%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> Iohn Spenser a Chesshire Gallant, his life/ and repentance, who for killing of one Randall Gam: was lately executed/ at Burford a mile from Nan twich. Dickerson, Thomas University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1603-1626 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 05/08/2008 20047

The University of California makes a claim of copyright only to original contributions made by Early Modern Center participants and other members of the university community. The University of California makes no claim of copyright to the original text. Permission is granted to download, transmit or otherwise reproduce, distribute or display the contributions to this work claimed by The University of California for non-profit educational purposes, provided that this header is included in its entirety. For inquiries about commercial uses, please contact:

Patricia Fumerton Early Modern Center - English Department University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93105 United States of America EMail: pfumer@english.ucsb.edu

1.114-115 S125636 1 In Slumbring Sleepe Rogero In Slumbering Sleep KInd hearted men, a while giue eare/ and plainely Ile vnfold KInd Youngmen all to mee giue eare,/ obserue these lessons well; Cropped right title: Iohn Spenser s Cheshire Gallant, his l[ife] . . . Pepys 1.114-115 STC 23098 [W. White] for J. Trundle [c.1617] Woodblock 1: first 1/2 sheet, over first column: A man (presumably John Spenser) stands between two women. He wears a doublet or jerkin, short full breeches, hose, low shoes, a collar, and a tall hat with a brim. He wears a sword belt, and the hilt of a sword is visible on his right hip. The woman (his mistress?) to his right (the left of the cut) wears a cap, and an aristocratic dress with a tall ruff. She has a full skirt (supported by a french farthingale?). Her shoes are visible beneath the edge of her skirt. The woman to his left (the right of the cut) wears a cap and an aristocratic dress with a slightly less full skirt (supported by a french farthingale?) than the woman to his right. She (his wife?) wears a fuller ruff, and appears to be scowling. He shoes are not visible. : 58 x 80 Woodblock 2: second 1/2 sheet, over third column: The gallows are seen in profile. Sitting atop the gallows is a figure, presumably the executioner, who wears a cap or helmet and is dressed simply. He sits astride the wood column and on top of a ladder that leans against the gallows. He is grabbing the rope from which hangs the body of an executed man, and it appears that he is untying the body. The body of the man who has been executed hangs from the rope around his neck. He wears a simple jerkin and slops. : 79 x 45 Woodblock 3: second 1/2 sheet, over fourth column: A woman (presumably his wife?) tends her garden. She wears a cap, a ruff, and a dress with puffed sleeves. She reaches out with her left hand towards a flower. Several flowering plants surround her.: 61 x 46 Pepys Library The Pepys ballads : facsimile volume Editor W.G. Day D.S. Brewer Cambridge [England] 1987 Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 114 Iohn Spenser a Chesshire Gallant, his life/ and repentance, who for killing of one Randall Gam: was lately executed/ at Burford a mile from Nan twich. John Spenser a Chesshire Gallant, his life and repentance, who for killing of one Randall Gam: was lately executed at Burford a mile from Nantwich. John Spenser a Cheshire Gallant, His Life and Repentance, Who for Killing of One Randall Gam: Was Lately Executed at Burford a Mile from Nantwich. Iohn Spenser his Repentance in/ Prison, Written with his owne hands as he lay in/ Chester Castle. John Spenser his Repentance in Prison, Written with his owne hands as he lay in Chester Castle. John Spenser His Repentance in Prison, Written With His Own Hands as He Lay in Chester Castle. Dickerson, Thomas 1/2 sheet folio, originally left part, 279 x 147 1/2 sheet folio, originally right part, 278 x 141 torn top right corner, creased, damaged surface, uneven inking cropped top edge, uneven inking cast fleurons cast fleurons 1603-1626 Imprinted at London for I. Trundle J.Trundle McKerrow Weinstein lists I:114-115 under J. Trundle. Plomer lists a John Trundle active in London 1603-26. BBTI confirms that the only Trundle with an initial J. was John Trundle, 1595-1600, 1597-1626.

This document follows the guidelines specified for TEI.

XML Generated Automatically at 5/8/2008 3:12:41 PM Using EMC

XBallad Parsing Engine developed by Carl Stahmer.

TEI Template developed by Gerald Egan and Modified by Carl Stahmer

All apostrophes are encoded as '.

Any dashs occurring in line breaks have been removed;

All dashs are encoded as ‐ and all em dashes as —.

 Taxonomy used by Pepys to Organize Ballads in Albums A Small Promiscuous Supplement Devotion & Morality Drinking & Good Fellowship History - True & Fabulous Humour, Frollicks &c Love Pleasant Love Pleasant and Unfortunate Love Unfortunate Marriage Sea State & Times Tragedy Various Subjects Early Modern Center Ballad Project Keyword Taxonomy advice affliction/health alcohol animals/nature appearance Bible/biblical figures buildings/architecture catastrophe children class clothing/fashion country/nation crime death economics/trade entertainment family/procreation folklore gender historical figures & events holidays/seasons infidelity law London love maritime marriage military/war monstrosity mythology/Classical world news nobility/court politics/government punishment religious concepts religious figures religious types & sects royalty rural life servitude sex/sexuality supernatural/magic The New World travel trickery/deceit urban life vice violence virtue vulgarities/crass humor Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 5/8/2008 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America Tragedy alcohol crime gender infidelity marriage violence Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 05/08/2008 Checker Patrick Ludolph checked transcription, metadata added, xml created 02/23/2008 Checker Kris McAbee checked transcription 03/18/2005 Transcriber Alan Arch original transcription 07/14/2004 Bibliographer Liberty Stanavage Bibliographic SQL Database Record Created
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">John Spenser a Chesshire Gallant, his life</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">and repentance, who for killing of one Randall Gam: was lately executed</hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">at <hi rend="bold">Burford</hi> a mile from <hi rend="bold">Nantwich.</hi> To the tune of in Slumbring Sleepe.</hi></seg>
Kind hearted men, a while give eare and [plainely] Ile unfold The sadd[est tale that] ever yet, by mortal man was told. One Spenser brave, of Cheshire chiefe, for men of brave rega[rd]e: Yet hee unto his Countries griefe, did good with ill reward. At Acton, neere Nantwich was borne this man, so famde of all; Whose skill at each brave exercise, was not accounted small: For beating of the war-like Drumme, no man could him surpasse: For dauncing, leaping, and such like, in Cheshire never was. For shooting none durst him oppose, hee would ayme so faire and right; Yet long he shot in crooked Bowes, and could not hit the white: For striving still more things to learne, the more he grew beloved; No Shomaker but Spenser brave, by women was so prooved. Those qualities did draw his minde, from reason quite and cleane, And vildly hee'd forsake his wife, for the love of every Queane: By Women he maintayned was in parill fine and brave, John Spenser could no good thing want, for he could but aske, and have. In Silkes and Sattins would he goe, none might with him compare; No fashion might devised be, but his should be as faire; When as (God knowes) his wife at home should pine with hungry griefe, And none [wo]uld pitty her hard case, or lend her some reliefe. Whilst hee abroad did flaunt it out amongst his lustfull Queanes,
Poore soule of force she sits at home, without either helpe or meanes. Thus long he lived basely vild, [containd] of all thats good, Till at the last of hard mischance, he did shead Giltlesse Blood. One Randall Gam being drunke, with Spenser out did fall: And he being apt to Quarilling, would not be rul'd at all. But about the Pledging of a Glasse, to which he would not yeeld, He vowed he either would be pledg'd or answered fayre in field. This answer Randall Gam did deny, which Spencer plainly found, And being rag'd he strucke on blow, feld Randal gam to the ground. Seven weekes upon this he lay, ere life from him did part: And at the last to earth and clay, his Body did convert. Then Spenser was in prison cast his friends full farre did ly, For frindship in them proved cold, and none would come him nie. That man being kild, beloved was well of all men farre and neare, And some did follow Law so farre, did cost poore Spenser deare. For though he kild him by mischance, yet Law him so disdaines. That for his unrespected blow, he there was hangd in Chaines. He that was kild, had many friends, the other few or none, Therefore the Law, on that side went, and the other was orethrone. He being dead, two Milke white Doves, did hover over his head, And would not leave that hartlesse place, after he three howers was dead. Two milke white Butterflies did light, upon his Breches there: And stood Confronting peoples sight, to their amase and feare. Though he was vildly bent in life, and hangd the Law to quit: Yet he was stolne away by his wife, and Buryed in the night. His true repentance is exprest, within the second part: With all his Gilt he hath confest, when troubled was his heart.
FINIS. by Thomas Dickerson.