Seldom comes the better:  
OR, An admonition to all sorts of people, as Husbands, Wives, Masters, and Servants, etc. to avoid mutability, and to fix their minds on what they possess.  
To the tune of the He-devill.  

 

YOu men that are well wived,  
and yet do rail on Fate,  
As though you were deprived  
thereby of happy state:  
Learn well to be contented  
with a good wife, if you get her,  
For often when the old wife's dead,  

seldom comes the better.    

I once had a wife,  
O would to God she had lived,  
For while the Lord lent me her life,  
indifferent well I thrived;  
Yet cause that she would chide at me,  
I wished that death would fet her,  
But since I have got a worse than she,  

for seldom comes the better.    

She would tell me for my good,  
that I must leave my vice,  
But I not rightly understood  
her counsel of high price;  
Full glad was I when she was dead,  
so much at nought I set her,  
But since I have got a worse in her stead,  

for seldom comes the better.    

I now have one that's not content  
with any thing I do;  
The others tongue did me torment,  
this scolds and beats me too.  
I thought when I was rid of one,  
that Fortune was my debtor:  
But now I see when one wife's gone,  

that seldom comes the better.    

That wife would only me reprove,  
for wasting of my store;  
But this, as well as I doth love  
the good Ale pot, and more,  
She'll sit at the Alehouse all the day,  
and if the house will let her,  
she'll run on the score, and I must pay;  

thus seldom comes the better.    

The other was a huswife good,  
when she a penny spent,  
It went from her like drops of blood,  
toth' Alehouse she ne'er went,  
Unless it were to fetch home me,  
for which at nought I set her,  
But this wife is quite contrary,  

for seldom comes the better.    

And if I do rebuke her as  
a Husband ought and will,  
She'll call me Rogue and Rascal base,  
her tongue will ne'er lie still;  
Nay much ado I have to shun  
her blows if much I fret her;  
The other quickly would have done:  

thus seldom comes the better.     

The Second part,  
To the same tune.  
 
 

When I consider well of this,  
it sore doth vex my mind;  
O than I think what 'tis to miss  
a wife that's true and kind.  
There's many men like me that have  
good Wives, yet wish for neater,  
And fain would send the old toth' grave,  

in hope they shall have better.    

But that doth seldom come to pass,  
though many hope it will:  
Therefore let him that has a good Lass,  
desire to keep her still:  
Nay, though she hath some small defect,  
to chide when he doth fret her,  
Yet let him not her love neglect,  

for seldom comes the better.    

Some think that were their old Wives dead,  
such are their fickle minds  
They should get richer in their steads,  
but few or none that finds  
Their expectation answered.  
suppose the portion's greater,  
Yet he may say as I have said.  

that seldom comes the better.    

there's many Lads, and Lasses young,  
that in good service light,  
And yet they think that they have wrong  
to serve their time out quite,  
They love to shift from place to place,  
toth'little from the greater,  
Till at last they say in woeful case,  

faith, seldom comes the better.    

Change of pasture makes fat Calves,  
this is a proverb used,  
Which fore another like if salves,  
and helps the first abused.  
A rolling stone ne'er gathers moss:  
so he that is a flitter  
From house to house, shall find with loss,  

that seldom comes the better.    

Likewise some men and women both,  
when they have Servants true,  
To keep them overlong theyare loath,  
but still they wish for new;  
And having put the old away,  
they take some fare unfitter,  
Which being tried, at last they say  

faith, seldom comes the better.    

And he that hath a perfect Friend,  
let him retain his love,  
Lest losing th'old, the new ith'end  
a feigned friend do prove:  
And so it happens many times,  
as some can tell that yet are  
Alive, and do lament their crimes,  

with seldom comes the better.    

Therefore let all both Men and Wives.  
Servants and Masters all,  
Think on this Proverb all their lives,  
the use on't is not small;  
If you are well, yourselves so keep,  
and strive not to be greater;  
Be sure to look before you leap,  

for seldom comes the better.     
FINIS.   

Printed at London.