A PEPYSIAN GARLAND - online book

Black-letter Broadside Ballads Of The years 1595-1639

	THE CHEATING AGE
	io Up marches two creatures in torne totterd cases, With long rustie Rapiers, swolne eyes, & patcht faces As if that black Pluto from Limbo had sent, These horrid grim visions to make vs repent. For this is the cheating age, &c. 11    MY former Companion straight rise from the boord, And courteous kinde greeting to them did afford: Saying, pray sir bid welcome my friends of the sword, That gaine credit by deeds sir, and not by their word: For this is the cheating age, &c. 12   First hauing saluted, we sate downe againe, And call'd for Tobacco, burnt Claret amaine: The Drawer officious to giue vs our bane, With cups plyde vs hard to put's out of our paine. For this is the cheating age, &c. 13   These chimney-nos'd Rascals did make such a smother, I ne're saw the like since I came from my mother: Such cloude of blew vapour fr5 their nosthrils did come, Had like for to choakt me and fired the roome. For this is the cheating age, &c. 14   Then vp comes a Poet with a Rooke at his taile, That feedes all the Winter of Toasts drown'd in Ale, And in the Summer so setteth to sale, Inuentions of others before, his time stale. For this is the cheating age, &c. 15   Then straightway one calls to the barre-Boy for Dice, Which wrapt in a paper, was brought in a trice, Requesting to put off a little odde time, They would play for no more then a pottle of Wine. For this is the cheating age, &c. 246