%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> Save a Theefe from the Gallowes and hee'l hang thee if he can: / Or, The mercifull Father, and the mercilesse Sonne. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center English Broadside Ballad Archive (EBBA) Director Patricia Fumerton Associate Director Carl G Stahmer 1635-1635 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 10/16/2018 36258

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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

S124246 1 Fortune my Foe Fortune my Foe Fortune my Foe YOu disobedient children marke my fall, / And at my timelesse end take warning all. Manchester Central Library Blackletter Ballads Editor none none none none Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 56 Save a Theefe from the Gallowes and hee'l hang thee if he can: / Or, The mercifull Father, and the mercilesse Sonne. Save a Thief from the Gallows and he'll hang thee if he can: Or, The merciful Father, and the merciless Son. 1635-1635 Edwa[?]

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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 10/16/2018 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 10/16/2018 2:45:54 PM XBallad Raychawdhuri, Anita Created XML Version of Ballad 10/16/2018 2:45:54 PM Transcription Supervisor McCants, Kristen Transcription of ballad manuscript 10/16/2018 2:45:54 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Levinson-Emley, Rachel Transcription of ballad manuscript 10/16/2018 2:45:54 PM Transcriptionist Two McCants, Kristen Transcription of ballad manuscript 10/16/2018 2:45:54 PM Transcriptionist One Adkison, Katie Transcription of ballad manuscript 7/23/2018 Checker Kristen McCants Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 7/23/2018 Checker Kristen McCants Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 2/7/2017 Bibliographer Rachel LevinsonEmley Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created
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YOu disobedient children marke my fall, And at my timelesse end take warning all. Against my owne deare Father have I done A deede the like did never gracelesse Sonne. In blooming yeares I was intic'd to sinne, Ere I perceiv'd what danger lay therein: And so from day to day, unto this houre, To leave the same I had not any power. My Mother dead, my Father cockered me, As men will doe when motherlesse we be, And nothing then he thought for me too deare, Which brought me thus into a gracelesse feare. And when as I to elder yeeres did grow, By wicked courses got I timelesse woe: Each vaine delight belonging to young men, Deceived me, and brought my ruine then. The deadly sinnes that are in number seven, Without more grace hath lost my joyes in heaven: From first to last of those most cursed crimes, Have made me now a wonder of these times. For wanting meanes to nourish up delight, I went the wrong, and left the waies of right: [W]hich to maintain, my father being grown poore, [For]getting God, I daily rob'd for more. [Th]ree times he sav'd me from the Gallow tree, [Three ti]mes he cast himselfe in debt for mee, [Three times] he set me up in good estate, [In hope to] keepe me from untimely fate. [By me the] proverb is fulfilled here, [Who saves a] theefe from gallows finds it deare: [For saving me I sought his deare lifes woe, My gentle fathers timelesse overthrow.]
So wanting meanes still to relieve my neede, Put me in mind to doe a hatefull deede, And seeke by blood the highway unto sinne, Who wanting grace I soone grew perfect in. My Fathers brother of good livings knowne, Being dead, as next of kin they were mine owne: The which I wrought with these accursed hands, To be the heire of all mine Uncles lands. With mind prepar'd for murder, thus I went Into the field which he did much frequent: Where meeting him with mine own fathers knife, Which I had stolne, I tooke full soone his life. And laid it then all bloudy by his side, That all might see my Uncle therewith dide, And challeng'd it my Fathers knife to be, When people came the murthered corps to see. O homicide, O cursed viprous brood, Like Caine, to seeke my dearest Fathers bloud: My owne deare Father being thus betraide, I his owne childe the evidence was made. So judg'd to death for that he never did, The Lord in mercy did the same forbid: For as he was to execution led, A world of torments in my bosome bred. To see him stand upon the Gallow tree, From which before (good man) he saved me, I could not chuse but tell what I had done, And so confesse myselfe a wicked sonne. Gods judgement now is rightly showne, said I, Deare Father I have slaine him, let [me die: Oh let me die, and set my father free, Or else like Judas shall I damned be.]
WHereat the people all in that same place, There praised God that gave me so much grace, To quit my Father from that crying sin, Where I with blood-red streams am drowned in. My Father sav'd and I to prison sent, Where now I live with many a sad lament: Which when you heare, you cannot chuse but say, Repentance comes before my dying day.