Ladeys, your
trusty treasurer.
[_Ext. Ashbourne and Godfrey_.
_Gripus_. These are the fishermen and I the fishe catcht in the nett;
well my comfort is, thoughe my booty have made me no ritcher then I was,
poorer then I am I canott bee. Nowe[136] wherein is the ritche more
happy then the poore? I thinke rather lesse blessed and that shall
approue by this excellent good ballet, thoughe sett to a scurvy tune.
Lett ech man speake as he's possest
I hold the poore man's state most blest.
For if longe lyfe contentment bredes,
In that the poore the ritche exceedes;
The ritch man's dayes are short, as spent
In pleasures and supposed content;
Whylst to us poore men care and troble
Makes every hower wee wast seeme duble.
He that hathe ech daye to his backe
Chandge of gaye suites, whylst wee alacke
Have but one coate, that coorse and ould,
Yet it defends us from the could;
As warme too in an equll eye
As they in all theere purple dye;
'Mongst all theere store, they weare, we see,
But one at once, and so do wee.
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