[3]
Which did maintain his family,
as you may underſtand;
The good-wife ſhe a toy did wear,
and corſe-claith on her brow,
And he himſelf a good grey coat,
when my old hat was new.
But now they velvet caps do wear,
and cloaks of ſcarlet red,
And o’er the poor they tyrannize,
that they can get no bread.
They are oppreſt on ev’ry hand,
but know not what to do,
In my young days it was not ſo,
when my old hat was new.
Our great good-wives now miſtreſs get,
and they muſt have their tea;
And, ſome of them wear gowns of ſilk,
as you may plainly ſee.
But in old times it was not ſo,
for this was a’ their due,
A gown ſuch as their mother ſpan,
when my old hat was new.
The good-man ſat at the board-head,
and did the table grace,
The ſervants ſat down as they came,
all ranked in their place;
The good-wife ſerv’d with modeſty,
gave ev’ry one his due,
Humility did then abound,
when my old hat was new.
