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<DATE>2008-09-06</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Mona Logarbo</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B080811.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B01545">
<STC T="W">B1674</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99887041</BIBNO>
<VID>183233</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="ballad">
<PB N="28" REF="1" MS="y"><!-- PDF PAGE 4 -->
<HEAD>The Bedford-&s;hire VVidow;</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">OR, <HI>The Poor in Di&s;tre&s;s Reliev'd,</HI></HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>Being a full and true Relation, of a poor Widow, who&s;e Hus|band was dead, and &s;he turn'd out of doors by her Creditors, and forced with her three Children to lye in the &s;treet, and Beg for Bread; and how that Queen <HI>Mary,</HI> walking in her Garden, and hearing her Beg came to her, and cau&s;ed her children to be cloathed and put to Nur&s;e, and gave the poor widow, a weekly pen&s;ion, to maintain her as long as &s;he liv'd.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<OPENER>To the Tune of, Let <HI>Cae&s;ar</HI> live long.</OPENER>
<HEADNOTE>
<P>Licen&s;ed according to Order,</P>
</HEADNOTE>
<P><FIGURE>
</FIGURE></P>
<P><FIGURE>
</FIGURE></P>
<LG>
<L>IN Scripture we read how that <HI>Dorcas</HI> the good,</L>
<L>Did dayly &s;upply the poor Widows with Food.</L>
<L>And many Examples be&s;ides we may find;</L>
<L>All which have been Acted by good VVomen kind,</L>
<L>But none e're more great, or yet glorious were &s;een,</L>
<L>Than this Pious Act of good <HI>Mary</HI> our Queen.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>One time it &s;o chanc'd, on a morning &s;o fair:</L>
<L>Queen <HI>Mary</HI> did walk for to take the fre&s;h Ayr,</L>
<L>In her Garden &s;o Richly bedecked with Flowers,</L>
<L>VVhere, &s;he with delights, did pa&s;s &s;everal hours,</L>
<L>There &s;itting her down in an Arbour alone,</L>
<L>She heard a poor widow, make pittiful moan.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Queen much admiring to hear &s;uch a cry,</L>
<L>She look'd through a wicket, where &s;he did e&s;py</L>
<L>A widdow, as likewi&s;e, three Children &s;mall,</L>
<L>VVho lay in the &s;treet, without &s;ide of the wall,</L>
<L>Begging for Money for to buy them Bread,</L>
<L>Who with hunger and pining, were almo&s;t quite dead</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Queen, &s;he did open the wicket &s;treightway,</L>
<L>And unto the widow, Queen <HI>Mary</HI> did &s;ay,</L>
<L>Good woman I pray you, now why do you cry?</L>
<L>The woman, not knowing her, thus did reply,</L>
<L>My want it is great, I &s;hall peri&s;h for need,</L>
<L>And this is the cau&s;e of my mourning indeed.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>My Husband in Pri&s;on was ca&s;t and is dead;</L>
<L>The Stones are my Couch, &amp; the Streets is my Bed;</L>
<L>My Creditors cruel have &s;eized of all,</L>
<L>Poor I and my Children have nothing at all;</L>
<L>The Lord be my comfort or el&s;e I &s;hall dye,</L>
<L>For here in much hunger, and pain I do lye.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>In <HI>Bedford-&s;hire,</HI> I was born, it is well known.</L>
<L>My Father had Hou&s;es and Land of his own,</L>
<L>But now I am poor, and nothing I have,</L>
<L>I wi&s;h I was put alive into my Grave;</L>
<L>Friends I have none, and my bread it is &s;cant,</L>
<L>That I and my Babes, we &s;hall peri&s;h for want.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>I have a brother, who riches hath &s;tore,</L>
<L>Yet now will not own me, becau&s;e I am poor;</L>
<L>He tells me, my Fortune was once very great,</L>
<L>VVhen I had full plenty, and lived in State;</L>
<L>He will give me nothing, he often doth &s;ay,</L>
<L>Though I have intreated him day after day.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Queen did reply, now I pray be content,</L>
<L>For &s;ome good provi&s;ion to you &s;hall be &s;ent;</L>
<L>Relye upon God, who for you will provide,</L>
<L>And for your poor Children al&s;o be&s;ide;</L>
<L>Ask and receive, in full plenty therefore,</L>
<L>He always regardeth the crys of the Poor.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Queen <HI>Mary,</HI> &s;he then did immediatly call,</L>
<L>Saying bring this Poor VVoman and Children &s;mall,</L>
<L>Now into my Pallace, where let them remain;</L>
<L>The widow perceiving, twas <HI>Mary</HI> our Queen,</L>
<L>She was &s;o amaz'd, on the ground, as &s;he lay,</L>
<L>That not one poor word for her &s;elf &s;he could &s;ay.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Some Victuals were brought, and they heartily fed;</L>
<L>VVarm Cloaths were provided, as al&s;o a bed;</L>
<L>The Children, were then put to Nur&s;e with all &s;peed,</L>
<L>The Queen a good Alms-Hou&s;e to th' widow decreed,</L>
<L>And likewi&s;e a Pen&s;ion, for her did ordain,</L>
<L>And now the poor widow is happy again.</L>
</LG>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<P><HI>Printed for</HI> P. Brooksby, J. Deacon, J. Blare, and J. Back.</P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
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