Advice To The Dealer, Or Drover Poem by Rees Prichard

If thou'rt a Dealer, honest be each act,
And fairly pay for what to thee is sold;
Be to thy promise and thy word exact :
Credit is better oft than hoards of gold.

Of the necessitous no vantage take,
And be not studious of excessive gain,
With rogues no bargain or agreement make;
Nothing will thrive that comes from such a train.

Buy not too much on tick, for all will sell,
To such a purchaser, extremely dear,
And such a trade will soon that wretch compel
To quit the kingdom, or to disappear.

Take heed that thou dost not thy chapmen cheat,
God will a sentence pass on all deceit :
And tho' thou shou'dst beyond the seas retreat,
Sure vengeance will on thy transgression wait.

They ne'er (the scripture on that head is plain)
Shall roast the prey, who study to deceive:
For fraud to no one yet brought real gain,
It passes off, like water through a sieve.

Of drunkenness beware, whate'er thou dost ;
For drunkenness will make the wealthiest poor,
And when a trader's oft in liquor lost,
In wine and ale he soon will spend his store.

Take care of thy dear soul, to justice cleave,
And do the poor no wrong, for conscience' sake:
For if a bankrupt thou the land shou'st leave,
Vengeance divine thy footsteps will o'ertake.