%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> A pleasant History of a Gentleman in Thracia, which had / foure Sonnes, and three of them none of his own; shewing how / miraculously the true heire came to enjoy his Inheritance. 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 30209

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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

S101989 5 UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN Chevy Chace Chevy Chase Chevy Chase IN searching ancient Chronicles, / it was my chance to finde FOure hopefull sonnes you think you haue, / to me it beste is knowne Roxburghe Ballads Editor None None None None Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 300 1: 301 A pleasant History of a Gentleman in Thracia, which had / foure Sonnes, and three of them none of his own; shewing how / miraculously the true heire came to enjoy his Inheritance. A pleasant History of a Gentleman in Thracia, which had foure Sonnes, and three of them none of his own; shewing how miraculously the true heire came to enjoy his Inheritance. A pleasant History of a Gentleman in Thracia, who had four Sons, and three of them none of his own; showing how miraculously the true heir came to enjoy his Inheritance. 1601-1601 H.G.

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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 family folklore sex/ sexuality trickery/ deceit virtue Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 4/20/2011 2:29:15 PM XBallad Doss, MacKenzie Created XML Version of Ballad 4/20/2011 2:29:15 PM Transcription Supervisor McAbee, Kristina, Nebeker, Eric Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/20/2011 2:29:15 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Mann, Rachel Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/20/2011 2:29:15 PM Transcriptionist Two Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/20/2011 2:29:15 PM Transcriptionist One Becker, Charlotte Transcription of ballad manuscript 9/13/2010 Checker Charlotte Becker Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 7/14/2008 Bibliographer Giles Bergel Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created 2/2/2011 Checker Bethany Wong Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 2/2/2011 Checker Bethany Wong Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 2/2/2011 Checker Bethany Wong Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 11/14/2008 Checker Meghan Fadel Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 11/14/2008 Checker Meghan Fadel Edited Ballad Catalogue Record
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">A pleasant History of a Gentleman in <hi rend="bold">Thracia,</hi> which had</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">foure Sonnes, and three of them none of his own; shewing how</hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">miraculously the true heire came to enjoy his Inheritance.</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="4" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">To the tune of, <hi rend="bold">Chevy Chace.</hi></hi></seg>
IN searching ancient Chronicles, it was my chance to finde A story worth the writing out, in my conceit and mind; It is an admonition good, that Children ought to have, With reverence for to thinke upon their Parents laid in grave. In Thracia livd a Gentleman, of Noble Progeny, Who ruld his houshold with great fame and true integrity; This Gentleman did take to wife, a neat and gallant Dame, Whose outward shew and beauty bright did many hearts inflame. The luster that came from her lookes, her carriage and her grace, Like beautious Cynthia did outshine each Lady in that place; And being puffed up in pride, with ease and jollity, Her Husband could not her content, she other men must try. Lasciviously long time she livd, yet bore it cunningly, For she had those that watcht so well, that he could nought espy; With bribes and gifts she so bewitcht the hearts of some were neere, That they conceald her wickednesse, and kept it from her deare.
Thus spending of her time away in extreme wantonnesse, Her private friends when she did please, unto her had accesse; But the all seeing Eye of heaven, such sinnes will not conceale, And by some meanes at last will he the truth of all reveale. Upon a time sore sicke she fell, yea to the very death, And her Physician told her plaine, she must resigne her breath; Divines did likewise visit her, and holy counsell gave, And bade her call upon the Lord, that He her soule might save. Amongst the rest, she did desire they would her husband bring, I have a secret to reveale, (she said) My heart doth sting; Then he came posiing presently, unto her where she lay, And weeping, then he did desire, what she to him would say. She did intreat that all might voyd the roome, and he would stay: Your pardon, husband, I beseech, (unto him she did say;) For I have wrongd your marriage bed, and plaid the wanton wife, To you the truth I will reveale, ere I depart this life.
FOure hopefull sonnes you think you have, to me it best is knowne, And three of them are none of yours, of foure but ones your owne; And by your selfe on me begot, which hath so wanton been, These dying teares forgivenesse beg, let mercy then be seene. This strooke her husband in a dumpe, his heart was almost dead, But rouzing of his spirits up, these words to her he said; I doe forgive thee with my heart, so thou the truth wilt tell, Which of the foure is my owne sonne, and all things shall be well. O pardon me, my husband deare, unto him she did say, They are my children every one, and so she went away. Away he goes with heavy heart, his griefes he did conceale, And like a wise and prudent man, to none did it reveale. Not knowing which to be his owne, each of his love did share, And to be traind in vertues paths, of them he had a care; In learning great and gentle grace, they were brought up and taught, Such deare affection in the hearts of Parents God hath wrought. They now were grown to mens estates, and livd most gallantly; Each had his horse, his hawke, his hound and did their manhood try; The ancient man did joy thereat, but yet he did not know, Which was his sonne amongst the foure that bred in him much woe. At length his glasse of life was run, the Fates doe so decree, For poore and rich they all must dye, and death will take no fee; Unto some Judges he did send, and Counsell that were grave, Who presently to him did come, to know what he would have. They comming then to his beds side, unto them he did say, I know you all to be my friends, most faithfull every way; And now before I leave the world, I beg this at your hands, To have a care which of my sonnes shall have my goods and lands. And to them all he did relate what things his wife had done; There is but one amongst the foure that is my native sonne; And to your judgement I commit, when I am laid in grave, Which is my sonne, and which is fit my lands and goods to have.
He dying, they in Councell sate what best were to be done, For twas a taske of great import, to judge which was his sonne: The brothers likewise were at strife, which should the living have; When as the ancient man was dead, and buried in his grave. The Judges must decide the cause, and thus they did decree, The dead mans body up to take, and tye it to a Tree; A Bow each brother he must have, and eke an arrow take, To shoot at their dead fathers corps, as if he were a stake. And he whose Arrow neerest hit his heart as he did stand, Theyd judge him for to be right heire, and fit to have the land: On this they all did streight agree, and to the field they went, Each had a man his shaft to beare, and Bow already bent. Now (quoth the Judges) try your skill upon your Father there, That we may quickly know who shall unto the Land be heire; The eldest tooke his Bow in hand, and shaft where as he stood, Which piercd so deep the dead mans brest that it did run with blood. The second brother then must shoot, who straight did take his aime, And with his Arrow made a wound, that blood came from the same: The third likewise must try his skill, the matter to decide, Whose shaft did make a wound most deep into the dead mans side. Unto the fourth and youngest then, a Bow and shaft was brought; Who said, Dee thinke that ere my heart could harbour such a thought, To shoot at my deare Fathers heart, although that he be dead, For all the Kingdomes in the world that farre and wide are spred? And turning of him round about, the teares ran downe amaine, He flung his Bow upon the ground, and broke his shaft in twaine: The Judges seeing his remorse, they then concluded all, He was the right, the other three, they were unnaturall. And so he straight possest the Lands, being made the heire of all, And heaven by nature in this kind, unto his heart did call; His brothers they did envy him, but yet he need not care, And of his wealth in portions large, unto them he did share.
Printed at London for H.G. FINIS.