%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> Saue a Thiefe from the Gallowes and he'll 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 1616-1616 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 10/16/2018 36262

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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

S95047 YOU disobedient children marke my fall, / And by 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. 2: 10 Saue a Thiefe from the Gallowes and he'll 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. Printer W.[I?]. 1616-1616

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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 3:23:38 PM XBallad Raychawdhuri, Anita Created XML Version of Ballad 10/16/2018 3:23:38 PM Transcription Supervisor McCants, Kristen Transcription of ballad manuscript 10/16/2018 3:23:38 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Gerson, Sage Transcription of ballad manuscript 10/16/2018 3:23:38 PM Transcriptionist Two Adkison, Katie Transcription of ballad manuscript 10/16/2018 3:23:38 PM Transcriptionist One McCants, Kristen Transcription of ballad manuscript 7/23/2018 Checker Kristen McCants Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 2/14/2017 Bibliographer Rachel LevinsonEmley Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Save a Thiefe from the Gallowes and he'll hang thee if he can,</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Or, The mercifull father, and the mercilesse sonne.</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">To the tune of Fortune my foe.</hi></seg>
YOU disobedient children marke my fall, And by my timelesse end take warning all: Against mine owne deare father I have done A deed, 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 untill 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 thought he then for me too deare, Which brought me thus into a gracelesse feare. And thus as I to elder yeares did grow, By wicked courses got I timelesse woe, Each vaine delight belonging to yong men, Deceived me, and brought my ruine then. The deadly sinnes that are in number seaven, Without more grace have lost me joyes in heaven: From first to last of those same deadly crimes, Have made me now a monster of these times. For wanting meanes to nourish up delight, I went the wrong, and left the wayes of right: Which to maintain, my father being growne poore, Forgetting God, I daily robd for more. Three times he sav'd me from the gallow-tree, Three times he cast himselfe in debt for me: 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 thiefe from gallowes findes it deare For saving me I sought his deare lifes woe, [My] gentle fathers timeless overthrow.
So wanting meanes still to relieve my need, Put me in minde to doe a hatefull deed, And seeke by bloud 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 by these accursed hands, To be made heire of all my uncles lands. With mind prepar'd for murther thus I went Into the field which he did much frequent: Where meeting him, with my owne fathers knife Which I had stolne, I tooke full soone his life. And laid it then all bloudyed by his side, That all might see my uncle therewith dyde: And challeng'd it my Fathers knife to be, When people came his murdred corps to see. O homicide! Oh cursed viprous brood, Like Cain to seeke my dearest fathers blood: My owne deare Father being thus betrayd, I, his owne child, 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 confest myselfe a wicked sonne. Gods judgement here is rightly shewne, 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 the crying sin, Where I with blood red streames am drowned in. My Father sav'd, and I to prison sent, Where now I lye with many a sad lament: Which when you heare, you cannot chuse but say, Repentance comes before my dying day.
Printed in London by W.P.