%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> A WARNING-PIECE / TO / All Married Men and Women. / Being the Full / CONFESSION of MARY HOBRY, / The FRENCH Midwife, / Who Murdered her Husband on the 27th of January, 1687/8. (As also the Cause thereof.) / For which she receiv'd Sentence to be Burnt alive: And on Friday the Second Day of March, between the Hours of Ten and Eleven in / the Morning, she was drawn upon a Sledge to Leicester-Fields, where she was burnt to Ashes. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton ?-? Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 04/04/2016 34436

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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

R33557 ALL you that Married Men and Women be / Give Ear unto this woful Tragedy, Houghton Library Bute Editor none none none none Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 3: 54 A WARNING-PIECE / TO / All Married Men and Women. / Being the Full / CONFESSION of MARY HOBRY, / The FRENCH Midwife, / Who Murdered her Husband on the 27th of January, 1687/8. (As also the Cause thereof.) / For which she receiv'd Sentence to be Burnt alive: And on Friday the Second Day of March, between the Hours of Ten and Eleven in / the Morning, she was drawn upon a Sledge to Leicester-Fields, where she was burnt to Ashes. A WARNING PIECE TO All Married Men and Women. Being the Full CONFESSION of MARY HOBRY, The FRENCH Midwife, Who Murdered her Husband on the 27th of January, 1687/8. (As also the Cause thereof.) For which she received Sentence to be Burnt alive: And on Friday the Second Day of March, between the Hours of Ten and Eleven in the Morning, she was drawn upon a Sledge to Leicester-Fields, where she was burnt to Ashes. Printer George Croom ?-?

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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 4/4/2016 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America death marriage punishment travel violence Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 4/4/2016 2:25:10 PM XBallad Floyd, Elizabeth Created XML Version of Ballad 4/4/2016 2:25:10 PM Transcription Supervisor Palmer, Megan Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/4/2016 2:25:10 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Bell, Erik Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/4/2016 2:25:10 PM Transcriptionist Two Floyd, Elizabeth Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/4/2016 2:25:10 PM Transcriptionist One Levinson-Emley, Rachel Transcription of ballad manuscript 12/1/2014 Checker Kristen McCants Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 11/30/2015 Checker Erik Bell Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 10/13/2014 Bibliographer Kristen McCants Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created
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ALL you that Married Men and Women be Give Ear unto this woful Tragedy, That now befell a French man and his Wife, Who livd together in continual Strife; One Denis Hobry about Four years since Took to his Wife a Woman Born a French, Whom he Abusd at such inhumane rate, That she a thousand times wishd him ill Fate, And thought within herself to end the Strife, [I]f she were forcd, to take away his Life: The cause that movd him to those Tyrannies, Was her aversion to his Villanies; At length into a private Room she fled, Intending never to Embrace his Bed, Where she remaind four Months, and then by chance Her Husband went beyond the Seas to France; But when returnd, he Courted her again, Tho first he feared it was all in vain. He swore a thousand times to please her Mind, And prove a Husband, faithful, chaste, and kind. His Words prevaild so much, that she did yield, Upon these Terms, to give him up the Field, That he would first confess before a Priest And two Witnesses more, as he ownd Christ To be his God, she was his lawful Wife, And would no more vex her during his Life. Father Gasper wrote this every Word, Who placd it afterwards upon Record. But scarce two days, or three at most, were past, When he on her the old Reproaches cast. In two months time he went to France again, And gave the Woman just cause to complain; For, nothing that he could come at or find, But he brought with him, and left none behind. When three months passed he returned home, And with dissembling Words to her did come; Whom she receivd, expecting his good Will, But soon found him to be the same Man still. She often begd of him, with weeping eyes, A Separation, or that otherwise He would be civil; who gave this Reply, He would her ruine; which causd her to cry, And think to take his Life, or lose her own, Which she did often tell him in her moan. Long she endurd, at last she told her Case To Neighbours that dwelt near about the place, And said, she feard Mischief would be the end Of his ill Actions, or he soon would mend. Three months being passd, one time she took a Knife, With an intent to take away his Life: But God did then bestow on her his grace, Which made her give her Husband longer space. So twice she did intend upon her Bed To stab her Husband, and to leave him dead: And to Himself she did declare her mind, Who dared her in a most foolish, kind. Now he was going from her into France, And she told him, If that it were his chance Ere to come back, and follow the old Rule, She must become unto him something cruel: Who promisd her most earnestly, and swore He never would abuse her as before. In three weeks after he returnd again Unto his Wife, who did him entertain; And said, dear Hobry, welcome thou to me So that you henceforth a good Husband be.
I will, said he, taking a thousand Oaths, If youll me furnish presently with Cloaths. She answered Him, The Times were very dear, And hardly she her honest Debts could clear. He hearing her, most wickedly did curse, And swear he would to her be ten times worse Than ere he was: who then this Answer had From her, That he already made her mad, For that it was most commonly his way When he did want, to threaten night and day, If she could not him furnish, no Excuse Could get place with him, but still her abuse. One Yard to her did openly declare, That for her Ruine her Husband did prepare. Thus they continued in the same degree To th Twenty Seventh of last January; When she, about Ten of the Clock at night Took her Repose, bearing no kind of Spight Or Malice to her Husband, as before, But open, for his Coming, left the door; Who came at Five a Clock next Morning home, And did in Rage and Choler fret and fome, And to his Wife, as dead as in a grave (With Sleep) a blow upon the Stomach gave, Which made her start; What, you are drunk (said he,) If I am not, tis like you are, quoth she: He answerd, I with Rogues all night did sit, Which made me mad, and you must pay for it; Whereupon her gave her another Blow Upon the Breast, which did renew her Woe: To weeping she immediately did fall, And he then took her in his Arms with all His force, till he did stop her Vital Breath, So that she wished for a sudden Death: He forcd on her such barbarous Violence In spight of what she did in her Defence; Forcing much Blood from her, she cried out To her Land-lady, who did not hear the Shout:
Unto the Neighbours Ill (said she) complain; Wherewith he threw her on the Bed again, And bit her like a Dog kept in a yard, Shall this said she, be always my Reward? Yea, answerd he, be sure thyself to keep Well, and with that he fell in a dead Sleep; Which she beholding, and feeling the smart Of his ill usage to her; in her Heart, What shall I do, (said she) must I now Die? Or Murther him that makes me thus to Cry? With that she started full of Wrath and Evil, Being thereto Spurrd by th instinct of the Devil, And pulld his Garter off his Leg in hast, Being a Pack-thread, which she thought no wast, And doubling it about his Neck, she drew The ends so fast, that she him quickly Slew; But soon Repenting, hopd he was Alive, And thought that Brandy would him then Revive: When all was done, her labour was in Vain, For Life once lost, can neer be had again. Till Monday following the Corps was there, For she could not convey it anywhere, Untill she brought her Son out of the Strand, Who durst not speak against her course Command; When he beheld the Corps lye at this rate, He did bemoan his Mothers wretched Fate: What will you do? you must (said he) now Die, Or out of England you must quickly Flie: She told him Money she had none in hand That would buy Passage to another Land; My way said she is to Cut off his Head, His Thighs and Arms, now that he is Dead, And none can tell what Country man hes then, Though he were found by the most wise of Men. At Four or Five past Noon, this Cursed Wife Cut off her Husbands Head with a sharp Knife: His Arms and Thighs came off, his Legs again, And though his Neck did Bleed, he felt no Pain. At Eight a Clock this Night through Castle-street And Drury-lane she went, and none did meet, Until at Parkers lane to please her will She laid the Corps nearby a nasty Dung-hill. She did in Linnen next the Thighs convey Into a Privy thats in the Savoy, Where she again the Arms and Legs did cast, Nothing remaining but the Head at last: She then advised with her Son to know Where they might closely put the Head also; Who said the Water was for it the Place, But she then feard some Man might know his Face; And she at last resolved to this end, To throw t into the Privy of her Friend, A Fringe-maker, that lives by the Savoy, For they do still two Privies there imploy. The Corps being found, and all the truth well known, She did herself no word of it disown; But did confess that no untruth is here, For God will not let Murtherers go clear. She is now Burnd, and beggs of all Mankind And Women too, Wisdom by her to find.
With Allowance. LONDON, Printed and Sold by George Croom, at the Blue-Ball in Thames-street, near Baynards-Castle. 1688.