THE Youngman & Maidens Forecast; SHOWING HOW They Reckoned their Chickens before they were Hatched.  
To the Tune of, The Country Farmer. Or, The Devonshire Damosels-  

This may be Printed,  
R. P.   
 
 

I'LL tell you a Jest of a Provident Lass,  
Whose Providence proved her a Provident Ass▪  
She laid forth her store in such brittle Ware,  
That very small profit did fall to her share;  
Thirteen to the Dozen of Eggs the would buy,  
And set a Hen over them carefully;  
As long as she went her footing she watched,  
She counted her Chickens before they were Hatched▪   

Said she, if these Chickens five Capons do prove,  
Capons be Meat which Gentlemen love;  
Those Chickens she would sell to buy a Sow-Pig,  
That it might have young ones e'er it was big:  
Then with her Pigs she would have an Ewe,  
It may have Lambs not killed with the Dew:  
And as she was thinking to buy her a Calf,  
Her Heels they flew from her a Yard and a half▪   

Her Heels ●iss'd the ground, and up flew her Legs,  
Down came her Basket, and br●ke all her 〈…〉  
There lay her Pigs, her Chickens, her Lambs  
She could not have young ones except she 〈…〉  
Thus fortune did frown by a fall that she cat●●●,  
Her Chickens proved Addle before they were Hatched:  
Attend but a while, and I'll briefly declare,  
Bad fortune did likewise fall to the Man's share.   

And now the Man to the Market will go,  
To see what Dame Nature on him will bestow▪  
He bought him five Eggs thinking to Thrive,  
And thus did the business finely contrive●r  
Said he, if these Eggs five Cocks they will frame▪  
And most of them prove to be Cocks of the Game,  
So soon as their Spurs are long enough grown,  
Then I may engross a Cock Pit of my own.   

Then may I have Gallants of every sort,  
Both Lords, Knights, and Squires, and all to see ●●ort  
If they Fight bravely these Gallants to please,  
I may come to get Means by the rearing of these▪  
And when I have done, I'll get me a rich Wife,  
That I may live happy all days of my Life,  
And in the Church we will be loving matched,  
But count not your Chickens before they be Hatch▪   

And when he came home he set his Eggs by,  
He could not get up the Roost was so high;  
But fetching a Ladder that unhappy time,  
It was his hard luck with his Eggs for to Climb▪  
These Ladders prove fatal to many a Man,  
And are undone by them now and than;  
So was this poor Man undone by a fall,  
Down comes the Basker, Man, Eggs and all.   

There jay the poor Man with a fall almost Lame.  
His Cockpits and Gallants, and Cocks of the Game  
The losing of this grieved him to the Life,  
Yet the grief it was more in the less of his Wife▪  
All you Young Men live virtuous Lives,  
And think to get Portions now by your Wives;  
Take warning by me before you are Matched,  
Pray count not your Chickens before they be Hatched.   
FINIS.   

Printed for P. Brooksby, at the Golden-B●ll in Pie-corner, near West-Smithfield▪