<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2008-09-02</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>tcpstaff</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B080848.pdcc.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B04541">
<STC T="W">N560A</STC>
<BIBNO T="oclc">47012542</BIBNO>
<VID>174512</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="ballad">
<PB REF="1" MS="y"><!-- PDF PAGE 9 -->
<HEAD>A new Ballad intiuled, The &s;tout Cripple of Cornwall, Wherein is &s;hewed his di&s;&s;olate life and de&s;erved death.</HEAD>
<OPENER>The tune is, The blind Begger.</OPENER>
<P><FIGURE>
</FIGURE></P>
<P><FIGURE>
</FIGURE></P>
<LG>
<L>OF a &s;tout Cripple that kept tht high-way,</L>
<L>And beg'd for his living all time of the day,</L>
<L>A Story Ile tell you that plea&s;ant &s;hall be,</L>
<L>The Cripple of <HI>Cornwall</HI> &s;ir-named was he.</L>
<L>He crept on his hands and kn&eacute;es up and down,</L>
<L>In a torn Iacket, and a ragged patcht Gown,</L>
<L>For he had never a Leg to the Kn&eacute;e,</L>
<L>The Cripdle of <HI>Cornwall</HI> &s;i<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">r-named was he,</L>
<L>He was of a &s;tomack couragious and &s;tout</L>
<L>For he had no cau&s;e to complain of the gout,</L>
<L>To goe upon &s;tilts mo&s;t cunning was he,</L>
<L>With a &s;taffe on his neck mo&s;t gallant to &s;&eacute;e,</L>
<L>Yea, no good fellow&s;hip would he for&s;ake,</L>
<L>Were it in &s;ecret a Pur&s;e for to take.</L>
<L>His help was as good as any might be,</L>
<L>The Cripple of <HI>Cornwall</HI> &s;irnamed was he.</L>
<L>When he upon any &s;erv<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ce did goe</L>
<L>The crafty young Cripple provided if &s;o</L>
<L>His Tools he kept clo&s;e in an old hollow Tr&eacute;e,</L>
<L>That &s;tood from the City a mile two or thr&eacute;e,</L>
<L>Thus all the way long he beg'd for reliefe.</L>
<L>And all the night long he plaid the fal&s;e Thiefe</L>
<L>And &s;even years together this cu&s;tome kept he,</L>
<L>And no man knew him &s;uch a per&s;on to be.</L>
<L>There were few Gra&s;ier<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> went on the way,</L>
<L>But unto the Cripple for pa&s;&s;age did pay</L>
<L>And every brave Merchant that he did de&s;ry</L>
<L>He emptied their pur&s;es ere they pa&s;&s;ed by.</L>
<L>The noble Lord <HI>Courtney</HI> both gallant &amp; bold</L>
<L>Rode forth with great plenty of &s;ilver and gold,</L>
<L>At <HI>Exeter</HI> there a purcha&s;e to pay</L>
<L>But that the fal&s;e Cripple his journy did &s;tay.</L>
<L>For why? the fal&s;e Cripple beard tydings of late,</L>
<L>As he &s;ate for alms at the Noble mans gate,</L>
<L>This is (quoth the Cripple) a booty for me</L>
<L>And Ile foll&oacute;w clo&s;ely as clo&s;ely may be.</L>
<L>Then to his compan<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ons the matter he moved,</L>
<L>Which their like actions before time had proved,</L>
<L>They make them&s;elvs ready and d&eacute;eply they &s;wear</L>
<L>The monies their own before they come there,</L>
<L>Vpon his two &s;tilts the Cripple did mount,</L>
<L>To have the be&s;t &s;hare it was his full account.</L>
<L>All cloathed in Canvas down to the ground.</L>
<L>He took up his place his Mates with him round.</L>
<L>Then coms y^t <HI>L Courtney</HI> with half a &s;core men</L>
<L>Yet little &s;u&s;pecting the&s;e th&eacute;eves in their den,</L>
<L>And they perceiving them come to their hand</L>
<L>In a dark Evening bid them to &s;tand.</L>
<L>Deliver thy pur&s;e quoth the cripple with &s;p&eacute;ed.</L>
<L>For we be good fellows and therefore have n&eacute;ed,</L>
<L>Not &s;o quoth Lord <HI>Courtney</HI> but this Ile tell y&eacute;e,</L>
<L>Win it and wear it el&s;e get none of me.</L>
<L>With that the Lord <HI>Courtney</HI> &s;tood in his defens</L>
<L>And &s;o did his Servants but ere they w<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 span">kt thence</L>
<L>Two of the true men were &s;lain in the fight</L>
<L>And four of the Th&eacute;eves were put to the flight,</L>
<L>And while for their &s;afegard they ran thus away</L>
<L>The jolly bold Cripple did hold the re&s;t play</L>
<L>And with his pike &s;taff he wounded them &s;o,</L>
<L>As they were unable to run or to go,</L>
<L>With fighting the L. <HI>Courtny</HI> was out of breath</L>
<L>And mo&s;t of his Servants were wounded to death</L>
<L>Then came other hor&s;emen riding &s;o fa&s;t,</L>
<L>The Cripple was forced to flye at the la&s;t.</L>
<L>And over a River that ran there be&s;ide,</L>
<L>Which was very d&eacute;ep and eighteen foot wide,</L>
<L>With his long &s;taff and his &s;tilts leaped he,</L>
<L>And &s;hifted him&s;elf in an old ha<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 span">law tree,</L>
<L>Then throughout the Country was hu &amp; cry made</L>
<L>To have the&s;e Theevs apprehended and &s;taid,</L>
<L>The Cripple he cr&eacute;eps on his hands and his kn&eacute;es</L>
<L>And in the high way great po&s;ting he &s;ees,</L>
<L>And as they came riding he begging doth &s;ay.</L>
<L>O give me one penny good Ma&s;ters I pray,</L>
<L>And thus unto <HI>Exeter</HI> creeps he along,</L>
<L>No man &s;u&s;pecting he had done wrong.</L>
<L>Anon the Lord <HI>Courtney</HI> he &s;pyes in the &s;treet,</L>
<L>He comes unto him and he ki&s;&s;es his feet,</L>
<L>Saying God &s;ave your honor and keek you from il</L>
<L>And from the hands of your Enemies &s;till,</L>
<L>Amen qd, L. <HI>Courtney</HI> and therewith flung down</L>
<L>Vnto the poor Cripple an <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Crown.</L>
<L>Away went the Cripple and thus he did think,</L>
<L>Five hundred pound more will make me to drink</L>
<L>In vain that hue and cry it was made</L>
<L>They found none of them tho the country was laid</L>
<L>But thus griev'd the Cripple night and day,</L>
<L>That he &s;o unluckily mi&s;t of his prey</L>
<L>Nine hundred pound this Cripple had got,</L>
<L>By begging and theeving &s;o good was his lot,</L>
<L>A thou&s;and pound he would make it up he &s;aid,</L>
<L>And then he would giva over his Trade.</L>
<L>But as he &s;trived his mind to fulfill,</L>
<L>In following his act ons &s;o lewd and &s;o ill,</L>
<L>At la&s;t he was taken the law to &s;uffice,</L>
<L>Condemned and hanged at <HI>Exeter</HI> Size.</L>
<L>Which made all men amazed to &s;ee.</L>
<L>That &s;uch an impudent Cripple as he.</L>
<L>Should venture him&s;elf to &s;uch actions as they</L>
<L>To rob in &s;uch &s;ort upon the high-way.</L>
</LG>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<P>Printed <HI>for</HI> F, Coles. T. Vere and W. Gilbert&s;on,</P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
