%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> Natures Wonder? / OR, / [? Ac]count how the Wife of one John Wate[r]man an Ostler in the Parish of Fisherton- / Anger, near Salisbury, was Delivered of a strange Monster upon the 26th of October 1664. / which lived untill the 27th of the same Moneth. It had two heads, foure Armes, and two Legs. / The Heads standing contrary each to the other; and the Loines, Hipps and Leggs Issueing out / of the middle, betwixt both. They were both pefect to the Navell, and there joyned in one, / being but one Sex, which was the Female. She had another Child born before it (of the Female / Sex) whieh is yet living, and is a very comely Child in all proportions. This is Attested for truth, / by several Persons which were eye wittnesses. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1664-1664 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 03/07/2012 31785

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

R180840 2 Jovial Batchelor All You That Love Good Fellows Jovial Bachelor London Prentice All You That Love Good Fellows London Prentice COme take a view good People all, / observe it well with heed, TWo Heads it had, grew opposite, / the Picture plain appeares Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 237 Natures Wonder? / OR, / [? Ac]count how the Wife of one John Wate[r]man an Ostler in the Parish of Fisherton- / Anger, near Salisbury, was Delivered of a strange Monster upon the 26th of October 1664. / which lived untill the 27th of the same Moneth. It had two heads, foure Armes, and two Legs. / The Heads standing contrary each to the other; and the Loines, Hipps and Leggs Issueing out / of the middle, betwixt both. They were both pefect to the Navell, and there joyned in one, / being but one Sex, which was the Female. She had another Child born before it (of the Female / Sex) whieh is yet living, and is a very comely Child in all proportions. This is Attested for truth, / by several Persons which were eye wittnesses. Natures Wonder? OR, [? Ac]count how the Wife of one John Wate[r]man an Ostler in the Parish of Fisherton-Anger, near Salisbury, was Delivered of a strange Monster upon the 26th of October 1664. which lived untill the 27th of the same Moneth. It had two heads, foure Armes, and two Legs. The Heads standing contrary each to the other; and the Loines, Hipps and Leggs Issueing out of the middle, betwixt both. They were both perfect to the Navell, and there joyned in one, being but one Sex, which was the Female. She had another Child born before it (of the Female Sex) whieh is yet living, and is a very comely Child in all proportions. This is Attested for truth, by several Persons which were eye wittnesses. Natures Wonder? OR, ? Account how the Wife of one John Waterman an Ostler in the Parish of Fisherton-Anger, near Salisbury, was Delivered of a strange Monster upon the 26th of October 1664. which lived until the 27th of the same Month. It had two heads, four Arms, and two Legs. The Heads standing contrary each to the other; and the Loins, Hips and Legs Issuing out of the middle, betwixt both. They were both perfect to the Navel, and there joined in one, being but one Sex, which was the Female. She had another Child born before it (of the Female Sex) which is yet living, and is a very comely Child in all proportions. This is Attested for truth, by several Persons which were eye witnesses. 1664-1664 E. Andrews

This document follows the guidelines specified for TEI.

XML Generated Automatically at 3/7/2012 11:41:37 AM 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 3/7/2012 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America advice affliction/ health children monstrosity punishment Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 3/7/2012 11:41:37 AM XBallad Martino, Alexandra Created XML Version of Ballad 3/7/2012 11:41:37 AM Transcription Supervisor Murphy, Jessica Transcription of ballad manuscript 3/7/2012 11:41:37 AM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Naler, Erin Transcription of ballad manuscript 3/7/2012 11:41:37 AM Transcriptionist Two Reese, Ryan Transcription of ballad manuscript 3/7/2012 11:41:37 AM Transcriptionist One Kazzi, Sara Transcription of ballad manuscript 6/6/2011 Checker Shannon Meyer Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 4/5/2011 Checker Shannon Meyer Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 11/28/2011 Checker Megan Palmer Browne Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 1/28/2011 Bibliographer Charlotte Becker Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created 1/28/2011 Checker Charlotte Becker Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 1/28/2011 Checker Charlotte Becker Edited Ballad Catalogue Record
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Natures Wonder?</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">OR,</hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">[An Acc]ount how the Wife of one <hi rend="bold">John Wate</hi></hi>[<hi rend="italic"><hi rend="bold">r</hi></hi>]<hi rend="italic"><hi rend="bold">man</hi></hi> <hi rend="italic">an Ostler in the Parish of</hi> <hi rend="italic"><hi rend="bold">[F]isherton</hi></hi></seg> <seg n="4" rend="left"><hi rend="bold"><hi rend="italic">-Anger</hi></hi><hi rend="italic">, near <hi rend="bold">Salisbury</hi>, was Delivered of a strange Monster upon the 26th. of <hi rend="bold">October</hi> 1664.</hi></seg> <seg n="5" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">which lived untill the 27th. of the same Moneth. It had two Heads, foure Armes, and two Legs.</hi></seg> <seg n="6" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The Heads standing contrary each to the other; and the <hi rend="bold">L</hi>oines, Hipps and Leggs Issueing out </hi></seg> <seg n="7" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">of the middle, betwixt both. They were both perfect to the Navell, and there joyned in one, </hi></seg> <seg n="8" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">being but one Sex, which was the Female. She had another Child born before it (of the Female</hi></seg> <seg n="9" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Sex) whieh is yet living, and is very comely Child in all proportions. This is Attested for </hi></seg> <seg n="10" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">truth, by several Persons which were eye wittnesses.</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="11" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The Tune is, L<hi rend="bold">ondon Prentice:</hi> Or, <hi rend="bold">Jovial Batchelor.</hi></hi></seg>
COme take a view good People all, observe it well with heed, A stranger Wonder Nature did nere frame of Humane Seed; A Monster of mishapen Forme I here to you present, By this Example you may learn to feare Gods Punishment. Strange Wonders hath been lately shown within our English Nation; But none so strange as this was known, youl find by this Relation; Then give attention to the same, Ile show you how it was, To tell the truth it is no shame, for thus it came to passe.
At Fisherton near Salisbury, a Husbandman doth dwell John Waterman so calld is he, his Neighbours all can tell; It was his Wife which did bring forth this strange Mishapen Thing: From East to West, from North to South the News thereof will ring. It was but in October last, the Six and twenty day, No longer since twas done and past: I can for certaine say This Woman was Delivered well, and with her Life she scapt Of this same Monster now Ile tell how strangely twas Mishapt.
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The second Part, to the same Tune.</hi></seg>
TWo Heads it had, grew opposite, the Picture plain appeares With all proportions fair in sight, Mouthes, Noses, Eyes and Eares, Two Bodies shaped perfectly, down to the Navel seen, And there they joyned wondrously, the Hipps and Leggs between. The bodies being joynd in one, were of the Female Sex, The like thereof was never known, they strangely did Connex; Four Armes were on the body placd, it had of Leggs but two; Thus Nature had her work defacd, which she doth seldom do. The Women they were all afraid to see this fearfull sight, And eke the Midwife much dismayd when as it came to light, But most of all the Mother weak her grievious Paines was much, She had not power long time to speak her sorrow it was such. Two dayes and nights this Monster livd in woefull misery, The Parents they were sadly grievd, the Neighbours came to see; At length it dyd, and was conveyd for Chyurgeons to Dissect, And what Report thereof had said, they found it in Effect.
Another babe this Mother sad brought forth at the same birth, A comelier Ch[i]ld on woman had upon the face oth Earth; Nature in-that did make amends, proportioning each Part; She may bring joy unto her Friends, and chear her Mothers heart. Afflictions God doth sometimes send to Parents for their sin, When they will not their lives amend, then doth the Lord begin With Judgments for to humble them, and make them feel his hand; O turn unto the Lord in time, for none can Him withstand. Our God hath many wayes to make vile Sinners come to shame: If once they do his Laws forsake, and wrong his holy Name, A thousand Judgments (worse then this) he on that People brings, That will not mend what is amiss, but all such hainous Sinnes? Then Parents all Example take, at all times seek the Lord; Fruit of your bodies he can make by your own selves abhord: Your Children which should be a joy and comfort in the end, The Lord in fury will destroy, if you do him Offend.
FINIS. A true Relation of this strange and wonderfull MONSTER. AT Fisherton-Anger, near the City of Salisbury (called New Saram) near to the sign of the Angel, Liveth one John Waterman an Ostler, His Wife (whose name is Mary) was Delivered (on Wednesday the 26th. of October 1664. about two a Clock in the Morning) first of a very comely Daughter (which is yet living) And after of a strange Monster which was formed Triangular, two Heads (at either end one) four Eyes, two Mouthes four Armes, two Stomacks, And joyned together at the Navell; and below that two Legges and Thighs, with Natures Pas- sage (as other Female children have) and a Foundament: They were Baptized at 3 a Clock the same Morning, the first was named Eefelet: and the Monsters were named Martha and Mary; they had very comely faces, and both received Sustinance, but not together: This Monster lived two dayes and then dyed, and is Imbalmed, and to be brought to London to be seen. There hath been both Lords, Ladys, and much Gentry to see it; The Father (being a poore man) had twenty pound given him the first day, by persons of Quality. I Josiah Smith, Practitioner of Phisick, saw them all three alive. With Alowance, Novemb. 12th. 1664. Printed for E. Andrews at White-Lyon in Pye-corner.