Come, follow, follow me!
To th' alehouse weele march all three;
Leave aule, last, threed and lether,
And let's goe altogether;
Our trade excells most trades i'th' land,
For we are still on the mending hand.
2. Come, tapster, fill us some ale,
Then hearken to our tale,
And try what can be made
Of our renowed trade;
We have aule at our commande,
And still we are on the mending hand.
3. Though shoomakers us disdaine,
Yet 'tis approved plaine
Our trade cannot be mist,
Let them say what they list;
Though all grow worse quite through the land,
Yet we are still on the mending hand.
4. When shoomakers are decayed,
Then doe they fall to our trade,
And glad their mindes they give,
By mending shooes, to live;
When in necessity they stand,
They strive to be on the mending hand.
5. Although there's but few of us rich,
Yet bravely we goe thorow stich;
Were 't not for this barley broth
Which is meat, drinke, and cloth,
We sure should purchase house and land;
At work, we are still on the mending hand.
6. We deale most uprightly
Our neighbours that goe awry
We easily set upright;
The broken we unite;
When all men out of order stand,
Then we are most on the mending hand.
7. We cannot dissemble for treasure,
But give every one just measure;
If bakers kept size like us,
They need not be frighted thus;
We feare not to have our doings scann'd,
For we are still on the mending hand.
8. What ever we do intend
We bring to a perfect end;
If any offence be past,
We make all well at last;
We sit at worke when others stand,
And still we are on the mending hand.
9. We bristle as well as the best;
All knavery we doe detest;
What we have promised,
Weele doe unto a thred;
We use waxe, but to scale no band,
And still we are on the mending hand.
| 10. Our wives doe sit at the wheele,
They spin, and we do reele;
Although we take no farmes,
Yet we can show our armes,
And spread them at our own command;
Thus still we are on the mending hand.
11. Poore weather-beaten soles,
Whose case the body condoles;
We for a little gaine
Can set on foot againe;
We make the falling stedfast stand,
And still we are on the mending hand.
12. You'd thinke we were past sence,
For we give pieces for pence;
Judge, is't not very strange,
We should make such exchange?
Yet so weele doe at your command,
And yet weele be on the mending hand.
13. Our hands doe show that we,
Live not by taking a fee;
We pull a living forth,
Of things but little worth;
Our worke doth th' owners understand;
Thus still we are on the mending hand.
14. All day we merrily sing,
And customers doe bring,
Or unto us doe send,
Their boots and shooes to mend;
We have our money at first demand;
Thus still we are on the mending hand.
15. When all our money is spent,
We are not discontent,
For we can worke for more,
And then pay off our score;
We drinke without either bill or band,
Because we are still on the mending hand.
16. While other callings great,
For fraud and foule deceit,
Are lookt unto by law,
We need not weigh't a straw;
Our honesty spreads though the land,
For we are still on the mending hand.
17. Therefore let's be of good cheere,
Though lether be something deare;
The law some course will take,
Amends for all to make;
And by their care we understand,
The world is now on the mending hand.
18. We pray for durty weather,
And money to pay for lether,
Which if we have, and health,
A fig for worldly wealth;
Till men upon their heads doe stand,
We shall be still on the mending hand.
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