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corn, whoever he is he is no better than a Rogue a thief a traitor to the brown loaf the braſs pot the oven and the ſpit; nay he is a traitor to the whole world, that would take away the life of ſo noble a man as Sir John Barleycorn, for he is a man of an ancient and honorable houſe and is come of noble ſpirited race, thereis neither Lord Knight nor Squire but loves his company, and he theirs, as long as they do not abuſe him; and in the firſt place very few ploughmen can live without him, for if it were not for him we could not pay our landlords their rent, and then what would ſuch men as you do for money and fine cloaths? Nay your gay ladies would care but little for you, if you had not your rents coming in to maintain them, and we could never pay but that Sir John Barleycorn finds us with money, and yet would you ſeek to take away his life; for ſhame, let your malice ceaſe and ſpare his life, for if you do not we are all undone.
