%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> Lady ISABELLA's Tragedy; / Or, The Step Mother Cruelty. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1779-1779 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 05/07/2012 32477

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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

T37465 THere was a Lord of worthy Fame, / And a Hunting he would ride, Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 289754 Lady ISABELLA's Tragedy; / Or, The Step Mother Cruelty. Lady ISABELLA's Tragedy; Or, The Step Mother Cruelty. Lady ISABELLA's Tragedy; Or, The Step-Mother's Cruelty. 1779-1779

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 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 5/7/2012 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America children crime death family punishment Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 5/7/2012 2:13:09 PM XBallad Mendoza, Aaron Created XML Version of Ballad 5/7/2012 2:13:09 PM Transcription Supervisor Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 5/7/2012 2:13:09 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 5/7/2012 2:13:09 PM Transcriptionist Two Bell, Erik Transcription of ballad manuscript 5/7/2012 2:13:09 PM Transcriptionist One Becker, Charlotte Transcription of ballad manuscript 8/24/2011 Checker Percy Ross Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 8/2/2011 Checker Shannon Meyer Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 6/28/2011 Checker Percy Ross Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 6/28/2011 Checker Percy Ross Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 6/28/2011 Checker Percy Ross Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 5/12/2011 Bibliographer Shannon Meyer Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created
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THERE was a lord of worthy fame, And a hunting he would ride, Attended by a noble train, Of gentry by his side. And while he did in chace remain, To see both sport and play, His lady went, as she did feign, Unto the church to pray. The Lord he had a daughter fair, Whose beauty shone so bright, She was belovd both far and near, By many a lord and knight. Fair Isabella she was called, A creature fair was she, She was her fathers only joy, As after you shall see, But her cruel step-mother Did envy her so much, That day by day she sought her life, Her malice it was such.
She bargaind with the Master Cook To take her life away, And calling of her daughter dear, She thus to her did say: Go home sweet daughter, I thee pray, Go hasten presently, And tell the Master Cook, These words that I tell thee. Go bid him dress for dinner strait, The fair and milk white doe, Which in the park does shine so bright, Theres none so fair a show. The lady fearing of no harm, Obeyd the mothers will, And presently she hastend home, Her mind for to fulfil. She strait into the kitchen went, Her message for to tell, And there she spyd the Master Cook, Who did with malice swell.
Now Master Cook it must be so, Do that which I thee tell, You needs must dress the milk white doe, And that you know full well. Then strait his bloody cruel hands, He on the lady laid, Who quivering and shaking stands, While thus to her he said: Thou art the doe that I must dress, See here, behold my knife, For it is pointed presently, To rid thee of thy life. O then, cries out the scullion boy, As loud as loud might be, O save her life, good Master Cook, And make your pies of me, For heavens sake do not murder, My mistress with that knife, You know she is her fathers joy, For Christs sake save her life. I will not save her life, said he, Nor make my pies of thee, And if you do this deed betray, Thy butcher I will be. Now when this lord he did come home, Fore he sat down to eat, He called for his daughter dear, To come and carve his meat. Into some nunnery she is gone, Your daughter now forgot; Then solemnly he made a vow, Before the company, That he would neither drink nor eat, Before he did her see. O then bespoke the scullion boy, With a voice both loud and high, If that you would your daughter see, Good sir, cut up the pie, Wherein her flesh is minced small, And parched with the fire, All caused by her step-mother, Who did her death desire, And by the cursed Master Cook, O cursed may he be.
I profferd him my own hearts blood, From death to set her free. Then all in black this lord did mourn, And for his daughters sake, He judged the cruel step-mother, For to be burnt at stake. Likewise he judged the Master Cook In boiling oil to stand, And made the simple scullion boy The heir to all his land. Their LAMENTATION. NOW when the wicked Master Cook, Beheld his death draw near, And that by friends he was forsook, He pourd forth many a tear. Saying, the lady whom I servd, Prompted me to this deed, And as death I have deservd, Tis coming on with speed, I must confess these hands of mine, Did kill the innocent. When her dear breath she did resign, My heart did not relent. This said, into the boiling oil He then forthwith was cast, And then within a little time, The mother went at last, From prison to the burning stake, And as she past along, She did sad lamentation make Unto the numerous throng. These were the self-same words she said, The daughter of my lord I doomd to death, the laws I broke, And shall have my reward. Then to the burning stake they tyd, The worst of all step-dames, And then according to the law, She fairly died in flames, Now let their deaths a warning be, To all that hear this song, And thus I end my tragedy, The duke he mourned long.
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