[]CHEAP REPOSITORY.
THE BAD BARGAIN; OR, THE WORLD ſet up to SALE.
[figure]
Sold by J. MASRHALL, PRINTER to the CHEAP REPOSITORY for Moral and Re⯑ligious Tracts) No. 17, Queen-Street, Cheapſide, and No. 4, Aldermary Church-Yard. London.
By S. HAZARD, at Bath; J. Elder, at Edinburgh, and by all Bookſellers, Newſmen, and Hawkers, in Town and Country.
Great Allowance will be made to Shopkeepers and Hawkers.
PRICE ONE HALFPENNY. Or 2s. 3d. per 100.—1s. 3d. for 50.—9d. for 25. A cheaper Edition for Hawkers.
[Entered at Stationers' Hall.]
THE BAD BARGAIN, &c.
[]I.
THE Devil, as the Scriptures ſhew,
Tempts ſinful mortals high and low;
And always acting well his part,
He ſuits his Bribes to every Heart:
See there the Prince of Darkneſs ſtands,
With Baits for ſouls in both his hands.
II.
To one he offers Empires whole,
And gives a Sceptre for a Soul;
To one he freely gives in barter
A Peerage, or a Star and Garter;
To one he pays polite attention,
And begs him juſt to take a Penſion.
[4]III.
Some are ſo fir'd with love of Fame,
He bribes them by an empty name;
For Fame they toil, they preach, they write,
Give alms, or ſally forth and fight;
Prefer Man's praiſe to God's Salvation,
And ſell their Souls for Reputation.
IV.
But the great Gift, the mighty Bribe
Which Satan pours amid the Tribe,
Which thouſands ſeize with eager haſle,
And all deſire at leaſt to taſte,
Is—plodding Reader!—what d'ye think?
Alas!—'tis money—money—chink!
V.
Round the wide World the Tempter flies,
Preſents to view the glittering prize;
See how he goes from ſhore to ſhore,
And how the nations all adore;
Souls flock by thouſands to be ſold
Smit with the love of filthy Gold.
[5]VI.
See at yon needy Tradeſman's ſhop,
The univerſal Tempter ſtop;
"Wouldſt thou" he cries "encreaſe thy Treaſures,"
"Uſe lighter weights, and ſcantier meaſures,"
"Thus ſhalt thou thrive;" the Trader's willing,
And ſells his Soul to get a Shilling.
VII.
Next Satan to a Farmer hies,
"I ſcorn to cheat," the Farmer cries;
Yet his whole heart on Wealth was bent,
And ſo the Devil was content;
Now markets riſe and riches roll,
And Satan quite ſecures his ſoul.
VIII.
Mark next yon cheerful youth ſo jolly,
So fond of laughter and of folly;
He hates a ſtingy griping Fellow,
But gets each day a little mellow;
To Satan too he ſells his ſoul
In barter for a flowing bowl.
[6]IX.
But mark again yon Laſs a ſpinning,
See now the Tempter is beginning:
Some Buck preſents a top-knot nice,
She grants her Virtue as the price;
Yields to the Beau ſo ſmart and civil,
Her Soul ſhe renders to the Devil.
X.
Thus Satan tries each different State,
With mighty Bribes he tempts the Great,
The Poor with equal Force he plies,
But wins them with an humbler Prize;
Has gentler Arts for young Beginners,
And fouler Sins for older Sinners.
XI.
Oft too he cheats our mortal eyes,
For Satan father is of lies;
A thouſand ſwindling tricks he plays us,
And promiſes but never pays us;
Thus we poor fools are ſtrangely caught,
And find we've ſold our ſouls for nought.
[7]XII.
Nay oft, with quite a juggler's art,
He bids the proffer'd gift depart;
Sets ſome gay joy before our face,
Then claps a trouble in it's place;
Sends ſome huge loſs inſtead of gain,
And conjures pleaſure into pain.
XIII.
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 END.