<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2009-06-02</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>John Pas</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B080846.pdcc.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B04430">
<STC T="W">M3032</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99885002</BIBNO>
<VID>182812</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="ballad">
<PB REF="1"><!-- PDF PAGE 20 -->
<HEAD>Much a-do, about Nothing: OR, A Song made of <HI>Nothing,</HI> the newe&s;t in Print; He that &s;eriou&s;ly mindes it, will find <HI>All-things</HI> in't.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>_ILe &s;ing you a <HI>Sonnet,</HI> that nere was in Print,</L>
<L>'Tis truly and newly come out of the Mint,</L>
<L>But j'le tell you before hand, you'l find <HI>No|thing</HI> in't.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>On <HI>Nothing</HI> I think, on <HI>Nothing</HI> I Write,</L>
<L>For <HI>Nothing</HI> I Covet, yet <HI>Nothing</HI> I Slight,</L>
<L>And I care not a Pin, if I get <HI>Nothing</HI> by't.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L><HI>Fire, Aire, Earth</HI> and <HI>Water, Bea&s;ts, Birds, Fi&s;h</HI> and <HI>Men,</HI></L>
<L>Did &s;tart out of <HI>Nothing,</HI> a <HI>Chaos,</HI> a <HI>Den;</HI></L>
<L>And all things &s;hall turn into <HI>Nothing</HI> agen.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>It's <HI>Nothing</HI> &s;ometimes that makes many things hit,</L>
<L>As when a Fool among&s;t Wi&s;e men doth &s;ilently &s;it,</L>
<L>A Fool that &s;ayes <HI>Nothing,</HI> may pa&s;s for a Wit.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>What one Man doth love, is another Man's loathing,</L>
<L>This <HI>Blade</HI> loves a quick thing, &amp; that loves a &s;low thing;</L>
<L>And both in the very Conclu&s;ion love <HI>Nothing.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Your Sla&s;hing and Cla&s;hing, and Fla&s;hing of Wit,</L>
<L>Doth &s;tart out of <HI>Nothing,</HI> but Fancy and Fit,</L>
<L>It's little or <HI>Nothing</HI> to what hath been Writ.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>When fir&s;t we together by the Ears did fall,</L>
<L>Then <HI>Something</HI> got <HI>Nothing,</HI> and <HI>Nothing</HI> got <HI>All,</HI></L>
<L>From <HI>Nothing</HI> it came, unto <HI>Nothing</HI> it &s;hall.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>That <HI>Party</HI> which Sealed to a <HI>Covenant</HI> in ha&s;t,</L>
<L>Who made <HI>King</HI> and <HI>Kingdom,</HI> and <HI>Churches</HI> lye wa&s;t,</L>
<L>Their <HI>Projects</HI> and all came to <HI>Nothing</HI> at la&s;t,</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>They rai&s;ed an Army of Hor&s;e and of Foot,</L>
<L>To tumble down <HI>Monarchy,</HI> Branch and Root,</L>
<L>They Thunder'd &amp; Plunder'd, but <HI>Nothing</HI> would do't.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The <HI>Organ</HI> and <HI>Altar,</HI> and <HI>Mini&s;ters</HI> Clothing,</L>
<L>In <HI>Presbyter-Jack</HI> did beget &s;uch a lothing,</L>
<L>That he mu&s;t needs &s;et up a Petty-new-<HI>Nothing.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And when he had Rob'd us in Sanctified Clothing,</L>
<L>And Perjur'd the People by Faithing and Trothing,</L>
<L>But at la&s;t was Catch'd, and all came to <HI>Nothing.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Where <HI>War</HI> and <HI>Rebellion,</HI> and <HI>Plundring</HI> grows,</L>
<L>The <HI>Mendicant-man</HI> is free&s;t from <HI>Foes,</HI></L>
<L>For he is mo&s;t Happy, hath <HI>Nothing</HI> to lo&s;e.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Brave <HI>Cae&s;ar</HI> and <HI>Pompey,</HI> and Great <HI>Alexander,</HI></L>
<L>Whom <HI>Armies</HI> did follow, as <HI>Goo&s;e</HI> follows <HI>Gander,</HI></L>
<L>Have <HI>Nothing</HI> to &s;ay to an <HI>Action</HI> of <HI>Slander.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The wi&s;e&s;t great <HI>Prince,</HI> were he never &s;o &s;tout,</L>
<L>Could he Conquer the <HI>World,</HI> and give <HI>Mankind</HI> a Rout,</L>
<L>Did bring <HI>Nothing</HI> in, nor &s;hall bear <HI>Nothing</HI> out.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Old <HI>Noll</HI> that did ri&s;e up to high thing, from low-thing,</L>
<L>By Brewing <HI>Rebellion,</HI> and Nicking and Frothing,</L>
<L>In Seven years di&s;tance, was <HI>All things</HI> and <HI>Nothing.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L><HI>Dick</HI> (<HI>Olivers</HI> Heir) that pittiful &s;low-thing,</L>
<L>Who once was Inve&s;ted with Purple Clothing,</L>
<L>Now &s;tands for a Cipher, and a Cipher is <HI>Nothing.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>If <HI>King-killers</HI> are excluded from bli&s;s,</L>
<L>Old <HI>Brad&s;haw</HI> (that feels the Reward on't by this)</L>
<L>Had better been <HI>Nothing,</HI> then what now he is.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Your Gallant that lives by fine Meat, Drink, &amp; Clothing,</L>
<L>Who was th' other day, but a pittiful low-thing,</L>
<L>Payes <HI>Butcher,</HI> and <HI>Baker,</HI> and <HI>Draper,</HI> with <HI>Nothing.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The nimble tongu'd <HI>Lawyer</HI> that Pleads for his Pay,</L>
<L>When <HI>Death</HI> doth Arre&s;t him, and carry him away,</L>
<L>At the <HI>General Bar,</HI> will have <HI>Nothing</HI> to &s;ay.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>If any here tax me with weakne&s;s of Wit,</L>
<L>And &s;ay that of <HI>Nothing,</HI> I <HI>Nothing</HI> have Writ,</L>
<L>I &s;hall An&s;wer <HI>Ex Nihilo, nihil</HI> fit.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Yet let his Di&s;cretion be never &s;o tall,</L>
<L>This very word <HI>Nothing,</HI> &s;hall give it a fall,</L>
<L>For in Writing of <HI>Nothing,</HI> I comprehend all.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Let every man give the <HI>Poet</HI> his due,</L>
<L>'Cau&s;e then 'twas with him, as now it's with you,</L>
<L>He &s;tudied it, when he had <HI>Nothing</HI> to do.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>This very word <HI>Nothing,</HI> if took the right way,</L>
<L>May prove advantagious, for what would you &s;ay.</L>
<L>If the <HI>Vintner</HI> &s;hould tell you, there's <HI>Nothing</HI> to Pay?</L>
</LG>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<P><HI>London,</HI> Printed for <HI>Tho. Vere</HI> at the &s;ign of the Angell, without <HI>Newgate.</HI> 1664.</P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
