THE COLD TERM: Or the Frozen Age: Or the Metamorphosis of the River of Thames. 1621.  
IT was the time when men wore liquored boots,  
When rugged Winter, murdered herbs & roots:  
When as the Heavens, the Earth did all attire  
With plashes, puddles, pools, black dirt & mire.  
Then at that time (to poor men's care and costs)  
A Christmas came to Town, betwixt two Frosts.  
Then in the numb Cold month of january,  
When as the Sun was lodged in moist Aquary:  
When Boreas (all with Isickles bedight)  
Worse then a Barber, began to shave and bite,  
Turning Thames streams, to hard congealed flakes,  
And pearled water drops to Crystal cakes.  
Th'adulterate Earth, long having played the whore,  
In bearing and in breeding bastards store,  
As Drunkards, swearers, lechers, Cheating knaves,  
Punks, Panders, base extortionizing slaves,  
Rent-raising rascals, Villains, thieves, Oppressors,  
Vainglorious proud fools, General all transgressors,  
For which foul whoredom, Heaven did think it meet,  
To make the Earth do penance in a 
* The Snow.  sheet.  
That punishment no sooner passed and gone,  
But strait a Cold freeze coat she did put on.  
Which (though herself were senseless, what she ails)  
It made her poorest bastards blow their nails.  
Whilst many of her Rich brood did agree,  
To make their stony hearts as hard as she.  
The liquid Thames each where from shore to shore,  
With cold baked Paste, all pastycrusted o'er.  
When in a Month no Waterman could share,  
The single benefit of half his Fare;  
When a whole Term would not afford a Boat,  
For miserable Fares to spend a Groat.  
Then 
* Though I name Charity, I mean 〈◊〉, but 〈◊〉 Proverb says, Charity is cold.  Charity (in poor distresled state)  
Upon a Cake of Ice, lamenting late.  
Half hunger-starved, and thinly clad she quivered,  
As if in pieces she would strait have shivered,  
When as a Parson 
* A pitiless Parson.  (that could never Preach,  
Yet to three Benefices well could reach)  
Saw Charity to want both Food and Clothing,  
Past by, ne'er spoke to her, nor gave her nothing.  
Next an Attorney 
* A merciless Lawyer.  her poor Case did see,  
But all his Conscience waited on his Fee:  
He walked along, and looked askance on her,  
And put his bounty off with a demur.  
The third a Broker 
* An unconscionable Broker. , a base Hounds-ditch hound,  
That every Month takes Eightpences in the pound:  
He looked on Charity, but nothing threw her,  
And vowed that all his Life, he never knew her.  
A world of people more did thrust and throng,  
Yet none Relieved her as they passed along:  
Until at last (as she was like to Die)  
The Masters of an Hospital passed by 
* Too good to be true. ;  
They stayed, and did compassionate her Case,  
And strait provided her a Lodging place.  
There was a Usurer 
* Too true to be good. , with his Purse fast shut,  
Did rail at her and called her Idle slut:  
And said she to Virginia should be Shipped,  
Or to Bridewell be sent, and sound whipped.  
But at the last (to many a miser's Grief)  
She in an Hospital did find Relief:  
And whether she be dead, or like to dye,  
Those that Relieve her better know then I.  
But once again, I'll turn me to my Theme,  
Of the conglutinated Frozen stream:  
Upon whose Glassy face both too and fro,  
Five hundred people all at once did go.  
At Westminster there went three Horses over  
Which safely did from shore to shore recover,  
There might be seen spiced Cakes, and roasted Pigs,  
Beer, Ale, Tobacco, Apples, Nuts, and Figs,  
Fires made of Charcoles, Faggots, and Seacoles,  
Playing and cozening at the Pidg'on-holes:  
Some, for two Pots at Tables, Cards, or Dice:  
Some slipping in betwixt two Cakes of 
* Witness myself.  Ice:  
Some going on their business and affairs,  
From the Bankside to Paul's, or to Trig-staires.  
And some there were (which I almost forgot)  
That thought the frozen streams were too too hot,  
'Twas safer for them (they did understand)  
To walk upon the water then the land.  
Some trod the Thames as boldly as the ground,  
Knowing their fortunes was not to be drowned.  
And sure the honest River is so true,  
It will not rob the Gallows of his due.  
The beggar's followed men in troops and flocks,  
And never feared the Constable or Stockes,  
The Cage, and whipping-post were idle babbles,  
And laws they count no more than Esop's fables.  
This was a time when th'weakest went to'th'wall,  
When hackney Coaches got the devil and all.  
Though thousands others want and sorrow seeles,  
Yet still with them the world did run on wheels.  
And sure more Coaches and Caroches, 
A running whirling time.  went  
In one day to the Term and Parliament:  
Then there past Wherries in a month and more,  
'Twixt Essex, Middl'sex, Kent and Surry shore.  
And though for two months time, that fell together,  
Of Winds, Raine, Snow, and bitter Frosty wether.  
Though Watermens for number multiplies,  
Near twenty thousand with their families;  
Yet this unto their praise I'll truly speak,  
(Though many of their states are mean and weak)  
All this hard time, 
Truth amongst poor men is more rare, than honesty amongst the rich.  not one amongst them all,  
Did to dishonesty, or thieving fall;  
Therefore this commendations is their due,  
Though they are poor men, yet they still are true.  
I doubt not but a many Trades there be,  
That hold their heads more higher far than we.  
Yet if but eight weeks they had such poor dealing,  
They would fall near to begg'ry, or to stealing.  
I dare affirm, that Watermens this Frost  
(Amongst them) twenty thousand pounds have lost:  
And all that loss of theirs, was no man's gain,  
But toil and dirt by land, with cost and pain.  
And Gentlemen, as glad of Boats there are,  
As Water men will be to have a fare.  
Thus was this Term, worse than the worst vacation,  
To those that use a watery Occupation;  
Whilst Trades by land did daily purse up Chink,  
Bakers for bread, and Brewers for their drink:  
Tapsters for Pots and Cans, with nick and froth,  
Mercers for Stuffs, and Drapers for their Cloth:  
Vintners for drunken heads, Cutlers for swords;  
Sergeants for Fees, and Lawyers for good words:  
And in this gnashing age of Snow and Ice,  
The Woodmongers did mount so high their price:  
That many did to lie a bed desire,  
To save the charge of Wood, and Cole, and Fire.  
Amongst the Whores there were hot comings in,  
Who ever lost, they still were sure to win.  
They in one hour so strangely did heat men, 
Most ●ands got, only Watermens lost.   
That all the Frost they scarce were cool again.  
The Vs'rers Bonds, and Landlord's Rent came on,  
Most Trades had something to depend upon;  
Only the Watermens just nothing got,  
And yet (by God's good help) they wanted not:  
But all had coin, or credit, food and fire,  
And what the need of nature did require.  
So farewell Frost, if Charity be living,  
Poor men shall find it, by the rich men's giving.