%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The Bedford-shire VVidow; / OR, / The Poor in Distress Reliev'd. / Being a full and true Relation, of a poor Widow, whose Hus- / band was dead, and she turn'd out of doors by her Creditors, and forced with / her three Children to lye in the street, and Beg for Bread; and how that Queen Mary, walking in her / Garden, and hearing her Beg came to her, and caused her children to be cloathed and put to Nurse, / and gave the poor widow, a weekly pension, to maintain her as long as she liv'd. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1675-1675 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 04/13/2011 30148

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

R226998 3 UNKNOWN UNKNOWN Let Caesar live long Let Caesar Live Long Let Caesar Live Long IN Scripture we read how that Dorcas the good, / Did dayly supply the poor Widows with Food. Roxburghe Ballads Editor None None None None Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 2: 28 The Bedford-shire VVidow; / OR, / The Poor in Distress Reliev'd. / Being a full and true Relation, of a poor Widow, whose Hus- / band was dead, and she turn'd out of doors by her Creditors, and forced with / her three Children to lye in the street, and Beg for Bread; and how that Queen Mary, walking in her / Garden, and hearing her Beg came to her, and caused her children to be cloathed and put to Nurse, / and gave the poor widow, a weekly pension, to maintain her as long as she liv'd. The Bedford-shire Widow; OR; The Poor in Distress Reliev’d. Being a full and true Relation, of a poor Widow, whose Hus- band was dead, and she turn’d out of doors by her Creditors, and forced with her three Children to lye in the street, and Beg for Bread; and how that Queen Mary, walking in her Garden, and hearing herBeg: came to her, and caused her children to be cloathed and put to Nurse, and gave the poor widow a weekly pension, to maintain her as long as she liv’d. The Bedfordshire Widow; OR; The Poor in Distress Relieved. Being a full and true Relation, of a poor Widow, whose Husband was dead, and she turned out of doors by her Creditors, and forced with her three Children to lie in the street, and Beg for Bread; and how that Queen Mary, walking in her Garden, and hearing her Beg: came to her, and caused her children to be clothed and put to Nurse, and gave the poor widow a weekly pension, to maintain her as long as she lived. 1675-1675 P. Brooksby, J. Deacon, J. Blare, and / J. Back.

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 Early Modern Center Ballad Project Keyword Taxonomy advice affliction/ health alcohol animals/ nature Bible/ biblical figures buildings/ architecture catastrophe children class clothing/ appearance country/ nation crime death economics/ commerce entertainments family folklore gender holidays/ seasons infidelity labor/ craft law London love maritime marriage military/ war monstrosity mythology/ Classical news nobility/ court politics/ government procreation punishment race/ ethnicity 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 youth/ age Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 4/13/2011 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America children class economics/ commerce royalty Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 4/13/2011 2:17:44 PM XBallad Shaughnessy, Elizabeth Created XML Version of Ballad 4/13/2011 2:17:44 PM Transcription Supervisor McAbee, Kristina, Nebeker, Eric Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/13/2011 2:17:44 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Becker, Charlotte Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/13/2011 2:17:44 PM Transcriptionist Two Mann, Rachel Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/13/2011 2:17:44 PM Transcriptionist One Ludolph, Patrick Transcription of ballad manuscript 9/28/2010 Checker Charlotte Becker Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 7/9/2008 Bibliographer Jessica C. Murphy Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created 2/23/2011 Checker Bethany Wong Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 2/23/2011 Checker Bethany Wong Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 2/23/2011 Checker Bethany Wong Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 2/23/2011 Checker Bethany Wong Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 2/14/2009 Checker Meghan Fadel Edited Ballad Catalogue Record
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The Bedford-shire Widow;</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">OR;</hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left">The Poor in Distress Relievd.</seg> <seg n="4" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Being a full and true Relation, of a poor Widow, whose Hus-</hi></seg> <seg n="5" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">band was dead, and she turnd out of doors by her Creditors, and forced with</hi></seg> <seg n="6" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">her three Children to lye in the street, and Beg for Bread; and how that Queen <hi rend="bold">Mary,</hi> walking in her</hi></seg> <seg n="7" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Garden, and hearing her Beg: came to her, and caused her children to be cloathed and put to Nurse,</hi></seg> <seg n="8" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">and gave the poor widow a weekly pension, to maintain her as long as she livd.</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="9" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">To the Tune of, <hi rend="bold">Let</hi> Caesar <hi rend="bold">live long.</hi></hi> Licensed according to Order.</seg>
IN Scripture we read how that Dorcas the good, Did dayly supply the poor Widows with Food. And many Examples besides we may find; All which have been Acted by good Women kind, But none ere more great, or yet glorious were seen, Than this Pious Act of good Mary our Queen. One time it so chancd, on a morning so fair: Queen Mary did walk for to take the fresh Ayr, In her Garden so Richly bedecked with Flowers,
Where, she with delights, did pass several hours, There sitting her down in an Arbour alone, She heard a poor widow, make pittiful moan. The Queen much admiring to hear such a cry, She lookd through a wicket, where she did espy A widdow, as likewise, three Children small, Who lay in the street, without side of the wall, Begging for Money for to buy them Bread, Who with hunger and pining, were almost quite dead
The Queen, she did open the wicket streightway, And unto the widow, Queen Mary did say, Good woman I pray you, now why do you cry? The woman, not knowing her, thus did reply, My want it is great, I shall perish for need, And this is the cause of my mourning indeed. My Husband in Prison was cast and is dead; The Stones are my Couch, & the Streets is my Bed; My Creditors cruel have seized of all,Poor I and my Children have nothing at all; The Lord be my comfort or else I shall dye, For here in much hunger, and pain I do lye. In Bedford-shire, I was born; it is well known. My Father had Houses and Land of his own, But now I am poor, and nothing I have, I wish I was put alive into my Grave; Friends I have none, and my bread it is scant, That I and my Babes, we shall perish for want. I have a brother, who riches hath store, Yet now will not own me, because I am poor; He tells me, my Fortune was once very great; When I had full plenty, and lived in State; He will give me nothing, he often doth say, Though I have intreated him day after day. The Queen did reply, now I pray be content, For some good provision to you shall be sent; Relye upon God, who for you will provide, And for your poor Children also beside; Ask and receive, in full plenty therefore, He always regardeth the crys of the Poor. Queen Mary, she then did immediatly call, Saying bring this Poor Woman and Children small, Now into my Pallace, where let them remain; The widow perceiving, twas Mary our Queen, She was so amazd, on the ground, as she lay, That not one poor word for her self she could say. Some Victuals were brought, and they heartily fed; Warm Cloaths were provided, as also a bed; The Children, were then put to Nurse with all speed, The Queen a good Alms-House to th widow decreed, And likewise a Pension, for her did ordain, And now the poor widow is happy again.
Printed for P. Brooksby, J. Deacon, J. Blare, and J. Back.