Give Me Then an Ant to Eate

 The Beggar to Mab, the Fairie Queen
by Robert Herrick

 Please your Grace, from out your Store,
 Give an Almes to one that's poore,
 That you mickle, may have more.
 Black I'm grown for want of meat;
 Give me then an Ant to eate;
 Or the cleft eare of a Mouse
 Over-sowr'd in drinke of Souce:
 Or, Sweet Lady, reach to me
 The Abdomen of a Bee;
 Or commend a Crickets-hip,
 Or his Huckson, to my Scrip.
 Give for bread, a little bit
 Of a Pease, that 'gins to chit,
 And my full thanks take for it.
 Floure of Fuz-balls, that's too good
 For a man in needy-hood:
 But the Meal of Mill-dust can
 Well content a craving man.
 Any Orts the Elves refuse
 Well will serve the Beggars use.
 But if this may seem too much
 For an Almes; then give me such
 Little bits, that nestle there
 In the Pris'ners Panier.
 So a blessing light upon
 You, and mighty Oberon:
 That your plenty last till when,
 I return your Almes agen.

'Souce' is actually salt-pickle or the liquid for making salt-pickle, 'orts' are food-scraps, and the prisoners' panier was a basket that prisoners (who were often not fed well) were allowed to hang out their window in order to collect alms.