’Tis the excellen’st thing in the worldTo be a plain-dealing man.
Nor can I abide any tongues
That will prattle and prate against reason,
About that which doth not concern them;
Which thing is no better than treason.
Wherefore I’d wish all that do hear me
Not to meddle with matters of state,
Lest they be in question called for it,
And repent them when it is too late.
For this I will make it appear,
And prove by experience I can,
’Tis the excellen’st thing in the world
To be a plain-dealing man.
O fie upon spiteful neighbours,
Whose malicious humours are bent,
And do practise and strive every day
To wrong the poor innocent.
By means of such persons as they,
There hath many a good mother’s son
Been utterly brought to decay,
Their wives and their children undone.
For this I will make it appear,
And prove by experience I can,
’Tis the excellen’st thing in the world
To be a plain-dealing man.
O fie upon forsworn knaves,
That do no conscience make
To swear and forswear themselves
At every third word they do speak:
So they may get profit and gain,
They care not what lies they do tell;
Such cursed dissemblers as they
Are worse than the devils of hell.
For this I will make it appear,
And prove by experience I can,
’Tis the excellen’st thing in the world
To be a plain-dealing man.
O fie upon greedy bribe takers,
’Tis pity they ever drew breath,
For they, like to base caterpillars,
Devour up the fruits of the earth.
They’re apt to take money with both hands,
On one side and also the other,
And care not what men they undo,
Though it be their own father or brother.
Therefore I will make it appear,
And show very good reasons I can,
’Tis the excellen’st thing in the world
To be a plain-dealing man.
O fie upon cheaters and thieves,
That liveth by fraud and deceit;
The gallows do for such blades groan,
And the hangmen do for their clothes wait.
Though poverty be a disgrace,
And want is a pitiful grief,
’Tis better to go like a beggar
Than to ride in a cart like a thief.
For this I will make it appear,
And prove by experience I can,
’Tis the excellen’st thing in the world
To be a plain-dealing man.
And now let all honest men judge,
If such men as I have here named
For their wicked and impudent dealings,
Deserveth not much to be blamed.
And now here, before I conclude,
One item to the world I will give,
Which may direct some the right way,
And teach them the better to live.
For now I have made it appear,
And many men witness it can,
’Tis the excellen’st thing in the world
To be a plain-dealing man.
1. I’ th’ first place I’d wish you beware
What company you come in,
For those that are wicked themselves
May quickly tempt others to sin.
2. If youths be inducèd with wealth,
And have plenty of silver and gold,
I’d wish them keep something in store,
To comfort them when they are old.
3. I have known many young prodigals,
Which have wasted their money so fast,
That they have been driven in want,
And were forcèd to beg at the last.
4. I’d wish all men bear a good conscience,
And in all their actions be just;
For he’s a false varlet indeed
That will not be true to his trust.
And now to conclude my new song,
And draw to a perfect conclusion,
I have told you what is in my mind,
And what is my [firm] resolution.
For this I have made it appear,
And prove by experience I can,
’Tis the excellen’st thing in the world
