AN ELEGY ON THE DEATH OF TRADE. BY A RELATION OF THE DECEASED. London; printed in the Year 1698. Quarto, coutaining thirteen Pages. A WORTHY old dame, Mother Trade was her name, That had long lain in desperate state, That all hopes were past, And, since she is gone, For the good deeds sh'has done, As 'tis common in such like cases, We can sure do no less, Than attend to her hearse, With some marks of remorse on our faces. There's her grand-daughter, Art, Hath almost broke her heart, For the loss of so faithful a friend: In the depth of despair, And seems to draw near to'ards her end. Industry, her sister, When she left her, she kiss'd her, And bid her for ever adieu; I must seek out a place, Where to alter the case, Her cousin, Invention, Seems too in declension, I have nought to pursue, But what is still worse, Her a coffin and shroud, Good people, i'nt this very sad? But the beadle is gone, To see what can be done : "Tis hard she should lie above ground; And yonder he comes, A biting his thumbs ; I'm afraid there's no help to be found. Then come, Master Beadle, Why, sir, the folk look, Like our constable's book, That hath been these three years in collection. I'm afraid, Master Blue-coat, That you are no true coat, For all you look so precisely; Why sure they will give, Since they wou'dn't let her live, Come, come, you must out, And, pray, put the thing to the godly. Lie unbury'd? For shame; Why, sir, if you'd hear me, I've been with abundance already; As God knows my heart, I've acted my part, And was always to serve her most ready. I have been with the merchant, Who, you know, is an arch one, As also with the baker and brewer; I have been with the banker, And with him that makes th' anchor, With the taylor, and almost all that knew her Then pardon my passion, "Twas my zeal for my nation, That urg'd me a little too fast : Come, prithee, go on, Let me know man by man, What betwixt you and each of them pass'd. For the merchant then, first, When I told him he curs'd, And swore he expected it long: I'll be moving, says he, No, faith, they shall see I'll ne'er stay to starve with the throng. My debts lay an embargo, Or I'd be my own cargo, But, when a man breaks, And 'tis danger to swim in the hull. But I'll sell what I've got, land, I'll venture their itch and their lice; Master Beadle, to go, Than to stay here to be eat up with mice. And now, for to give, I have nought, as I live, I was never so poor in my life I can hardly get bread e; For myself, my children, and wife. Next I went to the baker, But a little inclin'd to the Papist; When I told him our loss, He made on him a cross, And swore and damn'd like an Atheist. Says he, friend, be gone, For money I've none, Go, prithee don't trouble my shop; I must live by my bread, And so I was forc'd for to 'lope. When I came out o'the door, By your forestalling, regrating, and cheating, And that makes you prate, Take notice I owe you a beating. I went hence to the brewer, I should meet with a little relief; VOL. X. It seems 'twas the day He was doom'd to go pay, Upon ale and beer, the excise: Betwixt taxes and malt, Says he, I don't get salt, And so should lay down, were I wise. At length I grew bold, And went to him, and told The long and short of the thing; His reply was, don't tease me, Pray friend, I'd be easy, Imust give not to her, but the king, Then next with the banker I soon cast my anchor, And told him the state of the dame; His answer was short, All he had lay at court, And bid me return whence I came, To th' anchor-smith next, At the news of a merchant just broke; Who stood like a dumb thing, At last scratch'd his head, and thus spoke: Friend, did you but know, You'd ne'er press me so, And out he lugs a long scroul; As God is to save me, "Twixt merchants and navy, I'm utterly ruin'd by my soul. Thence I trudg'd to the taylor, That wretch did bewail her, But swore he had never a souse; If I had it, said he, You shou'd have something of me, But, faith, I'm scarce worth a louse. A pox take all the beaus, They must have their new cloaths; I abhor those fools in the fashion: Your knights, 'squires, and lords, That won't keep their words. By heavens, wou'd there was none in the nation. I went next to the drapers, Found their boys cutting capers, With abundance of fiddles and flutes; But, when I ask'd them for money, As though they'd been so many mutes. Said I, where's your master? To which answers one of the wisest, From the draper of linnen, To the next that I went, Was old sir Cent. per cent. * That was soundly enrich'd by her art; His reply was in short, I have found better sport, And don't value her death of a fart. Being thus in quandary, I met apothecary, And told him the full of the matter; He call'd me aside, And ask'd, when she dy'd, And withal, what doctors came at her. I'm afraid, with their blisters, And issues in every part, If her head had been shav'd, I march'd next to the pressers, • An usurer. |