%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The first part of the Widdow of Watling street & her three daughters, & how her wicked / Son accused her to be an harlot, and his sisters Bastards. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1624-1624 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 04/26/2011 30469

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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

S95741 6 UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN Bragandary Bragandary Bragandary the Wanton Wife Wanton Wife, The The Wanton Wife OF the kinde Widdow of Watling street / I will the story tell, THe beautifull Widdow of Watling street, / Being thus falsely acused by her sonne, Roxburghe Ballads Editor None None None None Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 3: 168 3: 169 The first part of the Widdow of Watling street & her three daughters, & how her wicked / Son accused her to be an harlot, and his sisters Bastards. 1624-1624 Fr. Cowles

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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 4/26/2011 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America children death family law punishment trickery/ deceit Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 4/26/2011 3:47:45 PM XBallad Mellon, Gillian Created XML Version of Ballad 4/26/2011 3:47:45 PM Transcription Supervisor McAbee, Kristina, Nebeker, Eric Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/26/2011 3:47:45 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Zusky, Catherine Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/26/2011 3:47:45 PM Transcriptionist Two Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/26/2011 3:47:45 PM Transcriptionist One Becker, Charlotte Transcription of ballad manuscript 7/29/2008 Bibliographer Giles Bergel Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created 11/8/2010 Checker Grafals Michael Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 10/17/2008 Checker Shannon Meyer Edited Ballad Catalogue Record
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The first part of the Widdow of Watling street & her three daughters, & how her wicked</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">.Son accused her to be an harlot, and his sisters Bastards. To the tune of Bragandary.</hi></seg>
OF the kinde Widdow of Watling street I will the story tell, Who by her husband deere was left, In substance very well; A prodigall sonne likewise had she, And faire young daughters lovely three? Great misery, sorrow and misery, Commeth for want of grace. For by his daily practis[e]s, which were both lewd and ill, His fathers heart from him was drawne, His love and his good will. But yet what chance so ere befell, his mother lovd him dearely well, When in prison lay full poore, for debt that he did owe, His father would not stirre out of doores, For to release his woe. But when his mother his griefe did see, shee found the meanes to set him free. And when her husband fell full sicke, and went to make his will, O husband remember your sonne she sayd, Although he hath beene ill: But yet no doubt he may returne, repenting the evill he hath done. Remember wife what sorrow and care, through him I daily found: Who through his lewd ungracious deedes, Hath spent me many a pound: And therefore let him sinke or swim, I meane not for to deale with him. And therefore sole Executor heere, I doe thee onely make: To pay thy debts & legacies, the rest unto thee take, Not so my husband deare (quoth she) but let your sonne be joynd with me: For why he is our child (she sayd) we can it not denie. The first that ever graced you With fathers dignitie, Oh, that ever you did me love, grant this request for his behove. Thy love deare wife was evermore, most precious unto me: And therefore for thy sweet loves sake I grant thy suit to thee. But ere one yeare be fully spent, I know thou wilt the same repent. Now was his sonne received home, and with his mother deare, Was joynd Executor of the Will, which did his courage cheere: The old man dying, buried was, but now behold what came to passe. The funerall being ended quite, it fell upon a day some friend did fetch the Widdow forth, To drive conceits away, While she was forth and thought no ill, her wicked sonne doth worke his will. Possession of the house he took, in most despite full wise throwing his sisters out of doors, With sad lamenting cryes. When this they did his mother show, She would not beleeve he would doe so.
But when she came unto her house, and found it so indeede, Shee cald unto her son and said, although her heart did bleede, Come downe my sonne, come downe said she, let in thy mother and sisters three. I will not let in my mother he said, nor sisters any one, The house is mine, I will it keepe, Therefore away begone. O sonne how canst thou endure to seet. thy mother and sisters to lye ith street. Did not thy father by his will, For tearme of this my life, Give me this house for to enjoy, without all further strife. And more of all his goods said shee, I am Executor joynd with thee. My father left you the house, he said, but this was his intent, That you therefore during your life, Should pay me yearely rent: An hundred pound a yeare therefore, you shall give me, or else give it ore. And sith the Cities custome is, that you thirds must have Of all my fathers moveables, I grant what law doth crave: But not a penny more will I, discharge of any Legacie. O wicked sonne, quoth shee that seekes thy mother thus to fleece: Thy father to his daughters gave Three hundred pounds a peece: Tell me who shall their portions pay, appointed at their marriage day. Then with a scornefull smile he said, What talke you of so much: Ten pounds a peece, I will them give, My charitie is such. Now fie upon thee beast, quoth she, that thus dost deale with them and me. But ere that they and I will take this injurie at thy hand: The chiefest Peeres of England shall the matter understand: Nay, if you goe to that, quoth he, marke well what I shall tell to thee. Thou hast a secret harlot beene, and this Ile prove full plaine, That in my Fathers life time didst Lewd Ruffians entertaine: The which did then beget of thee, in wicked sort these bastards three, No daughters [to] my father then were they in any wise: As he supposed them to be, Thou blinding so his eyes. Therefore no right at all have they, to any penny given this day. When shee did heare her shamelesse sonne, for to defame her so, Shee with her lovely daughters three, with griefe away did goe. But how this matter out did fall, the second part will shew you all.
FINIS.
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The second part of the Widdow of Watling street and her three Daughters</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">To the tune of, the Wanton wife.</hi></seg>
THe beautifull Widdow of Watling street, Being thus falsely accused by her sonne, With her three daughters of favour so sweet, Whose beauty the love of many had wonne: With her daughters three for [i]succour went she, unto the Kings Counsell of Noble degree. Now fie upon falsehood, and forgerie fraile, For great is the truth, and it will prevaile. Her sonne by Writ now summoned is, At the Star-chamber with speed to appeare, To answer the vile abuses of his: The Lords of the Counsell the matter will heare, This newes being brought his wits he sought, Which way his villany best might be wrought. Then up and downe the Citie so faire, He seeketh companions to serve his turne: A sort of Vagabonds naked and bare, The which to worke murders for money are won: These wretches behold, for money and gold, He hired for witnesse his lies to uphold, etc. My masters, quoth he, my mother by name, To be a lewd strumpet accused I have: And having no witnesse to prove the same, Your ayde and asistance herein I doe crave, Therefore without feare, before the Lords there, That this thing is certaine you sixe shall it sweare. The first two quoth he shall sweare on a Booke, That sixteene yearss past they plainely did see, As they through the Garden hedge sadly did looke, That she in one houre was abused by three: And how it befell, they two markt it well, That just nine moneths after she had her first Girle. The second couple shall sweare in this sort, That at Bristow about thirteene yeares past, She with her owne prentise did fall in such sport, That her second daughter was got at the last, Now trust us quoth they weele sweare what you say, Or any thing else for money this day, etc. And thus the third couple their oath now shal take, That as at the Bath shee stayd on a day, For ach in the bones an excuse she did make, How shee with a Courtier the wanton did play, And how well you wot in that pleasant plot, Her dearest young daughter for certaine was got. But now my masters your names let me know, That I may provide your apparell with speed, Like sixe grave Citizens, so must you goe, The better your speeches the Nobles will heed: So shall I with scorne ere Saturday morne, Prove her a harlot, my Sisters base borne. My name is Make-shift the first man did say, And Francis Light-finger the second likewise: Cutbert Creepe-window the third to display, And Rowland Robman with foule staring eyes, Jacke shamelesse came then with Harry steale-hen, You are quoth the Widow some right honest men. Before the Lords most prudent and grave, This wretch doth with his witnesses come, The Mother complaines, and Justice doth crave, Of all the offences that he hath her done. My Lords than quoth, I pray you heare me, The Law for my deeds, my warrant shall be.
Her sonne sayd also shees a harlot most vilde, And those be her bastards that stand here in place, And that she hath often her body defilde, By very good witnesse Ile prove to her face, This thing of thy Mother thou oughtest to smother, Tis shame for a child to speake ill of his Mother. But if this matter be proved untrue, And thou a false Lyar be found to thy face, Worse than an Infidell, Pagan, or Jew Thou oughtst to be punisht and plagud in this case And therefore draw neere and let us heare, What sayes the witnesse that here doth appeare. When the first couple did come for to sweare, They quivered and quaked in most wondrous sort, The Lords very countenance did put them in feare, And now they knew not what to report, The second likewise so stard with their eyes, They stammered and knew not what to devise, etc. The Lords perceiving the case how it went, Did aske the last couple what they had to say, Who fell on their knees incontinent, Saying they were hired for money that day: Quoth they it is so the truth for to show, Against the good Widdow no harme we doe know. Thus was the Widdow delivered from blame, With her three Daughters of beauty most bright, Her sonne reproached with sorrow and shame, Having his Judgement appointed him right, To forfeit even all the goods he possest, To loose both his eares, and banisht, so rest, etc. When he heard his Judgement pronounced to be, The teares full bitterly fell downe from his face: To Mother and Sisters he kneeled on his knee, Confessing that lucre had brought this disgrace, That for mine owne gaine I sought to detaine My Sisters three portions this lie I did faine, Therefore deare Mother forgivenesse I crave, Of you and my Sisters, offended so sore: My body from perill if you will but save, I sweare I will grieve and offend you no more. The Lords then replide the Law justly tride. The punishment now thou art like to abide: Therefore to prison now thou shalt goe, Whereas thou shalt the Kings pleasure abide: From thence to be brought with shame [and] with woe To suffer the punishment due for thy pride, Then out of hand thou shalt understand, That presently thou shalt be banish[t] the Land, Now while in prison this prisoner did rest, Himselfe he hanged in desperate wise: Such horrour of conscience possessed his brest: And being cast forth, the Ravens pickt out his eyes All Children behold what hath beene told, Accuse no man falsely for Lucre of Gold. Now fie upon falsehood and forgery fraile, For great is the truth and it will prevaile.
FINIS. Printed for Fr. Cowles.