%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> A most Excellent Ballad of an Old man and his Wife: / Who in their great want and misery sought their Children for succour, by whom they / were disdained, and scornfully sent them away succourless, and Gods vengeance / shewed on them for the same. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1658-1658 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 03/12/2012 31701

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

R180729 IT was an old man with his poore wife, / in great distresse did fall, Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 221 A most Excellent Ballad of an Old man and his Wife: / Who in their great want and misery sought their Children for succour, by whom they / were disdained, and scornfully sent them away succourless, and Gods vengeance / shewed on them for the same. A most Excellent Ballad of an Old man and his Wife: Who in their great want and misery sought their Children for succour, by whom they were disdained, and scornfully sent them away succourless, and Gods vengeance shewed on them for the same. A most Excellent Ballad of an Old man and his Wife: Who in their great want and misery sought their Children for succor, by whom they were disdained, and scornfully sent them away succorless, and God's vengeance showed on them for the same. 1658-1658 F. Coles, T. Vere, and W. Gilbertson

This document follows the guidelines specified for TEI.

XML Generated Automatically at 3/12/2012 5:20:10 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 —.

 Early Modern Center Ballad Project Keyword Taxonomy advice affliction/ health alcohol Americas 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 groups royalty rural life servitude sex/ sexuality supernatural/ magic travel trickery/ deceit urban life vice violence virtue vulgar humor youth/ age Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 3/12/2012 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America children crime family violence youth/ age Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 3/12/2012 5:20:10 PM XBallad Campbell, Katharine Created XML Version of Ballad 3/12/2012 5:20:10 PM Transcription Supervisor Murphy, Jessica Transcription of ballad manuscript 3/12/2012 5:20:10 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Kazzi, Sara Transcription of ballad manuscript 3/12/2012 5:20:10 PM Transcriptionist Two Reese, Ryan Transcription of ballad manuscript 3/12/2012 5:20:10 PM Transcriptionist One Jiminez-Justiniano, Jose Transcription of ballad manuscript 7/6/2011 Checker Jonathan Forbes Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 3/7/2011 Checker Victoria Hernandez Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 2/16/2011 Checker Charlotte Becker Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 1/18/2011 Bibliographer Charlotte Becker Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">A most Excellent Ballad of an Old man and his Wife:</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Who in their great want and misery sought to their <hi rend="bold">C</hi>hildren for succour, by whom they</hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">were disdained, and scornfully sent them away succourless, and Gods vengeance</hi></seg> <seg n="4" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">shewed on them for the same. </hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="5" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The tune is, Priscilla.</hi></seg>
IT was an old man with his poore wife, in great distresse did fall, They were so feeble with age Got wot, they could not work at all: A gallant Son they had, which lived wealthily, To him they went with a full intent to ease their misery. Alack and alas for woe. A hundred miles when they had gone, with many a weary step, At length they saw their Sons fair house which made their hearts to leap: They sate them on the Green their Hose and Shoos to trim, They put their bands about their necks, against they should enter in. Alack, etc. Unto the Doore with trembling Joynts when these Old couple came, The Woman with a shaking hand, the Old man blind and lame. Full mannerly they knockt, fearing for to offend, At last their Son frowningly came, unto them in the end. Alack, etc.
Good folks qoud he what would you have? methinks you are too bold, why get you not home to your own country now you are lame and old? With that they both replyd, with sorrow, care and grief, Here are wee come to thee our Son for succour and reliefe. Alack, etc. This is thy Father gentle Son, and I thy loving Mother, That brought the up so tenderly[,] and lovd thee above all other: I bore thee in this womb, these breasts did nourish thee, And as it chancd, I often dancd thee on my tender knee. Alack, etc. And humbly now wee thee intreat our dear and loving Son, That you will doe for us in our age, as wee for you have done: Now nay not so he said, your suit is all in vain, Tis best for you I tell you true to get you home again. Alack, etc.
THe worlds not now as when I was born al things are grown more dear, My charge of Children likewise is great, as plainly doth appear: The best that I can doe will hardly them maintain, Therefore I say be packing away, and get thee home again. Alack and alas for woe. The Old m[a]n with his hat in hand, full many a Leg did make, The Woman wept and wrung her hands, and prayd for Christ his sake: Not so to send them back, distressed and undone, But let us lye in some Barn here by, quoth she my loving Son. Alack, etc. By no means he would thereto consent, but sent them soon away, Quoth he you know the perill of the Law, if long time here you stay: The Stocks and the Whipping-Post shall fall unto your share, Then take you heed, and with all speed to your Country repair. Alack, etc. Away then went this wofull Old Man, full sad in heart and mind[,] With weeping tears his Wife did lament, their Son was so unkind: Thou wicked wretch quoth they, for this thy cruell deed, The Lord send the as little pitty when thou dost stand in need. Alack, etc. His Children hearing their Father set his Parents thus at naught,
In short time after to have his Land his death by subtile wrought: What cause have wee quoth they more kindness to express, Then he unto his Parents did, in their great wretchednesse. Alack, etc. They murdered him in piteous sort, they weigd not his intreats, The more he prayd compassionately, the greater were his threats: Speak not to us, quoth they, for thou the death shall dye, And with that word with a Dagger & sword they mangled him monstrously. Alack, etc. When they had got his Silver and Gold, according to their mind, They buried him in a stinking Ditch, where no man should him find: But now behold and see Gods vengeance on them all, To gain their Gold their Cousin came and slew them great and small. Alack, etc. He came among them with great Club, in dead time of the night, Yea two of the Sons he brained therewith, and taking of his flight, The Murderer taken was, and suffered for the same, Deserved for that cruelty, this vengeance upon them same. Alack and alas therefore, Alack and alas therefore.
FINIS. London, Printed for F. Coles, T. Vere, and W. Gilbertson.