5
Thy harlot in prosperity,
She will embrace thee for thy gold;
But if in want and misery
You’ll nought but frowns from her behold.
And ready to betray thy life,
When wretched, naked, poor, and low,
But thy true hearted faithful wife
Will stand by thee in well or woe,
If thou will prove the truth of this,
Strip off thy gaudy rich array,
And so return to thy lewd miss,
Declare that thou wast cast away.
Thy riches buried in the main,
Besides as you passed through a wood,
One of your servants you had slain
For which your life in danger stood;
Beseech her for to shelter thee,
Declare to her you so depend,
And then, alas, full soon you’ll see
How far she’ll prove a faithful friend.
Then if she frowns go to thy wife,
Tell her this melancholy thing;
Who labours most to save thy life,
Let her be most in thy esteem.
Further the merchant then reply’d,
You must this single penny take,
And when I have passed the ocean wide,
A proof of this I mean to make.
