Air I.An old woman clothed in gray, &c.1-
Through all the employments of life
–
Each neighbour abuses his brother;
–
Whore and rogue they call husband and wife:
–
All professions be-rogue one another.
–
The priest calls the lawyer a cheat,
–
The lawyer be-knaves the divine;
–
And the statesman, because he’s so great,
–
Thinks his trade as honest as mine.Air XI.A Soldier and a Sailor2-
A fox may steal your hens, sir,
–
A whore your health and pence, sir,
–
Your daughter rob your chest, sir,
–
Your wife may steal your rest, sir,
–
A thief your goods and plate.
–
But this is all but picking,
–
With rest, pence, chest and chicken;
–
It ever was decreed, sir,
–
If lawyer’s hand is fee’d, sir,
–
He steals your whole estate.Air XXII.Cotillon3-
Youth’s the season made for joys,
–
Love is then our duty,
–
She alone who that employs,
–
Well deserves her beauty.
–
Let’s be gay,
–
While we may,
–
Beauty’s a flower, despised in decay.CHORUS.3-
Youth’s the season, &c.Cotillon3-
Let us drink and sport to-day,
–
Ours is not to-morrow.
–
Love with youth flies swift away,
–
Age is nought but sorrow.
–
Dance and sing,
–
Time’s on the wing,
–
Life never knows the return of spring.CHORUS.3-
Let us drink, &c.Air XXVI.4-
Courtiers, Courtiers think it no harm, &c.4-
Man may escape from rope and gun;
–
Nay, some have out-liv’d the doctor’s pill;
–
Who takes a woman must be undone,
–
That basilisk is sure to kill.
–
The fly that sips treacle is lost in the sweets,
–
So he that tastes woman, woman, woman,
–
He that tastes woman, ruin meets.
(John Gay)
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Based on Topics: Love Poems, Man Poems, Life Poems, Sadness Poems, Time Poems, Joy & Excitement Poems, Youth Poems, Flowers Poems, Beauty Poems, Spring Poems, Woman PoemsBased on Keywords: professions, employments, basilisk, treacle, cotillon