The Lamenting Lady,
Who for the wrongs done to her by a poore woman, for having two children at one burthen, was by the hand of God
most strangely punished, by sending her as many children at one birth, as there are daies in the yeare, in re-
membrance whereof, there is now a monument builded in the Citty of Lowdon, as many En-
glish men now living in Lowdon, can truely testifie the same and hath seene it.
To the tune of the Ladies fall.
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REgard my griefe kinde Ladies all,
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my heart now bleeding dyes,
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And shewers of silver pearled teares
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falls from my weeping eyes:
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I once was lovely, faire, and young,
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by nature sweet and kinde,
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And had those joyes that might content
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a gallant Ladies minde.
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But barren grew my wished hopes,
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no children I could have,
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Which twixt my wedded Lord and me
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much cause of sorrowes gave:
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My tender body pure and faire,
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and of a princely frame
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Could not abstaine these sugred joyes
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that came by Cupids game.
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Yet beggers borne of low degree
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such blessings did possesse,
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Which when I saw my heart grew full
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of woes and heavinesse:
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O why should people poore (quoth I)
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those happy joyes obtaine
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When I that am a Lady brave
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should barren thus remaine?
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I feed on sweet delicious meates,
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and drinke of purest wine,
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Yet are there homely bodies still
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as faire and cleere as mine,
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and have more sweet fac'd smiling babes
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then Ladies of degree,
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And of as tender flesh and bloud
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as can be shewed by me.
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In griefe of heart complaining thus,
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by chance a woman poore
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With two sweet children in her armes
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came begging to my doore:
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Poore pretty babes they smiled sweete,
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whereat I needs must know
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If those two smiling children were
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the womans owne or no?
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They are (sweet Madam) both (said she)
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and both borne at one birth,
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The which are now my chiefest wealth
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and blessings on the earth:
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Can Beggers have what Ladies want
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in anger I repli'd,
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And can thy wombe be fruitfull made
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when mine is still deni'd?
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I goe attyr'd in garments rich
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bedeck'd with burnish'd gold,
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And waited on with worldly pompe,
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and pleasures manifold,
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Whilst thou in rags all rent and torne,
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for thy reliefe dost crave,
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And with two children blest at once,
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when I not one can have.
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Thou art some Strumpt sure I know,
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and spend'st thy dayes in shame,
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And stained sure thy marriage bed
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with spots of black defame:
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Else unto these two lovely babes
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thou canst no mother be,
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When I that live in greatest grace
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no such content can see.
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A hundreth such like taunting tearmes
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I gave this woman poore
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Whilst she for pitty and reliefe
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stood begging at the doore:
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Reviling her most spightfully
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with harlots hatefull name,
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Dissembling with a shamelesse face
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to cover up her shame.
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Her heart hereat with inward griefes
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did feele such mortall paine,
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And as it were before my face
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did seeme to breake in twaine:
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Her pretty babes which at her breasts
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did sweetly sucking lye
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To see their mothers bitter moane
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did sadly sob and crye.
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Whereat, halfe kild with woe alas,
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I with my wrongs (quoth she)
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That these my babes may be reveng'd
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proud Lady upon thee:
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And as I am both true and just
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unto my marriage bed
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so let Gods wondrous worke be show
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on thee when I am dead.
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And for these children two of mine
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heaven send thee such a number
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At once, as dayes be in the yeare,
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to make the world to wonder.
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For I as true a wife have beene,
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unto my husbands love:
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As any Lady on the earth,
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unto her Lord can prove.
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Hereat relenting I began,
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to mourne for this misdeed:
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And houre by houre in griefe thereof,
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my sorrowing hart doth bleed
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At last a heavie hand of heaven,
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revengd this womans woes:
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And on my bodies pampered pride,
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a fearefull Judgement shoes.
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My cheekes that were so lovely red,
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of natures choycest dye:
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Grew blacke and ugly to behould,
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to every weeping eye.
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And in my wombe distempered griefes,
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so vext me day and night:
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I sweld so bid that I appeard,
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a strange and monstrous wight.
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Remembring then the womans words
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she grieving did impart,
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A thousand strange misdoubting feares
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incompast round my heart.
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And then me thought I sawe her come,
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in person unto me,
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With her two children in her armes,
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my sodaine shame to see.
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The second part.
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AT which affright my bigg sweld wombe
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delivered forth in feare
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As many children at one time
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as daies were in the yeare:
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In bignesse all like new bred mice,
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yet each one shap'd aright,
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And every male from female knowne,
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by Gods great power and might.
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My husband hereat grieved much,
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with inward cares and woe,
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And knew not in what place he should
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these pretty ympes bestowe:
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The strange report of this rare birth
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made people much admire,
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And of the truth thereof to know
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the neighbours did desire.
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Which caus'd my sorrowes still increase
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being made my Countryes scorne,
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I wish'd I had in child-bed dyed
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before they had beene borne:
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Then had this shame unto my friends
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beene never seene nor knowne,
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Nor I in Countries farre and neere
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a wonder thus be showne.
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But marke faire women of the world
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how Heaven did pitty me,
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When I made sorrowe for my sinnes,
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and in extremity:
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God tooke from hence my cause of shame
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my children, weake and small:
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The which poore creatures in one grave
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were strangely buried all.
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And on the grave where now they lye
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a monument still stands
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To shew this wondrous hap of mine
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unto all Christian lands,
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That such as be of high degree
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may beare a meeker minde,
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Least they despising of the poore
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the like misfortune finde.
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The Lord we see his blessings sends
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to many women poore
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As well as to the noble sort,
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that have aboundant store:
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Therefore let none desire to have
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the joyes of worldly things
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Except it be his sacred will
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that is the King of Kings.
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