. XII.

Be wise then, oh, ye worldly tribe,
Nor sell your conscience for a bribe;
When Satan tempts you to begin,
Resist him, and refuse to sin:
Bad is their bargain on the whole,
Who gain the world and lose a soul.

THE

HONEST MILLER

OF GLOCESTERSHIRE.

A TRUE BALLAD.

F all the callings, and the trades
Which in our land abound,

The miller's is as useful sure

As can on earth be found.

The Lord or 'Squire of high degree
Is needful to the state,

Because he lets the land he owns
In farms both small and great.

The farmer he manures the land,
Or else what corn could grow?
The ploughman cuts the furrow deep,
Ere he begins to sow.

And

And tho' no wealth he has, except
The labour of his hands;
Yet honest industry's as good
As houses or as lands.

The thresher he is useful too
To all who like to eat;

Unless he winnow'd well the corn,
The chaff wou'd spoil the wheat.

But vain the 'Squire's and Farmer's care,
And vain the Thresher's toil;
And vain wou'd be the ploughman's pains
Who harrows up the soil;

In vain without the miller's aid,
The sowing and the dressing;
Then sure an honest miller he
Must be a public blessing.
And such a miller now I make
The subject of my song,
Which tho' it shall be very true,
Shall not be very long.

This miller lives in Glo'stershire,

I shall not tell his name;

For those who seek the praise of God,
Desire no other fame.

In last hard winter-who forgets

The frost of ninety-five?

Then was all dismal scarce and dear,

And no poor man could thrive.
C

Then

Then husbandry long time stood still,
And work was at a stand:

To make the matter worse, the mills`
Were froze throughout the land.
Fast by a living stream it was

Our miller's lot to dwell,

Which flow'd amain when others froze,
Nor never stopp'd the mill.

The clamorous people came from far
This favour'd mill to find;
Both rich and poor our miller sought,
For none but he could grind.

His neighhours cry'd, Now miller seize
The time to heap up store,

Since thou of young and helpless babes
Hast got full half a score.'

For folks, when tempted to
By means not ever nice;

grow rich

Oft make their num'rous babes a plea
To sanctify the vice.

Our miller scorn'd such counsel base,
And when he ground the grain,
With stedfast hand refus'd to touch
Beyond his lawful gain.

• When God afflicts the land,' said he,
Shall I afflict it more?

And watch for times of public woe
To wrong both rich and poor?

• Thankful

Thankful to that Almighty pow'r
Who makes my river flow.
I'll use the means he gives to sooth
A hungry neighbour's woe.

My river flows when others freeze,
But 'tis at his command;

For rich and poor I'll grind alike,
No bribe shall stain my hand.'

So all the country who had corn
Here found their wants redress'd,
May every village in the land
Be with such millers blest!

Z.

THE

ROGUISH MILLER;

OR

NOTHING GOT BY CHEATING.

A TRUE BALLAD.

A

MILLER there was, and he liv'd at his Mill,
Which was built on a stream at the foot of a
hill.

He cheated all day and he drank all the night,
For cheating and drinking was all his delight;
While his moments in tippling unheeded did roll,
This still was his saying-be sure to take toll.

Whoever

Whoever sent corn to be ground at his Mill,
He spoilt it, he chang'd it, he pilfer'd it still;
In villainy thus a long course he did run,
For he fancy'd that cheating was very good fun.
He car'd not what came of his body or soul,
While this was his saying-I'll always take toll.
If you sent a full sack of good corn to his Mill,
A sack of bad flour he sent you back still,
For he fancy'd that when he the wheat had once
ground,

The difference wou'd not be easily found:

Now to change good for bad was as if he had stole,
And he not only chang'd-but always took toll.

The neighbours oft sent him their money to pay,
But he always refus'd it and sent it away;
Had he taken the money he'd have got but his due,
But the
that's lawful for him would not do ;
payment
What was honestly his he despis'd on the whole,
Because he got more from-the taking of toll.

One day when a Farmer had sent a good sack
Of his corn to be ground, and then sent for it
back;

He call'd to his man and demanded straightway,
If for this he had taken the toll on that day.
The man straight declar'd, that tho' nought he had
stole,

Yet that he had taken-the full of the toll.

He then call'd his maid, and he ask'd her good lack,

If toll she had taken from that very sack;
She declar'd that she had, but he fond of pelf,
Said, for fear that you shou'd not, I'll take it my.

self;

So