%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The Norfolk Gentleman his last VVill and Testament./ Who Committed the keeping of his Children to his own Brother, who dealt most wickedly with them, and/ how God plagued him for it. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1686-1688 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 05/01/2008 20246

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

1.518-519 R234214 1 Rogero Rogero Rogero NOw ponder well you parents dear,/ these words which I shall write, Pepys 1.518-519 Wing N1237[B]; Rollins (2) 1962 (Oct. 15, 1595, III, 50, Tho. Millington); Rollins (2) 2134 (Dec. 14, 1624, IV, 131); Rollins (2) 1963 (Mch. 1, 1675, ii, 497). Woodblock 1: below title, above column 1- 3: Two men fight with swords. Behind them, to the left of the cut, two women lie on the ground, apparently dead, being pecked by birds. A male corpse on a gallows, a church, and two burning houses are visible in the background. To the right of the cut, four dead animals, two rabbits, a horse, and an indeterminate animal, lie on the ground, apparently dead. The moustached man to the right of the cut wears a doublet or jerkin, short breeches, boots with spurs, and a dark, wide brimmed hat. The bearded man to the left of the cut wears a knee-length coat, tall boots with spurs, and a dark wide brimmed hat. The two women wear dark, collared dresses, and caps. Several trees and plants are visible in the scene.: 98 x 149 Woodblock 2: below title, above column 4 and 5: In the center of the foreground a deer with tall antlers lies on the ground. His forelegs are crossed in front of him. Behind the deer in the background are visible several peaks of hills or mountains. Above the mountains the lower face of the sun appears in the upper right hand corner. The sun appears to have a mouth. At the edge of the sun rays is a ring of clouds, apparently being pushed back by the sun rays. In the foreground, to the right of the deer lies a small animal, possibly a cat, curled up on the ground. Behind the small animal is a figure with his hands thrown up in the air as if in supplication. Above the man is a cliff or mountain top on which are visible tufts of grass. : 72 x 77 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: 518 The Norfolk Gentleman his last VVill and Testament./ Who Committed the keeping of his Children to his own Brother, who dealt most wickedly with them, and/ how God plagued him for it. The Norfolk Gentleman his last VVill and Testament. Who Committed the keeping of his Children to his own Brother, who dealt most wickedly with them, and how God plagued him for it. The Norfolk Gentleman His Last VVill and Testament. Who Committed the Keeping of His Children to His Own Brother, Who Dealt Most Wickedly With Them, and How God Plagued Him for It. single sheet oblong folio, pasted across 2 pages, 262 x 335 cropped left, right and bottom edges, damaged surface, uneven inking, set-off from opposite page visible 1686-1688 Printed for W. Thackery, and T. Passinger. W. Thackery, T. Passinger Blagden

This document follows the guidelines specified for TEI.

XML Generated Automatically at 5/1/2008 4:26:50 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 5/1/2008 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America A Small Promiscuous Supplement children death punishment trickery/deceit Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 05/01/2008 Checker Patrick Ludolph metadata added, xml created 04/26/2008 Checker Patrick Ludolph checked transcription 0816/2006 Checker Catherine Zusky checked transcription 02/25/2005 Transcriber Dolly Smith original transcription 07/29/2004 Bibliographer Liberty Stanavage Bibliographic SQL Database Record Created
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The Norfolk Gentleman his last Will and Testament.</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Who Committed the keeping of his Children to his own Brother, who dealt most wickedly with them, and</hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">how God plagued him for it. The Tune <hi rend="bold">Rogero</hi>.</hi></seg>
NOw ponder well you parents dear, these words which I shall write, A doleful story you shall hear, in time brought forth to light: A Gentleman of good account, in Norfolk dwelt of late, Whose wealth and riches did surmount, most men of his estate. Sore sick he was and like to dye, no help that he could have, His Wife by him as sick did lye, and both possess'd one grave: No love between these two was lost, each was to other kind, In love they liv'd, in love they dy'd, and left two babes behind. The one a fine and pretty boy, not passing three years old, The other a Girl more young then he, and made of beauties mould: The Father left his little Son, as plainly doth appear, When he to perfect age should come, three hundred pounds a year. And to his little Daughter Jane two hundred pound in gold, To be paid down on marriage day which might not be controul'd:
But if the Children chance to dye, e're they to age should come, Their Uncle should possess their wealth, for so the Will did run. Now Brother (said the dying man) look to my children dear, Be good unto my Boy and Girl, no friends else I have here: To God and you I do commend, my children night and day, A little while be sure we have, within this world to stay. You must be Father and Mother both, and Uncle all in one, God knows what will become of them, when I am dead and gone: With that bespoke their Mother dear, O brother kind (quoth she) You are the man must bring my babes, to wealth or misery. If you do keep them carefully, then God will you reward, If otherwise you seem to deal, God will your deeds regard: With lips as cold as any stone, he kist the children small,
God bless you both my children dear, with that the tears did fall. These speeches then their brother spoke, to this sick couple there, The keeping of your children dear, sweet sister do not fear: God never prosper me nor mine, nor ought else that I have, If I do wrong your children dear, when you are laid in grave. Their Parents being dead and gone, the Children home he takes, And brings them home unto his house, and much of them he makes; He had not kept these pretty babes, a twelve moneth and a day, But for their wealth he did devise, to make them both away. He bargain'd with two Ruffians rude, which were of furious mood, That they should take the children young and slay them in a wood: And told his wife and all he had, he did the Children send, To be brought up in far London, with one that was his friend
AWay then went these pretty babes, rejoycing at that tide, Rejoycing with a merry mind, they should on Cock-horse ride: They prate and prattle pleasantly: as they rode on the Way, To those that should their Butchers be, and work their lives decay. So that the pretty speech they had, made Murtherers hearts relent, And they that took the deed to do, full sore they did repent: Yet one of them more hard of heart, did vow to do his charge, Because the Wretch that hired him, had paid him very large. The other would not agree thereto, so here they fell at strife, With one another they did fight about the Childrens life: And he that was of mildest mood, did slay the other there, Within an unfrequented Wood, where babes did quake for fear. He took the Children by the hand, when tears stood in their eye, And had them come and go with him, and look they did not cry: And two long miles he led them thus, while they for bread complain, Stay here, quoth he i'le bring ye bread, when I do come again. These pretty Babes with hand in hand, went wandring up and down, But never more they saw the man, approaching from the Town: Their pretty lips with black-berries, were all besmear'd and dy'd, And when they saw the darksom night, they sat them down and cry'd.
Thus wandred these two pretty babes, till Death did end their grief In one anothers Arms they dy'd, as babes wanting relief: No burial these pretty babes of any man receives, Till Robin-Red-Breast painfully, did cover them with leaves. And now the heavy Wrath of God, upon their Uncle fell, Yea fearful Fiends did haunt his house, his conscience felt an Hell: His barns were fir'd, his goods consum'[d] his Lands were barren made, His cattel dy'd within the field, and nothing with him staid. And in the Voyage of Portugal, two of his sons did dye, And to conclude, himself was brought, unto much misery: He pawn'd and morgag'd all his Land, e're seaven years came about, And now at length this wicked act, did by this means come out. The fellow that did take in hand, these Children for to kill, Was for a Robbery judg'd to dy as was Gods blessed will: Who did confess the very truth, the which is here exprest, Their Uncle dy'd while he for debt, did long in prison rest. All you that be Executors made, and overseers eke, Of Children that be fatherless, and infants mild and meek: Take you example by this thing, and yield to each his right, Least God with such like miscry, your wicked minds requite.
Printed for W. Thackeray, and T. Passinger.