POOR ROBINS Observations upon Whitsun-Holidays.
Concerning the fair and foul weather happening thereon.
TOGETHER With the Manly exercise of the
Cornish-men of Hurling the Ball in
Hide-Park on
Whitsun-Tuesday last.
Islington.
VVHat ails ye O ye clouds why do you frown
With angry influence upon our Town?
Spoiling the Harvest hopes of all our gains,
And makes us lower when we see it rains,
Was not our loss enough the first of
May
When as the rain got all our gains away?
When company we wanted who consumes
Our Cheese-cakes, Bottle-Ale, and our Stew'd-Prunes.
All which hung on our hands (the more's the pitty)
And sent with loss afterwards to the City.
What would have yeilded us a pound sold dear
Scarcely an Angel doth for them appear.
How can we pay our Rent at such a rate,
When Rain does make our Trading out of date?
Whitsun Monday.
The Heavens weeps tears, which makes us too to weep,
Wee'r at a
loss for those things which we
keep.
For when the Sky with showers doth on us frown
It brings the price of Cakes, and Cheese-cakes down:
The weather did our hopes so fouly cozen
Eel-pics must go now eighteen to the dozen.
Now
Dick the Prentice with his Neighbour
William
Who meant to walk abroad with
Nell and
Jilian.
Feasting their guts with Flawns and Fools and Custard,
And drinking Bottle-Ale till they are fluster'd.
When merry catches they do sit and sing,
And love each other
like to anything;
The Rain which on the earth the Clouds did spil
Made them good Husbands sore against their will.
Citizens wives who did new cloaths provide
To show themselves abroad at this same tide,
And vvould be generous novv in spending chink
Though they three days before scarce eat or drink;
Besides their Husbands vvho abroad do vvalk
To hear the Cuckovv his svveet Tune to talk.
When after they have tane the pleasant air
Unto our houses use to make repair,
But this foul vveather vvill not let them rome
The Cuckovv they may stay to hear at home.
We Servants did provide against this day
To vvait on them vvhich do at Nine-pins play,
Besides the others vvhich vvait in the house,
But all our Tradings novv not vvorth a louse;
Our Rooms are empty and to tell you truly,
No
Red-noses being seen; makes us look
blewly.
Had
Sol shin'd on us vvith a glorious ray
And been so kind to give us a fair day,
Our houses had been throng'd, and every Arbor
To young men and to maids had been a harbor,
Our profits vvould come in as sweet as honey,
We scarcely could have time to change their money.
But being wet weather our Trading fails,
Maids would not budge out to have dagled tails.
Whitsun Tuesday.
But Whitsun-Tuesday was more kinde unto us,
Had that been wet such weather would undo us,
The sun shin'd on the earth with Radiant face
Which sent unto us customers apace;
The Rooms now throng'd with Guests, Arbors not empty
Of young men and of maids we then had plenty,
Our Sider, Mum, Chees-cakes, Cakes and stew'd Prunes,
This numerous company them all consumes.
The Cornish Hurling of the Silver Ball.
But yet
Hide-Park a man might truly say
Had in it much the glory of that day.
Stout
Cornwall, always Loyal to their King.
A hundred brave resolved persons bring
Of their own County to the Park that day
One of their Countreys exercise to play.
Where being come themselves they do devide
To East and West, their manhood to decide;
I'th midst oth park's thrown up a Silver Ball,
VVhich being done, stoutly to it they fall:
Heels were tript up, and bodies come to ground.
The Cornish Hug always good play was found.
Long time it lasted, and novv East then VVeft
At several times had each of them the best.
Thousand spectators stood vvith greedy Eyes
To see them Act this Manly Exercise:
His Highness
Yorks great Duke beheld the same
VVith other persons of renovvned fame.
Brave Cornish men you are to be commended
And vvill be so until the vvorld is ended.
London, Printed by Peter Lillicrap.