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<DATE>2014-10-09</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>TCP Staff (Michigan)</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B140631.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B43700">
<STC T="W">P3317</STC>
<BIBNO T="oclc">[ocn]767615928</BIBNO>
<VID>212630</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="2" MS="y">
<HEAD>THE Pretended Country Squire, WITH An Account of his La&s;t WILL and TESTAMENT: Together with a whole Dicar of Legacies bequeathed to his New-found Friends; who at length, to their un&s;peakable Sorrow, are left in the Lurch.</HEAD>
<OPENER>To the Tune or, <HI>Merry and Glad.</HI></OPENER>
<LICENSE LANG="eng" SUBTYPE="order to print">
<P><HI>Lice-&s;ed according to Order.</HI></P>
</LICENSE>
<LG N="1">
<HEAD>1.</HEAD>
<L>COme li&s;ten, while I here unfold</L>
<L>as &s;trange a Prank as e're was known,</L>
<L>Of one being Fifty-five years Old,</L>
<L>who near <HI>Temple-Bar</HI> wander'd all alone.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="2">
<HEAD>2.</HEAD>
<L>The Grave appearance of his Face,</L>
<L>and Cloath'd in a dejected Weed,</L>
<L>Straight cau&s;ed a <HI>Baker</HI> near that place,</L>
<L>to ask him of what he &s;tood in need.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="3">
<HEAD>3.</HEAD>
<L>I lack a Lodging Sir, he cry'd,</L>
<L>as being but a Stranger here:</L>
<L>The <HI>Baker</HI> immediately reply'd,</L>
<L>thou art welcome to me, kind Friend, ne'r fear.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="4">
<HEAD>4.</HEAD>
<L>This kindne&s;s he could not deny,</L>
<L>he never &s;tood di&s;puting long,</L>
<L>'Twas good to embrace a Friend, for why,</L>
<L>his Pockets was but, two Shillings &s;trong.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="5">
<HEAD>5.</HEAD>
<L>Now while he was re&s;iding there,</L>
<L>in hopes to live at a Splendid rate,</L>
<L>He did to the <HI>Baker</HI> then declare,</L>
<L>that he was a Man of a va&s;t E&s;tate.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="6">
<HEAD>6.</HEAD>
<L>Quoth he, I &s;tand engag'd this day,</L>
<L>for full five hundred pounds, or more,</L>
<L>The which I have &s;worn I'll never pay,</L>
<L>although I have thou&s;ands lies by in &s;tore.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="7">
<HEAD>7.</HEAD>
<L>'Tis for this cau&s;e I do ab&s;cond,</L>
<L>and come to <HI>London</HI> in this &s;ort:</L>
<L>The <HI>Baker</HI> of &s;uch a Gue&s;t grew fond,</L>
<L>believing his feign'd and fal&s;e Report.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="8">
<HEAD>8.</HEAD>
<L>At length this Spark fell Sick and weak,</L>
<L>and they no Co&s;ts or Charges &s;pare,</L>
<L>For learned Phy&s;icians with &s;peed they &s;eek,</L>
<L>the better to &s;hew their indulgent Care.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="9">
<HEAD>9.</HEAD>
<L>At their own Co&s;t, they purchas'd free,</L>
<L>what ever Art or Skill could name,</L>
<L>Suppo&s;ing their langui&s;hing Gue&s;t to be</L>
<L>a Country Squire of worth and Fame.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="10">
<HEAD>10.</HEAD>
<L>The <HI>Baker</HI> in Sobs did &s;igh full &s;ore,</L>
<L>grieving for him with melting eye,</L>
<L>And being Collector of the Poor,</L>
<L>he brought a kind Brother to weep likewi&s;e</L>
</LG>
<LG N="11">
<HEAD>11.</HEAD>
<L>With Sobs they did his Chamber fill,</L>
<L>nothing but bitter &s;ighs he hears,</L>
<L>At which he re&s;olv'd to make his Will,</L>
<L>to gratifie them for all their Tears.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="12">
<HEAD>12.</HEAD>
<L>He thus begins with Chri&s;tian care,</L>
<L>and gives them all to under&s;tand,</L>
<L>A Cou&s;en he means to make his Heir</L>
<L>now of his head Manour, Hou&s;e and Land.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="13">
<HEAD>13.</HEAD>
<L>The hone&s;t <HI>Baker</HI> next he Will'd,</L>
<L>to have a branch of his E&s;tate,</L>
<L>In token of Love which he beheld,</L>
<L>in Chri&s;tian-like friend&s;hip from him of late.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="14">
<HEAD>14.</HEAD>
<L>The <HI>Bakers</HI> Wife, Son, Daughter dear,</L>
<L>be many hundred pounds did leave,</L>
<L>A Generous Soul he did appear,</L>
<L>each reckond they had not much cau&s;e to <HI>grieve</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG N="15">
<HEAD>15.</HEAD>
<L>He left them Hor&s;es, Hou&s;e and Land,</L>
<L>his tender love did &s;o abound,</L>
<L>So much as the Nur&s;e, we under&s;tand,</L>
<L>he left the &s;um of a hundred pound.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="16">
<HEAD>16.</HEAD>
<L>The Ma&s;ter would not let his Boy</L>
<L>come near the Squire while Sick he lay,</L>
<L>Le&s;t he &s;hould a Legacy then enjoy,</L>
<L>to &s;et up a Bake-hou&s;e another day.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="17">
<HEAD>17.</HEAD>
<L>His Gifts, we &s;ee, were not a few,</L>
<L>no Man was e're more kind than he;</L>
<L>Nay, he left them Rings and Mourning too,</L>
<L>&s;o Liberal was he in each degree.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="18">
<HEAD>18.</HEAD>
<L>For a Rich Coffin &s;traight they go,</L>
<L>his Sp<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">endid Glory they'd not bla&s;t;</L>
<L>Twelve pounds on the &s;ame they did be&s;tow,</L>
<L>but here comes the Devil of all at la&s;t.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="19">
<HEAD>19.</HEAD>
<L>This Sham-pretended Squires Love,</L>
<L>was found e're he was laid in Grave.</L>
<L>Since he an Impa&s;tor thus did pr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ve.</L>
<L>now never a Penny they'r like to have.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="20">
<HEAD>20.</HEAD>
<L>His new Friends in a Rage did &s;ay,</L>
<L>they never knew &s;o vile a Cheat;</L>
<L>Therefore his Rich Coffin they took away,</L>
<L>and hardly alford him a Winding-Sheet.</L>
</LG>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<P>Printed for <HI>P. Brocksly. J. Deacon, J. Blare,</HI> and <HI>J. Back.</HI> 1692.</P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
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