be merry Drinke Ale and now and then a cup of Sherry Loves Company and Vnderstanding talke And on both sides held up will sometimes walk And though old Age his face with wrinckles fill He hath been handsome and is comely still Well fac'd and though his Beard not oft corrected Yet neare it growes not like a Beard neglected From head to heele his body hath all over A Quick-set Thick-set nat'rall hairy cover And thus as my dull weake Invention can I have Annatomiz'd this poore Old Man Though Age be incident to most transgressing Yet Time well spent makes Age to be a blessing And if our studies would but daign to look And seriously to ponder Natures Booke We there may read that Man the noblest Creature By ryot and excesse doth murder Nature This man nere fed on deare compounded dishes Of Metamorphos'd beasts fruits fowls and fishes The earth and ayre the boundlesse Ocean Were never rak'd nor sorrag'd for this Man Nor ever did Physician to his coast Send purging Physick through his guts in post In all his lifetime he was never knowne That drinking others healths he lost his owne The Dutch the French the Greek and Spanish Grape Vpon his reason never made a Rape For Ryot is for Troy an Annagram And Ryot wasted Troy with sword and flame And surely that which will a Kingdome spill Hath much more power one silly man to kill Whilst sensuality the Pallat pleases The body 's fill'd with surfets and diseases By Ryot more than War men slaughtred be From which confusion this Old Man is free He once was catch'd in the Venerall Sin And being punish'd did experience win That carefull feare his Conscience so did strike He never would againe attempt the like Which to our understandings may expresse Mens dayes are shortned through lasciviousnesse And that a competent contenting Dyet Makes men live long and soundly sleepe in quiet Mistake me not I speake not to debar Good fare of all sorts for all Creatures are Made for mans use and may by Man be us'd Not by voratious Gluttony abus'd For hee that dares to scandall or deprave Good hous-keeping Oh hang up such a Knave Rather commend what is not to be found Then injure that which makes the world renownd Bounty hath got a spice of Lethargie And liberall noble Hospitallity Lyes in consumption almost pin'd to death And Charity benum'd neere out of Breath May Englands few good hous-keepers be blest With endlesse Glory and eternall Rest And may their Goods Lands and their hapy Seed With heav'ns best Blessings multiply and breed 'T is madnesse to build heigh with stone and lime Great houses that may seeme the Clouds to clime With spacious Halls large Galleries brave roomes Fit to receive a King Peeres Squires and Groomes Amongst which rooms the devill hath put a Witch in And made a small Tobacco-box the Kitchin For Covetousnesse the Mint of Mischiefe is And Christian Bounty the High-way to Blisse To weare a Farm in shoo-strings edg'd with gold And spangled Garters worth a Coppy hold A hose and dublet which a Lordship cost A gawdy cloake three Manours price almost A Beaver Band and Feather for the head Priz'd at the Churches tythe the poor mans bread For which the Wearers are fear'd and abhorr'd Like Ieroboams golden Calves ador'd This double treble a god man I woe Knowes and remembers when these things were Good wholsome labour was his exercise Down w th the Lamb with the Lark would rise In myre and toyling sweat hee spent the day And to his Teame he whistled Time away The Cock his night Clock and till day was done His Watch and chiefe Sun-Diall was the Sun Hee was of old Pithagoras opinion That green cheese was most wholsom with an onion Course Mesclin Bread and for his daily swigg Milke Butter-milk and Water Whay and Whigg Sometimes Metheglin and by fortune happie He sometimes sip'd a Cup of Ale most nappie Syder or Perry when her did repaire T' a Whitson Ale Wake Wedding or a Faire Or when in Christmas time he was a Guest At his good Land-lords house amongst the rest Else hee had little leasure Time to waste Or at the Ale house huffe-cap Ale to taste Nor did hee ever hunt a Taverne Fox Ne're knew a Coach Tobacco or the Pox His Phisicke was good Butter which the soyle Of Salop yeelds more sweet than Candy oyle And Garlick hee esteem'd above the rate Of Venice-Triacle or best Mithridate Hee entertain'd no Gowt no Ache he felt The ayre was good and temp'rat where he dwelt Whilst Mavisses and sweet tongu'd Nightingales Did chant him Roundelayes and Madigals Thus living within bounds of Natures Lawes Of his long lasting life may be some cause For though th' almighty all mans daies do measure And doth dispose of life and death at pleasure Yet Nature being wrong'd mans dayes and date May be abridg'd and God may tollerate But had the Father of this Thomas Parr His Grand-father and his Great grand-father Had their lives threds so long a length been spun They by succession might from Sire to Son Have been unwritten Chronicles and by Tradition shew Times mutabillity Then Parr might say he heard his Father well Say that his Grand-fire heard his Father tell The death of famous Edward the Confessor Harrold and William Conq'rour his successor How his Son Robert wan Ierusalem Ore-came the Sarazens and Conquer'd them How Rufus raign'd and 's Brother Henry next And how usurping Stev'n this Kingdome vext How Mawd the Empress the first Henries daughter To gaine her Right fill'd England full of slaughter Of second Henry's Rosamond the faire Of Richard Cuer-de-lyon his brave heire King Iohn and of the foule suspition Of Arthurs death Iohns elder Brothers Son Of the third Henries long raigne sixty yeares The Barons wars the losse of wrangling Peeres How Long-shanks did the Scots French convince Tam'd Wales and made his haples son their Prince How second Edward was Carnarvon call'd Beaten by Scots and by his Queen inthrall'd How the third Edward fifty yeares did raigne And t' honor'd Garters Order did ordaine Next how the second Richard liv'd and dy'd And how fourth Henries faction did divide The Realme with civill most uncivill war Twixt long contending Yorke and Lancaster How fift Henry swayd and how his son Sixt Henry a sad Pilgrimage did run Then of fourth Edward and faire Mistrisse Shore King Edwards Concubine Lord Hastings Then how fift Edward murthered with a trick Of the third Richard and then how that Dick Was by seventh Henries slaine at Bosworth field How he and 's son th' eighth Henry here did wield The Scepter how sixt Edward swayd How Mary rul'd and how that royall Mayd Elizabeth did Governe best of Dames And Phenix-like expir'd and how just Iames Another Phenix from her Ashes claimes The right of Britaines Scepter as his owne But changing for a better left the Crowne Where now 't is with King Charles and may it be
first had life When Yorke and Lancasters Domestique strife In her owne bloud had factious England drench'd Vntill sweet Peace those civil flames had quench'd When as fourth Edwards Raigne to end drew nigh Iohn Parr a man that liv'd by Husbandry Begot this Thomas Parr and borne was Hee The yeare of fourteen hundred eighty three And as his Fathers Living and his Trade Was Plough and Cart Sithe Sickle Bill and Spade The Harrow Mattock Flayle Rake Fork Goad And Whip and how to Load and to Vnload Old Tom hath shew'd himselfe the Son of Iohn And from his Fathers function hath not gone A Digression YEt I have read of as meane Pedigrees That have attain'd to Noble dignities Agathocles a Potters Son and yet The Kingdome of Sicilia hee did get Great Tamberlaine a Scythian Shepherd was Yet in his time all Princes did surpasse First Ptolomey the King of AEgypts Land A poore mans Son of Alexanders Band. Dioclesian Emperour was a Scriveners Son And Proba from a Gard'ner th' Empire won Pertinax was a Bondmans Son and wan The Empire So did Valentinian Who was the off-spring of a Rope-maker And Maximinus of a Mule-driver And if I on the truth doe rightly glance Hugh Capet was a Butcher King of France By this I have digrest I have exprest Promotion comes not from the East or West To the Matter SO much for that now to my Theame againe This Thomas Parr hath liv'd th' expired Raigne Of ten great Kings and Queenes th' eleventh now sways The Scepter blest by th' ancient of all days Hee hath surviv'd the Edwards fourth and fift And the third Richard who made many a shift To place the Crowne on his Ambitious head The seventh eighth brave Henries both are dead Sixt Edward Mary Phillip Elsabeth And blest remembred Iames all these by death Have changed life and almost ' leven yeares since The happy raigne of Charles our gracious Prince Tom Parr hath liv'd as by Record appeares Nine Monthes one hundred fifty and two yeares Amongst the Learn'd 't is held in generall That every seventh yeare 's Climactericall And dang'rous to mans life and that they be Most perillous at th' Age of sixty three Which is nine Climactericals but this Man Of whom I write since first his life began Hath liv'd of Climactericals such plenty That he hath almost out-liv'd two and twenty For by Records and true Certificate From Shropshiere late Relations doth relate That Hee liv'd 17 yeares with Iohn his Father And 18 with a Master which I gather To be full thirty five his Sires decease Left him foure yeares Possession of a Lease Which past Lewis Porter Gentleman did then For twenty one yeares grant his Lease agen That Lease expir'd the Son of Lew's call'd Iohn Let him the like Lease and that time being gone Then Hugh the Son of Iohn last nam'd before For one and twenty yeares sold one Lease more And lastly he hath held from Iohn Hugh's Son A Lease for 's life these fifty yeares out-run And till old Thomas Parr to Earth againe Returne the last Lease must his owne remaine Thus having shew'd th'extension of his Age I 'le shew some Actions of his Pilgrimage His Marriage A Tedious time a Batchelour hee tarried Full eightie yeares of age before he married His Continence to question I le nor call Mans frailtie's weake and oft doth slip and fall No doubt but hee in fourscore yeares might find In Salop's Countie females faire and kind But what have I to doe with that let passe At th' age aforesaid hee first married was To Iane Iohn Taylors Daughter and 't is said That she before he had her was a Mayd With her he liv'd yeares three times ten and two And then she dy'd as all good wives will doe She dead he ten yeares did a Widdower stay Then once more ventred in the Wedlock way And in affection to his first wife Iane Hee tooke another of that name againe With whom he now doth live she was a widow To one nam'd Anthony and surnam'd Adda She was as by report it doth appeare Of Gillsels Parish in Mountgom'ry-Shiere The Daughter of Iohn Lloyde corruptly Flood Of ancient house and gentle Cambrian Blood Digression BVt hold I had forgot in 's first wives Time Hee frayly fouly fell into a Crime Which richer poorer older men and younger More base more noble weaker men and stronger Have falne into The Cytherean or the Paphaean game That thundring Iupiter did oft inflame Most cruell cut-throat Mars layd by his Armes And was a slave to Loves Inchanting charmes And many a Pagan god and semi-god The common road of lustfull love hath trod For from the Emp'rour to the russet Clowne All states each sex from Cottage to the Crowne Have in all Ages ' since the first Creation Bin folyd overthrown with Loves temptation So was old Thomas for he chanc'd to spy A Beauty and Love entred at his eye Whose pow'rfull motion drew on sweet consent Consent drew Action Action drew Content But when the period of those joyes were past Those sweet delights were sourely sauc'd at last The flesh retaines what in the Bone is bred And one Colts tooth was then in old Toms head It may be he was guld as some have bin And suffred punishment for others sinne For pleasures like a Trap a grin or snare Or like a painted harlot seemes most faire But when she goes away and takes her leave No ugly Beast so foule a shape can have Faire Katherin Milton was this Beauty bright Faire like an Angell but in weight too light Whose fervent feature did inflame so far The Ardent fervour of old Thomas Parr That for Lawes satisfaction 't was thought meet He should be purg'd by standing in a Sheet Which aged He one hundred and five yeare In Alberbury's Parish Church did weare Should All that so offend such Pennance doe Oh what a price would Linnen rise unto All would be turn'd to sheets our shirts smocks Our Table linnen very Porters Frocks Would hardly scape trans-forming but all 's one He suffred and his Punishment is done Another Passage more of his Life BVt to proceed more serious in Relation He is a Wonder worthy Admiration Hee 's in these times fill'd with Iniquity No Antiquary but Antiquity For his Longeuity's of such extent That hee 's a living mortall Monument And as high Towres that seeme the sky to shoulder By eating Time consume away and molder Vntill at last in piece meale they doe fall Till they are buried in their Ruines All So this Old Man his limbs their strength have left His teeth all gone but one his sight bereft His sinewes shrunk his blood most chill and cold Small solace Imperfections manifold Yet still his sp'rits possesse his mortall Trunk Nor are his senses in his ruines shrunk But that his Hearing 's quicke his stomacke good Hee 'l feed well sleep well well disgest his food Hee will speake heartily laugh and
The Olde Old very Olde Man or Thomas Par the Sonne of Iohn Parr of Winnington in the Parish of Alberbury In the County of Shropshire who was Borne in 1483 in The Raigne of King Edward the 4th and is now liuing in The strand being aged 152 yeares and odd Monethes 1635 Hee dyed Nouember the 15th And is now buryed in Westminster 1635. The Olde Old Very Olde Man OR The Age and long Life of Thomas Par The Sonne of Iohn Parr of Winnington in the Parish of Alberbury in the Country of Salopp or Shropshire who was Borne in the Raigne of King Edward the 4th and is now living in the Strand being aged 152. yeares and odd Monethes His Manner of Life and Conversation is so long a Pilgrimage his Marriages and his bringing up to London about the end of September last 1635. Written by IOHN TAYLOR LONDON Printed for Henry Gosson 1635. TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTIE PRINCE CHARLES By the Grace of God King of great Britaine France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. OF Subjects my dread Liege 't is manifest You have the old'st the greatest the least That for an Old a Great and Little man No kingdom sure compare with Britain can One for his extraordinary stature Guards well your gates by instinct of Nature As hee is strong is Loyall True and Iust Fit and most able for his Charge and Trust. The other 's small and well composed feature Deserves the Title of a Pretty Creature And doth or may retaine as good a mind As Greater men and be as well inclin'd Hee may be great in spir't though small in sight Whilst all his best of service is Delight The Old'st your Subject is but for my use I make him here the Subject of my Muse And as his Aged Person gain'd the grace That where his Soveraign was to be in place And kisse your Royall Hand I humbly crave His Lives Discription may Acceptance have And as your Majesty hath oft before Look'd on my Poems Pray reade this one more Your Majesties most Humble Subject and Servant IOHN TAYLOR THE OCCASION OF this Old Man's being brought out of Shropshiere to London AS it is impossible for the Sun to be without light or fire to have no heate so is it undeniable that true Honour is as inseparably addicted to Vertue as the Steele to the Load-stone and without great violence neither the one or the other can be sundred Which manifestly appeares in the conveying out of the Countrey of this poore ancient Man Monument I may say and almost Miracle of Nature For the Right Honorable Thomas Earle of Arundell and Surrey Earle Marshall of England c. being lately in Shropshiere to visit some Lands and Maners which his Lordship holds in that County or for some other occasions of Importance which caused his Lordship to be there The Report of this Aged Man was certified to his Honour who hearing of so remarkable a Piece of Antiquity his Lordship was pleased to see him and in his Innated Noble and Christian Piety hee tooke him into his charitable tuition and protection Commanding that a Litter and two Horses for the more easie carriage of a man so enfeebled and worne with Age to be provided for him Also that a Daughter-in-Law of his named Lucye should likewise attend him and have a Horse for her owne riding with him And to cheere up the Old Man and make him merry there was an Antique-fac'd-fellow called Iacke or Iohn the Foole with a high and mighty no Beard that had also a Horse for his cariage These all were to be brought out of the Countrey to London by easie Iourneyes the Charges being allowed by his Lordship and likewise one of his Honours owne Servants named Brian Kelley to ride on horseback with them and to attend and defray all manner of Reckonings and Expences all which was done accordingly as followeth Winnington is a Hamlet in the Parish of Alberbury neere a place called the Welsh Poole eight miles from Shrewsbury from whence hee was carried to Wim a Towne of the Earles aforesaid and the next day to Shefnall a Mannour House of his Lordships where they likewise staied one night from Shefnall they came to Woolverhampton and the next day to Brimicham from thence to Coventry and although Master Kelley had much to do to keepe the people off that pressed upon him in all places where hee came yet at Coventry hee was most opprest for they came in such multitudes to see the Olde Man that those that defended him were almost quite tyred and spent and the aged man in danger to have bin stifeled and in a word the rabble were so unruly that Bryan was in doubt hee should bring his Charge no further so greedy are the Vulgar to hearken to or gaze after novelties The trouble being over the next day they past to Daventry to stony Stratford to Redburn and so to London where he is well entertain'd and accomodated with all things having all the aforesaid Attendants at the sole Charge and Cost of his Lordship One Remarkable Passage of the Old mans Pollicie must not bee omitted or forgotten which is thus His three Leases of 63. yeares being expired hee tooke his last Lease of his Landlord one Master Iohn Porter for his Life with which Lease hee hath lived more then 50. yeares as is further hereafter declared but this Old Man would for his wives sake renew his Lease for yeares which his Landlord would not consent unto wherefore old Parr having beene long blind sitting in his chaire by the fire his wife look'd out of the window and perceiv'd Master Edward Porter the Son of his Landlord to come towards their house which she told her husband saying Husband our young Land-lord is comming hither Is he so said old Parr I prethee wife lay a Pin on the ground neere my foot or at my right toe which she did and when yong Master Porter yet forty yeares old was come into the house after salutations between them the Old Man said Wife is not that a Pin which lyes at my foot Truly husband quoth she it is a Pin indeed so she tooke up the Pin and Master Porter was halfe in a maze that the Old Man had recovered his sight againe but it was quickly found to be a witty conceit therby to have them to suppose him to be more lively than hee was because hee hop'd to have his Lease renew'd for his wives sake as aforesaid Hee hath had two Children by his first wife a Son and a Daughter the Boyes name was Iohn and lived but ten weekes the Girle was named Ioan and shee lived but three weekes So that it appeares hee hath out-lived the most part of the people that are living neere there three times over The very Old Man OR The Life of Thomas Parr AN Old man's twice a child the proverb saies And many old men nere saw halfe his daies Of whom I write for he at