<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
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<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2009-05-04</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Mona Logarbo</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B081114.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B00679">
<STC T="S">22179</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99891326</BIBNO>
<VID>183118</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="ballad">
<PB N="382" REF="1" MS="y"><!-- PDF PAGE 15 -->
<HEAD>Seldome comes the better:</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub"><HI>OR,</HI> An admonition to all &s;orts of people, as Husbands, Wiues, Ma&s;ters, and Ser|uants, &amp;c. to auoid mutability, and to fix their minds on what they po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e.</HEAD>
<OPENER>To the tune of the He-Deuill.</OPENER>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="part">
<P><FIGURE>
</FIGURE></P>
<LG>
<L>YOu men that are well wiued,</L>
<L>and yet doe raile on Fate,</L>
<L>As though you were depriued</L>
<L>thereby of happy &s;tate:</L>
<L>Learne well to be contented</L>
<L>with a good wife, if you get her,</L>
<L>For often when the old wife's dead,</L>
<LG TYPE="refrain">
<L>&s;eldome comes the better.</L>
</LG>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>I once had a wife,</L>
<L>O would to God &s;he had liued,</L>
<L>For while the Lord lent me her life,</L>
<L>indifferent well I thriued;</L>
<L>Yet cau&s;e that &s;he would chide at me,</L>
<L>I wi&s;ht that death would fet her,</L>
<L>But &s;ince I haue got a wor&s;e then &s;h&eacute;e,</L>
<LG TYPE="refrain">
<L>for &s;eldome comes the better.</L>
</LG>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>She would tell me for my good,</L>
<L>that I mu&s;t leaue my vice,</L>
<L>But I not rightly vnder&s;tood</L>
<L>her coun&s;ell of high price;</L>
<L>Full glad was I when &s;he was dead,</L>
<L>&s;o much at nought I &s;et her,</L>
<L>But &s;ince I haue got a wor&s;e in her &s;tead,</L>
<LG TYPE="refrain">
<L>for &s;eldome comes the better.</L>
</LG>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>I now haue one thats not content</L>
<L>with any thing I doe;</L>
<L>The others tongue did me torment,</L>
<L>this &s;colds and beates me too.</L>
<L>I thought when I was rid of one,</L>
<L>that Fortune was my debtor:</L>
<L>But now I &s;ee when one wife's gone,</L>
<LG TYPE="refrain">
<L>that &s;eldome comes the better.</L>
</LG>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>That wife would onely me reprooue,</L>
<L>for wa&s;ting of my &s;tore;</L>
<L>But this, as well as I doth loue</L>
<L>the good Ale pot, and more,</L>
<L>She'l &s;it at the Alehou&s;e all the day,</L>
<L>and if the hou&s;e will let her,</L>
<L>Shee'l run on the &s;core, and I mu&s;t pay;</L>
<LG TYPE="refrain">
<L>thus &s;eldome comes the better.</L>
</LG>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The other was a hu&s;wife good,</L>
<L>when &s;he a penny &s;pent,</L>
<L>It went from her like drops of bloud,</L>
<L>toth' Alehou&s;e &s;he ne're went,</L>
<L>Vnle&s;&s;e it were to fetch home me,</L>
<L>for which at nought I &s;et her,</L>
<L>But this wife is quite contrary,</L>
<LG TYPE="refrain">
<L>for &s;eldome comes the better.</L>
</LG>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And if I doe rebuke her as</L>
<L>a Hu&s;band ought and will,</L>
<L>She'l call me Rogue and Ra&s;call ba&s;e,</L>
<L>her tongue will ne're lye &s;till;</L>
<L>Nay much adoe I haue to &s;hun</L>
<L>her blowes if much I fret her;</L>
<L>The other quickly would haue done:</L>
<LG TYPE="refrain">
<L>thus &s;eldome comes the better.</L>
</LG>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="part">
<PB N="383" REF="1" MS="y"><!-- PDF PAGE 15 -->
<HEAD>The Second part,</HEAD>
<OPENER>To the &s;ame tune.</OPENER>
<P><FIGURE>
</FIGURE></P>
<P><FIGURE>
</FIGURE></P>
<LG>
<L>VVHen I con&s;ider well of this,</L>
<L>it &s;ore doth vexe my minde;</L>
<L>O then I thinke what tis to mi&s;&s;e</L>
<L>a wife that's true and kinde.</L>
<L>There's many men like me that haue</L>
<L>good Wiues, yet wi&s;h for neater,</L>
<L>And faine would &s;end the old toth' graue,</L>
<LG TYPE="refrain">
<L>in hope they &s;hall haue better.</L>
</LG>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>But that doth &s;eldome come to pa&s;&s;e,</L>
<L>though many hope it will:</L>
<L>Therefore let him that has a good La&s;&s;e,</L>
<L>de&s;ire to k&eacute;epe her &s;till:</L>
<L>Nay, though &s;he hath &s;ome &s;mall defect,</L>
<L>to chide when he doth fret her,</L>
<L>Yet let him not her loue neglect,</L>
<LG TYPE="refrain">
<L>for &s;eldome comes the better.</L>
</LG>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Some thinke that were their old Wiues dead,</L>
<L>&s;uch are their fickle mindes</L>
<L>They &s;hould get richer in their &s;teads,</L>
<L>but few or none that findes</L>
<L>Their expectation an&s;wered.</L>
<L>&s;uppo&s;e the portion's greater,</L>
<L>Yet he may &s;ay as I haue &s;ed.</L>
<LG TYPE="refrain">
<L>that &s;eldome comes the better.</L>
</LG>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Ther's many Lads, and La&s;&s;es young,</L>
<L>that in good &s;eruice light,</L>
<L>And yet they thinke that they haue wrong</L>
<L>to &s;erue their time out quite,</L>
<L>They loue to &s;hift from place to place,</L>
<L>toth'little from the greater,</L>
<L>Till at la&s;t they &s;ay in wofull ca&s;e,</L>
<LG TYPE="refrain">
<L>faith, &s;eldome comes the better.</L>
</LG>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Change of pa&s;ture makes fat Calues,</L>
<L>this is a prouerbe v&s;'d,</L>
<L>Which fore another like if &s;alues,</L>
<L>and helpes the fir&s;t abu&s;'d.</L>
<L>A roling &s;tone ne're gathers mo&s;&s;e:</L>
<L>&s;o h&eacute;e that is a flitter</L>
<L>From hou&s;e to hou&s;e, &s;hall find with lo&s;&s;e,</L>
<LG TYPE="refrain">
<L>that &s;eldome comes the better.</L>
</LG>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Likewi&s;e &s;ome men and women both,</L>
<L>when they haue Seruants true,</L>
<L>To k&eacute;epe them ouer-long th'are loth,</L>
<L>but &s;till they wi&s;h for new;</L>
<L>And hauing put the old away,</L>
<L>they take &s;ome farre vnfitter,</L>
<L>Which being tride, at la&s;t they &s;ay</L>
<LG TYPE="refrain">
<L>faith, &s;eldome comes the better.</L>
</LG>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And he that hath a perfect Friend,</L>
<L>let him retaine his loue,</L>
<L>Le&s;t lo&s;ing th'old, the new ith'end</L>
<L>a faigned frend doe prooue:</L>
<L>And &s;o it happens many times,</L>
<L>as &s;ome can tell that yet are</L>
<L>Aliue, and doe lament their crimes,</L>
<LG TYPE="refrain">
<L>with &s;eldome comes the better.</L>
</LG>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Therefore let all both Men and Wiues.</L>
<L>Seruants and Ma&s;ters all,</L>
<L>Thinke on this Prouerbe all their liues,</L>
<L>the v&s;e on't is not &s;mall;</L>
<L>If you are well, your &s;elues &s;o k&eacute;epe,</L>
<L>and &s;triue not to be greater;</L>
<L>Be &s;ure to looke before you leape,</L>
<LG TYPE="refrain">
<L>for &s;eldome comes the better.</L>
</LG>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<P>Printed at London.</P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
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