Fortune My Foe

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Listen to Fortune My Foe

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Printed in 1667; by "L.W.", probably Lawrence White. Full title: A true Relation of the Great Floods, that happened in many parts of England in December and January last, to the undoing of Many: the drownding of cattell and driving down of bridges and houses, the drownding of people, and washing up corn by the roots, which was the means of Rising the prices of corn in and about the City of London; with a warning for all people to amend their lives lest a worse thing befalls us.

Source

Roxburghe Ballads v.VII p.689

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X:2503
T:Aim not too high
T:Fortune My Foe
C:anon.
O:England
S:Roxburghe Ballads v.VII p.689
N:Printed in 1667; by "L.W.", probably Lawrence White.
N:
N:Full title:
N:A true Relation of the Great Floods, that happened in many parts of
N:England in December and January last, to the undoing of Many: the
N:drownding of cattell and driving down of bridges and houses, the
N:drownding of people, and washing up corn by the roots, which was the
N:means of Rising the prices of corn in and about the City of London;
N:with a warning for all people to amend their lives lest a worse
N:thing befalls us.
Z:Transcribed by Jack Campin
F:http://abc.musicaviva.com/tunes/england/aim-not-too-high.abc
%Posted at abcusers Oct 16th 2000 by Jack Campin to comfort() a
%fellow list contributor who had suffered badly from the flooding of
%Southern England that autmun.
M:C|
L:1/4
K:Gdor
G2 GA|B2 A2   |GdcB|A4:|\
d2 dd|d2 d2   |dfed|c4 |\
c2 fe|d3  c/B/|AGBA|G4|]
W:
W:Oh England, England! 'tis high time to repent,
W:Thy drunkenness and whordom now lament,
W:The Lord his judgments dayly on us pore,
W:Yet dayly into sin we run the more.
W:
W:Thy swearing and prophaning the Lord's name,
W:At last it will come Home unto thy shame,
W:The Lord is Angry now we plainly see,
W:Which is the cause of all our misery.
W:
W:On Sabbath days it is usual now to see
W:Taverns and Ale-houses filled to be,
W:When as the Churches empty are we know;
W:Man still delights to work his overthrow.
W:
W:Thou that dost waste thy means upon thy pride,
W:On paint and patches with false hair beside,
W:And can't afford a penny for the Poor,
W:The Lord has judgments still for thee in store.
W:
W:Thousands of sheep within the Fenns were lost,
W:Great Waters over banks a-loft were tost;
W:Hay-Cocks the waters likewise did suck in:
W:Both beast and fowl do suffer for man's sin.
W:
W:Thou covetous man, which makes thy gold thy God,
W:'Tis time for you to dread God's heavey rod;
W:Forbare to gripe the widdow and fatherless!
W:Have mercy to the poor in their distress.
W:
W:For God, his judgments still on us do pore,
W:If we repent his mercy lyes in store;
W:The heavens has wept sufficient for man's sin:
W:Now to repent 'tis high time to begin.
W:
W:Those Floods which here has bin in England round,
W:Great losses many hundreds ha's found;
W:No cattel in the Marches then could stay,
W:But straight the waters made of them a prey.
W:
W:Great mills that work for to keep man alive,
W:Those waters did against them so much strive,
W:They were washt down with corn and all together:
W:It were for man's sin that God did send such weather.
W:
W:Great bridges, that were built with stone and wood,
W:Were broken down by this same raging flood;
W:Houses were overthrown, the more's the pitty,
W:Unto the loss of many town and city.
W:
W:Corn by the Roots were washed out of ground,
W:As by Experience poor people has found:
W:which rais'd the prices of bread corn I tell ye,
W:The poor does suffer many hungry belly.
W:
W:O Lord, look down in mercy on us all,
W:And give us grace upon thy name to call;
W:Fullness of bread to wantonness we turn,
W:And yet for sin we do not seem to mourn.
W:
W:In many places people they were drown'd,
W:Infants in cradles on the shore was found;
W:Those Inundations have thousands annoyed,
W:Both men and beast by it has been destroy'd.
W:
W:But now 'tis forgot as I may say,
W:We take delight to sin both night and day,
W:For all such heavey Judgments God does send
W:Our lives we do not strive for to amend.
W:
W:'Tis not long so, as we may understand,
W:Since God did lay on us his heavy hand,
W:Of Pestilence, which made us all to weep,
W:To see some people drop down dead in street.
W:
W:The fire also raged very sore;
W:It turned many thousands out of dore;
W:Women of child-bed in the feilds did lye,
W:Me thinks I hear still many dolfull cry.
W:
W:Cruell and bloody wars has been also,
W:Thousands has lost their lives against their foe,
W:And now a gain these waters mounting high,
W:May cause many with hunger for to dye.
W:
W:Jerusalem, we read, did suffer much,
W:Because to serve the Lord many did grutch;
W:A famine came and made all things so dear,
W:That Rats and Mice was held as dainty fare.
W:
W:And more than that, they did for want of meat
W:Both roast and boyl their children to eat;
W:Poor little babies they did lye at stake,
W:And suffer torments for their parents' sake.
W:
W:So to conclude let us our lives amend,
W:Then God his blessing speedily will send,
W:To keep this song in mind do not deny,
W:And all ways think that one day thou must dye.
W:
W:
W:  From Musica Viva - http://www.musicaviva.com
W:  the Internet center for free sheet music downloads.

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