Aim not too high

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|
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K:Gdor
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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.

Alternative sources for this tune:

• trillian.mit.edu/~jc/music/abc/mirror/musicaviva.com/england/aim-not-too-high/aim-not-too-high-1/0000
• trillian.mit.edu/~jc/music/abc/mirror/musicaviva.com/tunes/england/aim-not-too-high/0000

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