VVit's never good till 'tis bought: or, Good counsell for improvident men fit to make use of now and then. To the tune of Basses Carreere. 1634 Approx. 6 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-IV TIFF page image. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A15604 STC 25869 ESTC S102190 99837987 99837987 2341 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A15604) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 2341) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1054:02) VVit's never good till 'tis bought: or, Good counsell for improvident men fit to make use of now and then. To the tune of Basses Carreere. M. P. (Martin Parker), d. 1656?, attributed name. 1 sheet ([1] p.) : ill [by M. Flesher] for Thomas Lambert, Printed at London : [1634?] Verse - "Once musing alone,". Possibly by Martin Parker. Printer's name from and publication date conjectured by STC. In two parts; woodcuts at head of each part. Reproduction of the original in the British Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Ballads, English -- 17th century. 2007-08 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2007-09 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2007-10 Mona Logarbo Sampled and proofread 2007-10 Mona Logarbo Text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion Wit 's never good till 't is bought : OR . Good counsell for improvident men . Fit to make use of now and then . To the tune of Basses Carreere . ONce musing alone , vpon things many a one , Well obseru'd and knowne by my selfe , especially how , that which late did flow , I haue wasted and now I want pelse : this vexed me sore , and made me deplore , That I had not before of it thought , from experience I learn'd , what I since haue discern'd , That tiue wit 's never good till 't is bought . Full many a time , when I was in my prime , My ambition to climbe honor's hill , did me forward pricke , but my jade did so kicke , And dame fortune a trick found to kill , my hope in the bloeme , and debased my plume : I did further presume than I ought , then I wisht I had stayd , at my owne proper trade , But true wit 's never good till 't is bought . To fight and to brawle , and to quarrell with all , And my better 's miscall , I haue vsd , but with woe I did find , all are not of one minde , Though I oft in some kinde was excus'd , yet sometimes I got , a knocke with a pot , When to speake and when not , thua I 'me taught , now where euer I come , I le kéepe peace in the rooms , Thus true wit's never good till 't is bought . I vsed to roare , and to drinke on the score , And I neuer thought more on the shot come Tapster said I , one tooth still is dry , Then fill's ( by and by ) tother pot , I cal'd still apace , but within a short space , Into a strong place , was I bought , then for eight houres wast , foure dayes I must fast , Thus true wit's never good till 't is bought . I once had command , of houses and Land , Thus my case well did stand , among men : but moued with pride , and contention beside , I would wrangle or chide , now and then : if a horse I but found , to leape into my ground , Straight away to the pound , he was brought : now I wish I had still , kept my neighbours good will , But true wit 's never good till 't is bought . This rancor and spléene , my ruine hath beene , As may plainly be séene , by my state : contention in Law , did my purse empty draw , Which I neuer sawfore til 't is too late , vpon euery slight thing , I my action would bring , But my hands now I wring , with the thought : now I wish I had that , which hath made others flat . But ttue wit 's never good till 't is bought . The second part ; To the same tune . IN company base , that are boyd of all grace , I came often in place , by méere chance , but being with them , whom alone I de condemne , I 'de in presence estéeme , and aduance : but being apart , catechising my heart , It much sorrow & smart hath me brought : then with sad melancholly , I wéepe for my folly . Thus wits never good till 't is bought . Bestees now and then , I haue hapned with men , That too conning haue bin , at the catch : And then in my drinke , A with paper and inke , Haue made I did thinke , a good match : but after when I , more deliberately , The businesse to try all had boought , I haue foynd my selfe cheated , and basely defeated , Thus wit's never good till ' t is bought . Moreouer I haue , told my mind to a knaue , Thinking him truly graue , truly iust : I my heart haue expos'd , and my secrets disclos'd , As a friend I reposed , on his trust : but the Rascall ignoble , his heart being double , Mée much woe and trouble hath wrought but I 'ue learnd ere since that , to take héed of my chat , Thus true wit's never good till 't is bought . When I was a Lad , a good seruice I had , Then my minde was to gadding 〈◊〉 though I nothing did lacke , nor for belly nor backe , Yet I was not with that well content●… but vpon small distaste , my selfe I displast , Thus my downfall in haste then shen 〈…〉 since I wisht to obtaine , what I oft did disdaine Thus true wit's never good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Too willing I was my owne credit to passe , Now I find it alas , to my paine , that with setting my hand , to another mans band , For to sell honse and Land , I was fain● I haue passed my word , for what others haue scord , And I oft like a bird haue bin caught , in the prison to stay , where I sung Lachrima , Thus true wit's never good till 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any of those , that are ( causelesse ) my foe● Should so rashly suppose , in them heart● that all in this song , to my selfe doth belong , Their coniecture is wrong , for the 〈…〉 whoeuer they be , where they something way sée , By which euery degrée , may be taught , what ere 's thy profession , thou maist learne this lesson , That wit 's never good till 't is bought ▪ FINIS Printed at London for Thomas Lambert .