<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2010-01-05</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>John Pas</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B081023.pdcc.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B05984">
<STC T="W">S5837</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99887890</BIBNO>
<VID>183549</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="ballad">
<PB REF="1"><!-- PDF PAGE 5 -->
<HEAD>Strange and true News from <HI>We&s;tmoreland.</HI></HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P><HI>Being a true Relation of one <HI>Gabriel Harding,</HI> who coming home drunk, &s;truck his Wife a blow on the brea&s;t, and killed her outright, and then denyed the &s;ame: Likewi&s;e how a Stranger did come to the Hou&s;e clothed in green, the people that were eye witne&s;&s;es &s;aid it was an Angel; and how the Stranger or Angel did give Sentence on the man for kil|ling of his Wife: Al&s;o how Satan did break the mans neck that did for&s;wear him&s;elf, and the Stranger or Angel did command Satan to hurt none el&s;e, and to vani&s;h; Then did the Stranger cloathed in green take his leave of the people; whereof he chiefe&s;t in the Pari&s;h de&s;ired it might be put into Print, and have hereunto &s;et their hands.</HI></P>
</ARGUMENT>
<OPENER>Tune is, <HI>In Summer time.</HI></OPENER>
<P><FIGURE>
</FIGURE></P>
<LG>
<L>ATtend good Chri&s;tian people all,</L>
<L>Mark what I &s;ay both old and young</L>
<L>Vnto the General Iudgement day</L>
<L>I think it is not very long.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>A wonder &s;trange I &s;hall relate,</L>
<L>I think the like was never &s;hown,</L>
<L>In <HI>We&s;tmoreland</HI> in <HI>Tredenton</HI></L>
<L>Of &s;uch a thing was never known,</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>One <HI>Gabriel Harding</HI> liv'd of late,</L>
<L>As may to all men ju&s;t appear,</L>
<L>Who&s;e yearly Rent by just account</L>
<L>Came to five hundred pound a year.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>This man he had a Virtuous Wife,</L>
<L>In Godly ways her mind did give:</L>
<L>Yet he as rude a wicked wretch</L>
<L>As in this &s;inful Land did live.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Much news of him I will relate,</L>
<L>The like no mortal man did hear:</L>
<L>'Tis very new, and al&s;o true,</L>
<L>Therefore good Chri&s;tians all give ear.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>One time this man he came home drunk</L>
<L>As he us'd which made his wife to weep,</L>
<L>Who &s;traight way took him by the hand,</L>
<L>Saying, Dear Husband lye down &amp; &s;leep.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>She lovingly took him by the arms,</L>
<L>Thinking in &s;afety him to guide,</L>
<L>A blow he &s;truck her on the brea&s;t,</L>
<L>The woman &s;traight &s;unk down and dy'd.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Children with mournful cries</L>
<L>They run into the open &s;treet,</L>
<L>They wept, they wail'd, they wrung their hands</L>
<L>To all good Chri&s;tians they did meet.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The people then they all ran forth,</L>
<L>Saying, Children why make you &s;uch moan</L>
<L>O make you ha&s;te unto our hou&s;e</L>
<L>Our dear mother is dead and gone.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<PB REF="1"><!-- PDF PAGE 5 -->
<L>Our Father hath our Mother kill'd,</L>
<L>The Children they cryed then,</L>
<L>The people then they all made ha&s;te,</L>
<L>And laid their hands upon the man.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>He pre&s;ently denied the &s;ame,</L>
<L>Said from guilty Murder I am free,</L>
<L>If I did that wicked deed he &s;aid,</L>
<L>Some example I wi&s;h be &s;een by me.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Thus he for&s;wore the wicked deed,</L>
<L>Of his dear wifes untimely end,</L>
<L>Quoth the people let's conclude with &s;peed,</L>
<L>That for the Coroner we may &s;end.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Mark what I &s;ay, the doors fa&s;t &s;hut,</L>
<L>The people the Children did deplore,</L>
<L>But &s;traight they heard a man to &s;peak,</L>
<L>And one &s;tood knocking at the door.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>One in the hou&s;e to the door made ha&s;te,</L>
<L>Hearing a man to knock and call,</L>
<L>The door was opened pre&s;ently,</L>
<L>And in he came among&s;t them all.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>By your leave good people then he &s;aid,</L>
<L>May a &s;tranger with you have &s;ome talk,</L>
<L>A dead woman I am come to &s;ee,</L>
<L>Into the Room I pray Sir walk.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>His eyes like to the Stars did &s;hine,</L>
<L>He was clothed in a bright Gra&s;s green,</L>
<L>His cheeks was of a Crim&s;on red,</L>
<L>For &s;uch a man was &s;eldome &s;een.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Vnto the people then he &s;poke,</L>
<L>Mark well these words which I &s;hall &s;ay,</L>
<L>For no Coroner yon &s;hall &s;end</L>
<L>I'm Iudge and Iury here this day.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Brng hither the maa that did the deed</L>
<L>And firmly hath denied the &s;ame</L>
<L>They brought him into the room with &s;peed</L>
<L>To an&s;wer to this deed with &s;hame.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Now come O wretched man quoth he,</L>
<L>With &s;hame before thy Neighbours all,</L>
<L>Thy body thou ha&s;t brought to mi&s;ery,</L>
<L>Thy &s;oul into a deeper thrall.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Thy chiefe&s;t delight was drunkenne&s;s</L>
<L>And tewd woman, O cur&s;ed &s;in.</L>
<L>Bla&s;phemous Oaths and Cur&s;es vile</L>
<L>A long time thou ha&s;t wallowed in.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Thy Neighbours thou would&s;t &s;et at &s;trife</L>
<L>And alwayes griping of the poor:</L>
<L>Be&s;ides thou ha&s;t murdered thy wife</L>
<L>A fearful death thou dy'&s;t therefore,</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Fear nothing good people, then he &s;aid</L>
<L>A &s;ight pre&s;ently will appear,</L>
<L>Let all your tru&s;t be in the Lord</L>
<L>No harm &s;hall be while I am here.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Then in the Room the Devil appear'd</L>
<L>Like a brave Gentleman did &s;tand;</L>
<L>Satan (quoth he that was the Iudge)</L>
<L>Do no more than thou ha&s;t command.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Devil then he &s;traight laid hold</L>
<L>On him that had murdered his Wife,</L>
<L>His neck in &s;under then he broke,</L>
<L>And thus did end his wretched life,</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Devil then he vani&s;hed</L>
<L>Quite from the people in the Hall,</L>
<L>Which made the people much afraid,</L>
<L>Yet no one had no hurt at all.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Then &s;traight a plea&s;ant Melody</L>
<L>Of Mu&s;ick &s;traight was heard to &s;ound,</L>
<L>It ravi&s;ht the hearts of those &s;tood by,</L>
<L>So &s;weet the Mu&s;ick did abound.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Now (quoth this gallant man in green)</L>
<L>With you I can no longer &s;tay,</L>
<L>My love I leave, my leave I take,</L>
<L>The time is come, I mu&s;t away.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Be &s;ure to love each other well,</L>
<L>Keep in your brea&s;t what I do &s;ay,</L>
<L>It is the way to go to Heaven</L>
<L>When you &s;hall ri&s;e at Iudgement day.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The people to their homes did go,</L>
<L>Which had this mighty wonder &s;een,</L>
<L>And &s;aid it was an Angel &s;ure</L>
<L>That thus was cloathed all in green.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And thus the News from <HI>We&s;tmoreland</HI></L>
<L>I have related to you o're;</L>
<L>I think it is as &s;trange a thing</L>
<L>As ever man did hear <HI>before.</HI></L>
</LG>
<P>Here are the Names of &s;ome of the chiefe&s;t man that live in the Pari&s;h: Chri&s;to|pher Rawly, <ABBR>E&s;q</ABBR> James Fi&s;h, Gent. William Li&s;&s;e, Gent. Simon Pierce, Ambro&s;e White, Oliver Craft, Robert Bord, Thomas Clifford, Yeomen; George Crawly, Peter Vaux, Philip Cook, Francis Martin, George Hor on, Husbandmen.</P>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<P>Printed for <HI>P. Brooksby</HI> at the Golden Ball in Py-corner.</P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
