The Distressed Seamstress

SONG: THE DISTRESSED SEAMSTRESS
(Sung to the air "Jenny Jones")
You gentles of England, I pray give attention,
Unto those few lines, I'm going to relate,
Concerning the seamstress,I'm going to mention,
Who long time has been, in a sad wretched state,
Laboriously toiling, both night, noon, and morning,
For a wretched subsistence, now mark what I say.
She's quite unprotected, forlorn, and dejected
For sixpence, or eightpence, or tenpence a day.
Come forward you nobles, and grant them assistance,
Give them employ, and a fair price them pay,
And then you will find, the poor hard working seamstress,
From honour and virtue will not go astray.
To shew them compassion pray quickly be stirring,
In delay, there is danger, there's no time to spare,...
The pride of the world is o'er whelmed with care,
Old England's considered, for honour and virtue,
And beauty the glory and pride of the world,
Nor be not hesitating, but boldly step forward,
Suppression and tyranny, far away hurl.

[Source: Roy Palmer, A Ballad History of England:
From 1588 to the Present Day, B.T. Batsford Ltd, London, 1979
http://www.womeninworldhistory.com/seamstress.html Accessed 22/2/2011