>Toothle&s;s &s;he was, nay, had worn out her gums,</L>
<L>And all her Fingers now were worn to Thumbs:</L>
<L>Rinckles like Graves, to bury all delight,</L>
<L>Eyes once, now holes, little &s;he had of &s;ight;</L>
<L>Little could &s;peak, as little could &s;he &s;mell,</L>
<L>She &s;eldom heard, &s;ometimes the great Town bell.</L>
<L>A long forgetfulne&s;s her leggs had &s;eiz'd,</L>
<L>For many years her Crutches them had eas'd;</L>
<L>Cloaths, thou&s;and Raggs, torn with the wind and weather,</L>
<L>Her hou&s;wifry long &s;ince had tackt together.</L>
<L>No livelihood, but Charity grown cold</L>
<L>As &s;he was, more by cares than years made old.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>In a hot Summers day they out did creep,</L>
<L>Enliven'd ju&s;t like Flies, for el&s;e they &s;leep.</L>
<L>Creeping along at la&s;t, each other met,</L>
<L>And lou&s;ing near each other, clo&s;ely get.</L>
<L><HI>Apollo</HI>'s Ma&s;terpiece &s;hining, did aim</L>
<L>To light dead A&s;hes, &s;parks to make a flame,</L>
<L>Mu&s;ters up Nature, in them now &s;o cold,</L>
<L>Tries whether <HI>Cupid</HI> dwells with tho&s;e are Old.</L>
<L>His heat and kindne&s;s made him try to ki&s;s her,</L>
<L>Her Pal&s;ied head &s;o &s;hook, he &s;till did mi&s;s her.</L>
<L>He thought it mode&s;ty, &s;he 'gain&s;t her will</L>
<L>(Striving to plea&s;e him) could not hold it &s;till.</L>
<L>She mumbled, but he could not under&s;tand her,</L>
<L>And cry'd, Sweet <HI>Hero</HI> I'le be thy <HI>Leander,</HI></L>
<L>And &s;aid, <HI>Before we met, as cold as Stone is</HI></L>
<L><HI>I was, But now am</HI> Venus, <HI>thou</HI> Adonis.</L>
<L>Such heights of pa&s;&s;ionate Love utter'd the&s;e two,</L>
<L>As younge&s;t Lovers when they 'gin to Woe.</L>
<L>For <HI>Cupid</HI> power o're Mankind &s;till will have,</L>
<L>He governs from the Cradle to the Grave:</L>
<L>There Love is &s;uch, they can no longer tarry,</L>
<L>They Vow a Contract, and Re&s;olve to Marry.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>This Marriage was divulged every where</L>
<L>Among the beggars, beggars far and near;</L>
<L>The day appointed, and the Marriage &s;et,</L>
<L>The lame, the blind, the deaf, they all were met,</L>
<L>Such throngs of beggars, Women, Children, &s;een</L>
<L>Mu&s;ter'd upon the Towns fair Gra&s;&s;ie Green.</L>
<L>The Bridegroom led between two Lame men &s;o,</L>
<L>Becau&s;e our Bridegroom &s;ingle could not go:</L>
<L>The Bride was led by blind Men, him behind,</L>
<L>Becau&s;e you know that Love was always blind.</L>
<L>The <HI>Hedg-Priest</HI> then was call'd, Fame did him bring,</L>
<L>Married they were with an old Curtain Ring;</L>
<L>No Father there was found, nor could be ever,</L>
<L>She was &s;o old, no man was fit to give her;</L>
<L>With Acclamations now of louder joy,</L>
<L>They pray <HI>Priapus</HI> to &s;end 'um a Boy,</L>
<L>And &s;hew a Miracle. In vows mo&s;t deep,</L>
<L>The Pari&s;h &s;wore their Children all to keep.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Then <HI>Tom a Bedlam</HI> winds his <HI>Horn</HI> at be&s;t,</L>
<L>Their Trumpet 'twas to bring away their Fea&s;t;</L>
<L>Pickt Marybones they had, found in the Street,</L>
<L>Carrots kickt out of Kennels with their Feet;</L>
<L>Cru&s;ts gathered up for bisket, twice &s;o dry'd,</L>
<L>Alms-Tubs and <HI>Olla Podrida</HI>'s, be&s;ide</L>
<L>Many &s;uch Di&s;hes more; but it would cumber</L>
<L>Any to Name them, more then I can number.</L>
<L>Then comes the Banquet, which mu&s;t never fail,</L>
<L>That the Town gave, of whitebread and &s;trong Ale.</L>
<L>All were &s;o Tip&s;ie, that they could not go,</L>
<L>And yet would Dance, and cry'd for <HI>Mu&s;ick Hoe:</HI></L>
<L>With Tonges snd Gridirons they were play'd unto,</L>
<L>And blind Men Sung, as they are us'd to do.</L>
<L>Some whi&s;tled, and &s;ome hollow &s;ticks did &s;ound,</L>
<L>And &s;o melodiou&s;ly they play around:</L>
<L>Lame men, lame women, manfully cry Advance,</L>
<L>And &s;o all limping, Jovially did Dance;</L>
<L>Nay, and the Deaf-men too, could not forbear</L>
<L>At what they &s;aw, although they did not hear,</L>
<L>VVhich was their happine&s;s. Then to the hou&s;e</L>
<L>The bridegroom brought the bride, all drink a bow&s;e.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>No Room for any but them two they &s;aw,</L>
<L>So laid them both to bed, on fre&s;he&s;t Straw,</L>
<L>Then took their leaves, put out the Ru&s;hen light,</L>
<L>But they them&s;elves did Revel all the Night.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The bridegroom ru&s;&s;els now, ki&s;t, and &s;aid <HI>friend,</HI></L>
<L>But when he ki&s;t, he thought 'twas t'other end,</L>
<L>And cry'd her Mercy, &s;aid, <HI>he could not look,</HI></L>
<L><HI>It was &s;o dark he thought he bad mi&s;took.</HI></L>
<L><HI>No,</HI> &s;aid the Bride mo&s;t &s;weetly, <HI>You are right,</HI></L>
<L><HI>As if your Taper now was burning bright.</HI></L>
<L><HI>He</HI> now at Loves <HI>He&s;perides</HI> does aim,</L>
<L>That <HI>Place, O Place,</HI> which <HI>Place</HI> no Tongue &s;hould name.</L>
<L>She gentle Dame, did &s;trive to help his need,</L>
<L>But there was nothing but a broken Reed.</L>
<L>Their brains being &s;oakt in Ale, having drank deep,</L>
<L>Our Lovers Arm in Arm fell fa&s;t a&s;leep.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Thus for the <HI>Will,</HI> though nothing for the deed,</L>
<L>To <HI>Love</HI> the&s;e <HI>Beggars</HI> built a <HI>Pyramide.</HI></L>
</LG>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed for <HI>R. C. Anno Dom.</HI> 1676.</P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
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