%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> ROMAN CHARITY. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center English Broadside Ballad Archive (EBBA) Director Patricia Fumerton Associate Director Carl G Stahmer ?-? Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 06/26/2014 33313

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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

1 NONE Chevy Chase IN Rome I read a nobleman, / The emperor did offend, Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 673 ROMAN CHARITY. ROMAN CHARITY. ROMAN CHARITY. ?-?

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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 Featured 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 6/26/2014 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America affliction/ health family politics/ government punishment virtue Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 6/26/2014 10:17:39 AM XBallad Cortes, Phillip Created XML Version of Ballad 6/26/2014 10:17:39 AM Transcription Supervisor Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 6/26/2014 10:17:39 AM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Doran, Thomas Transcription of ballad manuscript 6/26/2014 10:17:39 AM Transcriptionist Two Pedersen, Emily Transcription of ballad manuscript 6/26/2014 10:17:39 AM Transcriptionist One Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 2/8/2013 Checker William Hildalgo Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 11/1/2012 Bibliographer Shannon Meyer Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created 10/8/2013 Checker Megan Palmer Browne Edited Ballad Catalogue Record
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IN Rome I read a nobleman, The emperor did offend, For that fault he was adjudg'd, Unto a cruel end. That he should be in prison cast, With irons many a one, And there be famished to death, And brought to skin and bone. Besides if anyone was known, By night or eke by day, To bring him any kind of food, His hunger to allay. Th' emperor swore a mighty oath Without remorse, quoth he, Shall sustain the cruelest death, That can devised be. Cruel sentence thus pronounc'd The nobleman was cast, Into a dungeon dark and deep, With irons fetter'd fast. When he had with hunger great Remained ten days space, And tasted neither meat or drink In a most woeful case. The tears along his aged face, Most piteously did fall, And grievously he did begin, Complaining thus to call. O Lord, said he, what shall I do? So hungry am I, For want of bread, a bit of bread I perish, starve and die. Had I th' dungeon full of gold, I now would give it all, To buy & purchase a small loaf, Yea, were it e'er so small. O that I had but every day, The bit of bread to eat, Ono't be mouldy, black or brown
My comfort would be great. Yet, tho' I was to take it up, Trod down in dirt and mire It would be pleasant to my taste, And sweet to my desire. O that some pretty small mouse, So much my friend would be, To bring some old forsaken crust Into this place to me. But O my heart it is in vain, No succour can I have, No meat, nor drink, nor water, My loathed life to save. Bring some bread for Christ's sake Some bread, some bread to me, I die, I die for want of food, None but stone walls I see. So ev'ry night & day he cry'd, In such outrageous sort, That all the people far and near, Were griev'd at his report. Tho' many great friends he had, And daughters in the town, None durst come to succour him Fearing the emperor's frown. Yet now behold a daughter dear He had as we do find, Who liv'd in his displeasure great For not wedding to his mind. Altho' she liv'd in mean estate, She was a virtuous wife, And for to help her father dear, She ventured her life. She then to her sisters went, And of them did entreat, That by some means they would, Convey their father meat. Our father doth starve said she, The emperor's wrath is such,
He dies, alas! for want of food, Whereof we have too much. Pray sisters use some means, His life for to preserve, And suffer not our father dear, In prison for to starve. Alas said they what shall we do, His hunger to sustain, You know 'tis death for anyone That would his life maintain. Tho' we wish him well said they We never will agree, To spoil ourselves, we had as live That he should die as we. And sister if you love yourself, Let this attempt alone, Tho' you do ne'er so secret work In time it will be known. O has our father brought us up And nourish'd us quoth she, And shall we forsake him quite, In his extremity, No, I will venture life and limb, To do my father good, The worst that is, I can but die, To save him I'll shed my blood. With that in haste away she flies And to the prison goes, But with her dismal father dear, She might not speak, God knows Except the emperor would grant, Her father in that case, The keeper would admit of none To enter in that place, That she unto the emperor hies And falling on her knees, With wringing hands & bitter cries These words pronounced she: My helpless father, sov'reign liege Offending of your grace, Is judg'd unto a pining death,
Within a dismal place. Which I confess he has deserv'd Yet mighty prince said she, Vouchsafe graciously to grant, One simple boon to me. It chanced so I match'd myself, Against my father's mind, Whereby I did procure his wrath As fortune had assign'd. And seeing now the time is come He must resign his breath, Vouchsafe that I speak to him, Before the hour of death. And reconcile myself to him, His favour to obtain, As when he dies I may not then Under his curse remain. The emperor grants her request Conditionally that she, Each day she to her father went, Should thoroughly searched be. No meat or drink she brought, To help him there distress'd, But every day she nourish'd him With milk from her own breast. By her milk he was preserv'd, A twelvemonth and a day, And was so fair and fat to see, Yet none could tell which way, The emperor musing thereat, At length did understand, How he was fed, and not his law Was broke at any hand. Much admired at the same, And her great virtues shewn, He pardon'd him, & honour'd her With great preferments known. Her father ever after that, Loved her as his life, Blest the day that she was made, A virtuous loving wife.