The Map of Mock-begger Hall, with his scituation in the spacious Countrey, called, Anywhere.
To the tune of It is not your Notherne Nancy: or Sweet is the Lasse that Loues mee.
I Reade in ancient times of yore,
That men of worthy calling
Build almes houses and Spittles store,
Which now are all downe falling:
And few men séeke them to repaire,
Nor is there one among twenty,
That for good déeds will take any care,
While mock begger hall stands empty.
Farme houses which their fathers built,
And Land well kept by tillage,
Their Prodigall sons haue sold for gilt,
In euery Towne and village.
To th'City and Court they doe resort
With gold and siluer plenty,
And there they spend their time in sport,
While mock beggers hall stands empty.
Young Landlords when to age they come,
Their rents they will be racking,
The tenant must giue a golden sum,
Or else he is turn'd packing,
Great fines and double rent beside,
Or else they'l not content be,
It is to maintaine their monstrous pride,
While mock begger hall stands empty.
Their fathers went in homely frées,
And good plaine broad-cloath bréeches,
Their stockings with the same agrees,
Sow'd on with good strong stitches.
They were not then call'd Gentlemen,
Though they had wealth great plenty,
Now euery gul's growne worshipfull,
While mock begger hall stands empty.
No gold nor siluer parchment lace
Was worne but by our Nobles,
Nor would the honest harmlesse face,
Weare Ruffes with so many doubles,
Our bands were to our shirts sowne then,
Bot cloath was full as plenty,
Now one band hath more cloath than ten,
While mock begger hall stands empty.
Now we are Apes in imitation,
The more indéed's the pitty,
The City followes the Strangers fashion,
The Countrey followes the City,
And ere one fashion is knowne throughout,
Another they will inuent yée,
Tis all your gallants study about,
While mock beggers hall stands empty.
The second part, To the same tune.
ME thinks it is a great reproach
To those that are nobly descended,
When for their pleasures cannot haue a Coach,
Wherewith they might be attended,
But euery beggerly Iacke and Gill
That eate scant a good meale in twenty,
Must thorow the stréets be [...]alted still,
While mock begger hall stands empty.
There's some are ratled thorow the stréets,
Probatum est, I tell it,
Whose names are [...]apt in parchment shéets,
It grieues their hearts to spell it,
They are not able two men to kéepe,
With a coachman they must content be,
Which at playhouse doores in his box lies asléep,
While mock begger hall stands empty.
Our Gentlewomen whose meanes is nothing
To that which they make show of,
Ma [...]e use all the fashions in their cloathing,
Which they can heare or know of,
They take such care themselues to decke,
That money is oft so scanty,
The [...] is forc'd to complaine of the backe,
While mock begger hall stands empty.
It may well be that some will muse,
Wherefore in this relation,
The name of Mocke begger I doe vse,
Without any explanation,
To cleare which doubt before I end,
Because they shall all content be,
To shew the meaning I doe intend,
Of mock begger hall still empty.
Some Gentlemen and Citizens haue
In diuers eminent places,
Erected houses rich and braue,
Which stood for the owners graces,
Let any poore to such a doore
Come, they expecting plenty,
They there may ask till their throats are sore,
For mock begger hall stands empty.
Thus in these times we can perceiue
Small charity comfort yielding,
For pride doth men of grace bereaue,
Not onely in cloathes but in building,
Man makes the senselesse stones and bricks
Which by heauens goodnesse lent be,
Expresse his pride by these vaine tricks,
Thus mock begger hall stands empty.
FINIS.