%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The Unnatural SON: / OR, / The Old MAN and Poor WIFE; / Who, in their Want and Misery, sought to their Children for Succour, by whom they were / disdained, and scornfully sent away Succourless: With God's just Vengeance shewed on their Chil- / dren for the same. 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 07/07/2021 37388

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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

R236052 1 Pricillia, &c. [unknown] Priscillia, etc. IT was an old Man and his poor Wife, / in great Distress did fall, Alack, and alas, for Woe. British Library - Bagford Editor none none none none Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 2: 49 2: 50 The Unnatural SON: / OR, / The Old MAN and Poor WIFE; / Who, in their Want and Misery, sought to their Children for Succour, by whom they were / disdained, and scornfully sent away Succourless: With God's just Vengeance shewed on their Chil- / dren for the same. The Unnatural SON: OR, The Old MAN and Poor WIFE; Who, in their Want and Misery, sought to their Children for Succor, by whom they were disdained, and scornfully sent away Succorless: With God's just Vengeance showed on their Children for the same. Printer W.O. ?-? W.O. B. Deacon

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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 7/7/2021 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 7/7/2021 11:01:16 AM XBallad Henderson, Olivia Created XML Version of Ballad 7/7/2021 11:01:16 AM Transcription Supervisor McCants, Kristen Transcription of ballad manuscript 7/7/2021 11:01:16 AM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Stark, Nicole Transcription of ballad manuscript 7/7/2021 11:01:16 AM Transcriptionist Two McCants, Kristen Transcription of ballad manuscript 7/7/2021 11:01:16 AM Transcriptionist One Raychawdhuri, Anita Transcription of ballad manuscript 5/21/2019 Bibliographer Kristen McCants Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The Unnatural SON:</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">OR,</hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The Old MAN and Poor WIFE;</hi></seg> <seg n="4" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Who, in their Want and Misery, sought to their Children for Succour, by whom they were</hi></seg> <seg n="5" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">disdained, and scornfully sent away Succourless: With God's just Vengeance shewed on their Chil-</hi></seg> <seg n="6" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">dren for the same. Tune of, <hi rend="bold">Pricillia,</hi> etc.</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="7" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Licens'd according to Order.</hi></seg>
IT was an old Man and his poor Wife, in great Distress did fall, They were so feeble with Age, God wot, they could not work at all: A gallant Son they had which lived wealthily, To him they went with full intent, to ease their Misery: Alack, and alas, for Woe. A hundred miles when they had gone, with many a weary step, At length they saw their Son's fair house, which made their hearts to leap; They set them on the green, their hose and shooes to trim, They put their hands about their necks, against they should enter in: Alack, etc.
Unto the door with trembling joynts, when these old Couple came, The Woman with a shaking hand, the old Man blind and lame; Full mannerly they knockt, fearing for to offend; At last their Son frowningly came unto them in the end; Alack, etc. Good Folks, quod he, what would you have? methinks you are too bold; Why get you not home to your own Country, now you are lame and old? With that they both reply'd, with sorrow, care, and grief, Here are we come, to thee our Son, for succour and relief: Alack, and alas, for Woe.
This is thy Father, gentle Son, and I thy loving Mother, That brought thee up so tenderly, and lov'd thee above all other; I bore thee in my womb, these breasts did nourish thee, And as it chanc'd I often danc'd thee on my tender knee: Alack, and alas, for Woe. And humbly now we do intreat our dear and loving Son, That thou wilt do for us in our Age, as we for you have done. Now nay, not so, he said, your suit is all in vain, 'Tis best for you, I tell you true, to get you home again: Alack, etc. The world's not now as when I was born, all things are grown more dear, My charge of Children likewise is great, as plainly doth appear; The best that I can do, will hardly them maintain; Therefore, I say, be packing away, and get you home again: Alack, etc. The old Man with his hat in his hand, full many a leg did make; The Woman wept and wrung her hands, and pray'd for Christ his sake, Not to send them back, distressed and undone, But let us lye in some barn here by, quoth she, my loving Son: Alack, and alas, etc. By no means he would thereto consent, but sent them soon away, Quod he, You know the peril of the Law, if long time here you stay, The stocks and whipping-post shall fall unto your share; Then take you heed, and with all speed to your Country repair: Alack, etc.
Away then went this woful old Man, full sad in heart and mind, With weeping tears his Wife did lament, their Son was so unkind: Thou wicked Wretch, quoth they, for this thy cruel deed, The Lord send thee as little pitty, when thou dost stand in need: Alack, etc. His Children hearing their Father set his Parents thus at naught, In short time after to have his land, his death they subtilly wrought; What cause have we, quoth they, more kindness to express, Then he unto his Parents did, in their great wretchedness? Alack, etc. They murdered him in piteous sort, they weigh'd not his intreats; The more he pray'd compassionately, the greater were their threats: Speak not to us, quoth they, for thou the death shalt dye; And at that word, with a dagger and sword, they mangled him monstrously. Alack, etc. When they had got his silver and gold, according to their mind, They buried him in a stinking ditch where no Man should him find: But now behold and see God's vengeance on them all, To gain their gold their Cousin came, and slew them great and small: Alack, etc. He came among them with a great club, in dead time of the night, Yea, two of the Sons he brain'd therewith, and taking of his flight The Murderer then taken was, and suffered for the same, Deservedly for that cruelty, and ended his Days in Shame. Alack, and alas therefore.
Printed by and for W.O. and sold by B. Deacon, at the Angel in Gilt-spur-street.