<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2008-12-05</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>John Pas</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B081011.pdcc.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B00433">
<STC T="S">17915.7</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99892875</BIBNO>
<VID>182299</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="ballad">
<PB REF="1" MS="y"><!-- PDF PAGE 17 -->
<HEAD><HI>The wicked Midwife, the cruell Mother, and the harmele&s;&s;e Daughter.</HI> OR, A cruell Murther committed upon a new-borne Childe by the Midwife, whom the Grandmother of the Childe hyred to kill, but unknowne to the Mother of the Childe: Now the Mother of this Infant being fal&s;ely accu&s;ed by her owne Mother, was executed at <HI>Lanca&s;ter</HI> A&s;&s;ize, at Mid&s;um|mer la&s;t.</HEAD>
<OPENER>To the tune of, <HI>The bleeding Heart.</HI></OPENER>
<P><FIGURE>
</FIGURE></P>
<LG>
<L>KInd Country-men pray li&s;ten now,</L>
<L>And Ile declare that all may know</L>
<L>What chance in <HI>Lanca&s;hire</HI> befell,</L>
<L>With teares of woe the &s;ame I tell.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>I well may &s;peake in teares of woe,</L>
<L>The like vile d&eacute;ed I near did know,</L>
<L>But now in the&s;e our latter dayes,</L>
<L>Many offend in wicked wayes.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Forth from the North comes heavy newes,</L>
<L>As all may thinke by this in&s;ues:</L>
<L>My Pen mu&s;t write of bloody crimes,</L>
<L>Which hath b&eacute;ene acted of late times.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>There lived a Maiden young and faire,</L>
<L>Which many young men loved deare:</L>
<L>And him that &s;he e&s;t&eacute;em'd of be&s;t,</L>
<L>Did her mo&s;t wrong of all the re&s;t.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>He with alluring charmes beguild</L>
<L>This Maids, till &s;he was got with childe.</L>
<L>Now here begins this Maidens woes,</L>
<L>As the in&s;uing ver&s;es &s;howes.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Now when the found &s;he was defilde,</L>
<L>And that he had got her with childe,</L>
<L>Then unto him &s;he made her moane,</L>
<L>De&s;iring it might not be knowne.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Quoth he, &s;w&eacute;et Heart, Ile marry th&eacute;e</L>
<L><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> as po&s;&s;ible it may be</L>
<L><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 line"></L>
<L><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 line"></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Then to her Mother &s;he did goe,</L>
<L>Intreating her it might be &s;o,</L>
<L>But &s;he vild woman it denide,</L>
<L>And &s;aid &s;he &s;hould not be his Bride.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Daughter, quoth &s;he, you are too young,</L>
<L>Therefore I charge you hold your tongue.</L>
<L>Seven y&eacute;eres longer you &s;hall carry</L>
<L>Before any young man you marry.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>This an&s;were &s;till her Mother made,</L>
<L>Vntill &s;he &s;aw her Daughter fade,</L>
<L>By perfect tokens &s;he did find,</L>
<L>What did torment her Daughters mind.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And then &s;he her examined,</L>
<L>Who told the truth and near denide,</L>
<L>Poore Maid, with &s;orrow, griefe, and care,</L>
<L>Vnto her Mother did declare,</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>De&s;iring that &s;he might be wed,</L>
<L>To him that gain'd her maidenhead:</L>
<L>But her vild Mother it denide,</L>
<L>Quoth &s;he, for th&eacute;e I will provide.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Thou &s;halt not come to any &s;hame,</L>
<L>For there is none &s;hall know the &s;ame.</L>
<L>You &s;hall &s;ecurely live with me,</L>
<L>'Till that you &s;afe delivered be.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Her time expired that &s;he mu&s;t be</L>
<L>B<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> of paine &s;et fr&eacute;e:</L>
<L><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 line"></L>
<L><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 line"></L>
</LG>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The &s;econd part,</HEAD>
<OPENER>To the &s;ame tune.</OPENER>
<P><FIGURE>
</FIGURE></P>
<LG>
<L>QVoth &s;h&eacute;e I will give you five pound,</L>
<L>So I may find you ju&s;t and &s;ound,</L>
<L>To k&eacute;epe my coun&s;ell in this ca&s;e,</L>
<L>And not declare't in any wayes.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>But fir&s;t Ile have you for &s;o &s;weare,</L>
<L>Ere I to you will it declare,</L>
<L>In this thing that I doe intend,</L>
<L>What you will prove my &s;ecret friend.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Midwife made a &s;olemne vow,</L>
<L>That none from her the &s;ame &s;hould know,</L>
<L>I you'l pay me well for my hire,</L>
<L>Ile doe any thing you require.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Why then quoth &s;he, the cau&s;e is this,</L>
<L>My Daughter now in labour is,</L>
<L>And I doe crave your helpe and skill.</L>
<L>My Daughter &s;ave, but her Child kill.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Quoth the Midwife, I will doe &s;o,</L>
<L>Then homewards they made ha&s;te to goe,</L>
<L>Where they found her in extreme woes.</L>
<L>In &s;tead of friends, they prove her foes.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Now being come to this poore &s;ouls.</L>
<L>Who dur&s;t not them for to controule:</L>
<L>Yet thus her Mother &s;till &s;he pray'd</L>
<L>For to have &s;ome more Womens ayde.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>But &s;he would not thereto con&s;ent,</L>
<L>Becau&s;e of her devilli&s;h intent.</L>
<L>They her delivered of a boy,</L>
<L>The which the Midwife bore away.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And as her Mother had decr&eacute;ed,</L>
<L>The Midwife wrought this horrid d&eacute;ed,</L>
<L>For &s;he the pretty Babe did kill,</L>
<L>And buried it in a Dunghill.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>They told the Mother of the Childe</L>
<L>That &s;he with it &s;hould not be toylde:</L>
<L>And <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">ther for to &s;hun all blame.</L>
<L><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 line"></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Mother, quoth &s;he, pray have a care</L>
<L>Of this my onely Child &s;o deare.</L>
<L>Daughter quoth &s;he, be reconcil'd,</L>
<L>For Ile be carefull of your Child.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Midwife now for money comes,</L>
<L>Expecting to have the whole &s;ummes:</L>
<L>But &s;he that &s;hould have paid the &s;ame,</L>
<L>Said, for her hire, &s;he &s;hould have blame.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Quoth &s;he, how could you have the heart,</L>
<L>To act &s;o vile a bloody part?</L>
<L>Ile give you nothing for your hire,</L>
<L>Tho&s;e &s;p&eacute;eches &s;et her heart on fire.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Away &s;he went thence pre&s;ently,</L>
<L>Whereas the murdered Child did lie,</L>
<L>She takes it up and brings it home,</L>
<L>And laid it in a dark&s;ome roome.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Then &s;he to the old woman &s;aid,</L>
<L>Looke in that roome the Child is laid:</L>
<L>It will a witne&s;&s;e be I doubt</L>
<L>Again&s;t your &s;elfe when it cames out.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Now hearing of her to &s;ay &s;o,</L>
<L>Into the rooms &s;he &s;traite did goe,</L>
<L>The Child from thence &s;he did convay,</L>
<L>Vnder the bed where her Daughter lay.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And then her neighbours &s;he call'd in,</L>
<L>As though &s;he had not guilty b&eacute;ene:</L>
<L>Quoth &s;he, my Daughter is mo&s;t vild,</L>
<L>For &s;he hath murthered her Child.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Her Daughter being thus betraid,</L>
<L>De&s;ired Heavens to be her ayd,</L>
<L>She &s;carcely did the &s;ame deny,</L>
<L>But &s;he lamented bitterly.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>To pri&s;on &s;he conveyed was,</L>
<L>From thence unto the Iudgement place,</L>
<L>Where &s;entence was that &s;he mu&s;t die,</L>
<L><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> &s;he did re<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>She &s;aid that &s;he was no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
<L>Yet &s;he was willing for <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
<L>Becau&s;e her Mother wit<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
<L>In &s;uch a horrid wicked <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>When &s;he came to the pl<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
<L>Where cruell pangs m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
<L>Vnto her Mother &s;he did <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
<L>Craving her ble&s;&s;ing the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Quoth &s;he, I here die <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
<L>At which word many did <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
<L>The world I fr&eacute;ely do <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
<L>Thus did &s;he die, thu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Her Mother &s;&eacute;eing of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
<L>Began for <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">o lam<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
<L>Now &s;he no longe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
<L>For all the truth &s;he <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>She told how all <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
<L>And how the M<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
<L>But money was <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
<L>That brought the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Quoth &s;he my D<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
<L>But my money <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
<L>For love of tha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
<L>Which now brings <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Her Mother now <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
<L>And there mu&s;t lie <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
<L>But then &s;he may <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
<L>'Tis pitty that &s;he <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Midwife fearin<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
<L>Becau&s;e &s;he kill'd the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
<L>Into a Well her &s;el<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
<L>Where &s;he lay lo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Too many &s;uch <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
<L>Before out <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
<L>And th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
<L>As <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"></L>
</LG>
<GAP DESC="missing" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 span">
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
