%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> A new Ballad, shewing the great misery sustained by a poore man in Essex, his Wife / and Children: with other strange things done by the Devill. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1601-1601 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 04/20/2011 30202

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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

S114513 10 UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN The rich Merchant man Rich Merchant Man, The The Rich Merchant Man the same tune Rich Merchant Man, The The Same Tune A poore Essex man / that was in great distresse, TAke comfort Wife he said, / I have a purse of Gold Roxburghe Ballads Editor None None None None Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 286 1: 287 A new Ballad, shewing the great misery sustained by a poore man in Essex, his Wife / and Children: with other strange things done by the Devill. A new Ballad, shewing the great misery sustained by a poore man in Essex, his Wife and Children: with other strange things done by the Devill. A new Ballad, showing the great misery sustained by a poor man in Essex, his Wife and Children: with other strange things done by the Devil. 1601-1601 H. Gosson

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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 4/20/2011 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America affliction/ health Bible/ biblical figures family supernatural/ magic trickery/ deceit Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 4/20/2011 2:08:28 PM XBallad Doss, MacKenzie Created XML Version of Ballad 4/20/2011 2:08:28 PM Transcription Supervisor McAbee, Kristina, Nebeker, Eric Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/20/2011 2:08:28 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Mann, Rachel Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/20/2011 2:08:28 PM Transcriptionist Two Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/20/2011 2:08:28 PM Transcriptionist One Becker, Charlotte Transcription of ballad manuscript 7/14/2008 Bibliographer Giles Bergel Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created 11/24/2010 Checker Shannon Meyer Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 11/10/2008 Checker Meghan Fadel Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 1/31/2011 Checker Bethany Wong Edited Ballad Catalogue Record
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">A new Ballad, shewing the great misery sustained by a poore man in <hi rend="bold">Essex,</hi> his Wife</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">and Children: with other strange things done by the Devill.</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">To the tune of, The rich Merchant man.</hi></seg>
A poore Essex man that was in great distresse, Most bitterly made his complaint, in griefe and heavinesse: Through scarcity and want, he was oppressed sore, He could not find his children bread, he was so extreme poore. His silly wife God wot, being lately brought to bed, With her poore Infants at her brest had neither drinke nor bread. A wofull lying in was this, the Lord doth know, God keep all honest vertuous wives from feeling of such woe. Oh Husband deare, she said, for want of food I die, Some succour doe for me provide, to ease my misery. The man with many a teare, most pittiously replyde, We have no means to buy us bread; with that the children cryd. They came about him round, upon his coat they hung: And pittiously they made their mone their little hands they wrung. Be still my boyes, said he, and Ile goe to the wood, And bring some Acornes for to rost, and you shall have some food.
Forth went the wofull man, a Cord he tooke with him, Wherewith to bind the broken wood that he should homewards bring: And by the way as he went, met Farmers two or three, Desiring them for Christ his sake, to helpe his misery. Oh lend to me (he said) one loafe of Barley bread, One pint of milke for my poore wife in Child-bed almost dead: Thinke on my extreme need, to lend me have no doubt, I have no money for to pay, but I will worke it out. But they in churlish sort, did one by one reply, We have already lent you more than we can come well by. This answere strooke his heart as cold as any stone: Unto the wood from thence he went, with many a grievous groane. Where at the length (behold) a tall man did him meet, And cole-black were his garments all from head unto his feet. Thou wretched man (said he) why dost thou weep so sore? What is the cause thou makst this mone tell me and sigh no more.
Alas, good Sir (he said) the lack of some reliefe, For my poore wife & children small, tis cause of all my griefe: They lie all like to starve for want of bread (saith he) Good Sir, vouchsafe therfore t[o] give one peny unto me. Hereby this wretched man committed wondrous evill, He begd an almes and did not know he askt it of the Devill: But straight the hellish Fiend, to him replyd againe, An odious sinner art thou then, that dost such want sustaine. Alack (the poore man said) this thing for truth I know, That Job was just, yet never man endured greater woe. The godly oft doe want, and need doth pinch them sore, Yet God will not forsake them quite but doth their states restore. If thou so faithfull be, why goest thou begging then? Thou shalt be fed as Daniel was, within the Lyons Den, If thus thou doe abide, the Ravens shall bring thee food, As they unto Elias did, that wandred in the Wood. Mocke not a wofull man, good Sir, the poore man said, Redouble not my sorrowes so, that are upon me laid: But rather doe extend unto my need, and give One penny for to buy some bread, my children poore may live. With that he opened straight, the fairest purse in sight, That ever mortall eye beheld, fild up with crownes full bright, Unto the wofull man the same he wholly gave, Who very earnestly did pray, that Christ his life might save. Well (quoth the damned spirit) goe ease thy childrens sorrow, And if thou wantest any thing, com meet me here to morrow: Then home the poore man went, with cheerefull heart and mind, And comforted his wofull wife with words that were most kind.
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The second part, To the same tune.</hi></seg>
TAke comfort Wife he said, I have a purse of Gold Now given by a Gentleman, most faire for to behold. And thinking for to pull his purse from bosome out, He found nothing but Oken leaves, bound in a filthy clout. Which when he did behold, with sorrow pale and wan, In desperate sort to seeke the purse, unto the Wood he ran, Supposing in his mind, that he had lost it there: He could not tell then what to think, he was twixt hope and feare. He had no sooner come into the shady Grove, The Devil met with him againe, as he in fancy strove: What seekst thou here he said? the purse (quoth he) you gave: Thus fortune she hath crossed me, and then the Devill said, Where didst thou put the purse? tell me, and doe not lye, Within my bosome said the man, where no man did come nigh. Looke there againe (quoth he) then said the man I shall, And found his bosome full of Toads, as thicke as they could crawle. The poore man at this sight, to speake had not the power,
See (quod the Devill) vengeance doth pursue thee every houre: Goe cursed wretch (quoth he) and rid away thy life, But murther first thy children yong, and miserable Wife. The poore man raging mad, ran home incontinent, Intending for to kill them all, but God did him prevent. For why the chiefest man, that in the Parish dwelt, With meat and mony thither came, which liberally he dealt. Who seeing the poore man come home in such a rage, Was faine to bind him in his bed, his fury to asswage: Where long he lay full sicke, still crying for his Gold, But being well, this whole discourse he to his neighbours told. From all temptations, Lord blesse both great and small: And let no man, O heavenly God, for want of succour fall: But put their speciall trust in God for evermore, Who will no doubt from misery, each faithfull man restore.
FINIS. Printed at London for H. Gosson.