%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The second part of the Widdow of Watling-streete, and her three Daughters. 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 06/23/2021 37115

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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

S102127 1 the Wanton wife Wanton Wife, The The Wanton Wife THe beautifull Widdow of Watling streete, / being thus falsly accusde by her sonne: Now fie vpon falshood and forgerie fraile, / For great is the truth and it shall preuaile. Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 58 The second part of the Widdow of Watling-streete, and her three Daughters. The second part of the Widow of Watling-street, and her three Daughters. ?-? T.P.

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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 6/23/2021 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 6/23/2021 4:48:00 PM XBallad Chen, Chelsea Created XML Version of Ballad 6/23/2021 4:48:00 PM Transcription Supervisor McCants, Kristen Transcription of ballad manuscript 6/23/2021 4:48:00 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Stark, Nicole Transcription of ballad manuscript 6/23/2021 4:48:00 PM Transcriptionist Two McCants, Kristen Transcription of ballad manuscript 6/23/2021 4:48:00 PM Transcriptionist One Raychawdhuri, Anita Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/22/2019 Bibliographer Kristen McCants Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created 4/22/2019 Checker Kristen McCants Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 4/22/2019 Checker Kristen McCants Edited Ballad Catalogue Record
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The second part of the Widdow of Watling-streete, and her three Daughters.</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">To the tune of the Wanton wife.</hi></seg>
THe beautifull Widdow of Watling streete, being thus falsly accusde by her sonne: With her three daughters of favor so sweet, Whose beauty the love of so many had wonne, With her daughters three for succour went she, Unto the kings counsaile of Noble degree, Now fie upon falshood and forgerie fraile, For great is the truth and it shall prevaile. Her sonne by a writ now sommoned is, At the Star chamber with speed to appeare: To answere there the abuses of his, The Lords of the counsel the matter will heare: This news was brought his wits he sought, Which way his villanie best might be wrought. Then up and downe the Citty so faire, He seeketh companions to serve his turne: A sort of vacabonds naked and bare, the which to worke murders for money is won: These wretches behold for money and golde: He hired for witnesse his lyes to uphold, etc. My maisters quoth he, my mother by name, To be a lewd strumpet accused I have: And having no witnesse to prove that same, Your ayde and assistance herein I do crave: Therefore without feare, before the Lords there yet this thing is certaine, you sixe shall it sweare. The first two quoth he, shal sweare on a booke That sixteene yeares past they plainely did see, As they through the garden hedge sadly did looke That she in one houre was abused by three: And how it fell, as they markt it wel: That just nine Moneths after she had hir first girle The second couple shall sweare in this sort, That at Bristow faire about xvii. yeares past, She with her owne apprentise did fal in such sport That her second daughter was got at the last, now trust us quod they weele sweare what you say, Or anything else for money this day, etc. And thus the third couple their oath now shal take That as art the Bath she staid on a day. For ach in her bones as the scuse she did make, How she with a Courtier the wanton did play: And how well you wot in the pleasant plot, her dearest young daughter for certaine was got, But now you masters your names let me know: That I may provide you apparell with speed, Like sixe grave Cittizens so must you go, The better your speeches the Lords will heed, So shal I with scorne, ere Saturday morne, Prove her a Harlot, my sisters base borne, etc. My name is makeshift, the first man did say, And Francis light-finger the second likewise, Cutbert creepe-window the third to display, And Rowland Rob-man, with foule staring eyes: Jack shameles comes then with Hary steale-hen, You are quod the widdow some right honest men. Before the Lords most prudent and grave, This wretch doth with his witnesse come: The mother complains & Justice doth crave, Of all the offences that he hath her done: My Lords then quod she, I pray you heare me, The Law for my deeds my warrant shall be.
I say she is a Harlot most vilde, And those be her bastards that standeth in place, And that she hath often her body defilde, By very good witnes ile prove to her face: This thing of thy Mother thou oughtst for to smo-ther Tis shame for a child to speake of his Mother. But if this matter be proved untrue, And thou a false lyar be found to thy face: Worse then an Infidell, Pagon, or Jew, Thou oughtst to be punisht & plagd in this case, And therefore draw neere, and now let us heare, What saies the witnes that here doth appeare: When the first couple did come for to sweare They quiverd and quakt in most wondrous sort, The lords very countenance did put them in feare And now they knew not what to report: The second likewise stard so with his eyes, They stamberd and knew not what to devise. The Lords perceiving the case how it went, Did aske the last couple what they had to say, Who fell on their knees incontinent, Saying they were hir'd for mony that day: Quoth they it is so, the truth for to show, Against the good widow no harme we do know. Thus was the widow delivered from blame, With her three daughters of beauty most bright Her sonne reproached with sorrow and shame, Having his judgment appointed him right: To loose at the least the goods he possest, To loose both his eares, and banisht to rest. When he heard this judgment pronounced to be The teares full bitterly fell down from his face, To mother and sisters he kneeled on his knee, Confessing that Lucre had wrought his disgrace, That for my own gaine, I sought to detaine, My sisters three portions this lye I did faine, Therefore deare Mother forgivenes I crave, Of you and my sisters offended so sore: My body from perill if you will but save, I sweare I will grieve and offend you no more, The Lords then replide, the Law justly tride, the punishment now thou art like to abide, Therefore to prison now thou shalt go, Where thou shalt the kings pleasure abide, From thence to be brought with shame & with wo, To suffer the punishment due to thy pride: Then out of hand, thou shalt understand, That presently thou shalt be banisht the land. Now while in prison this prisoner did rest Himselfe he hanged in desperate wise: Such horror of conscience possessed his brest, & being cast forth, the Ravens pickt out his eies All children behold, what here hath bin tolde, Accuse no man falsly for lucre of golde. Now fie upon falshood, and forgerie fraile, For great is the truth, and it will prevaile.
FINIS. Imprinted at London for T.P.