A Most notable example of an vngracious son who in the pride of his heart denyed his owne fathe[r] and how God for his offence, turned his meate into loathsome toades : to the tune of Lord Darley.

A Most notable example of an vngracious son who in the pride of his heart denyed his owne fathe[r] and how God for his offence, turned his meate into loathsome toades : to the tune of Lord Darley.

Table of contents

[1]

A moſt notable Example of an vngracious Son, who in the pride of his heart denyed his owne Fathe• and how God for his offence, turned his meat into loathſome Toades.

§

[2]

A moſt excellent Ballad, of an old man and his wife, who in their great want and miſery ſought to Children for ſuccour, by whom they were diſdained, and ſcornefully ſent away ſuccourleſſe, and Gods vengeance ſhewed vpon them for the ſame.

§

§

A moſt notable Example of an vngracious Son, who in the pride of his heart denyed his owne Fathe [...] and how God for his offence, turned his meat into loathſome Toades.

[Page]

To the tune of Lord Darley.

IN ſearching famous Chronicles,

it was my chance to reade

A worthy ſtory ſtrange and true,

whereto I tooke good heed,

Betwixt a Farmer and his Sonne,

this rare example ſtands;

Which well may moue the hardeſt hearts

to wéepe and wring their hands.

The Farmer in the Country dwelt,

whoſe ſubſtance had none end;

He ſent therefore his eldeſt Sonne,

in Paris for to dwell,

Where he becauſe a Marchant man,

and trafficke great he vſed,

So that he was exceeding rich,

till he himſelfe abuſed.

For hauing now the world at will,

his mind was wholly bent:

To gaming, wine, and wantonneſſe,

till all his goods were ſpent.

Yea ſuch exceſſiue riotouſneſſe

by him was ſhewed forth,

That he was thrée times more in debt,

then all his wealth was worth.

At length his credit cleane was crackt,

and he in Priſon caſt:

And euery man againſt him then

did ſet his action faſt.

There lay he lockt in yrons ſtrong,

for euer and for aye,

Vnable while his life did laſt,

his grieuous debt to pay.

And liuing in this carefull caſe,

his eyes with teares beſpent:

The lewdneſſe of his former life,

too late he did repent.

And being voide of all reliefe,

of helpe and comfort quite;

Vnto his Father at tho laſt,

he thus began to write.

Bow downe a while your héedfull eares,

my louing Father deare:

And grant A pray in gracious ſort,

my pitious plaint to heare.

Forgiue the ſoule offences all

of thy vnthrifty Sonne:

Which through the lewdneſſe of his life,

hath now himſelfe vndone.

O my good Father, take remorſe

on this my extreme need,

And ſuccour his diſtdeſſed ſtate,

whoſe heart for whe doth bleed.

In direfull dungeon here I lye,

my feet in fetters faſt:

Whom my moſt cruell Creditors

in Priſon ſo haue caſt.

Let pity therefore pierce your breſt,

and mercy moue your minde:

And to releaſe my miſery,

ſome ſhift, ſwéet Father, find.

My chiefeſt chéere is bread full browne,

the boords my ſofteſt bed:

And flinty ſtones my pillowes ſerue

to reſt my troubled head.

My garments all are worne to rags,

my body ſtarues with cold:

And crawling vermine eates my fleſh,

moſt grieuous to behold.

Deare Father, come therefore with ſpéed

and rid me out of thrall:

And let me not in Priſon dye,

ſith for your helpe I call.

The good old man no ſooner had

peruſed this written ſcrowle:

But trickling teares along his chéekes,

from watry eyes did roule.

Alas my ſonne, my ſonne, quoth he,

in whom I ioyed moſt,

Thou ſhall not long in Priſon be,

what euer it me coſt.

Two hundred heads of well fed beaſts,

he changed them for gold:

Foure hundred quarters of good Corne,

for ſiluer eke he ſold.

But all the ſame could not ſuffice,

this haynous debt to pay,

Till at the length conſtrain'd he was

to ſell his Land away.

Then was his ſonne releaſed quite,

his debt diſcharged cleane:

And he likewiſe as well to liue,

as he before had béene.

Then went his louing Father home,

who for to helpe his ſonne,

Had ſold his liuing quite away,

and eke himſelfe vndone.

So that he liued poore and bare,

and in ſuch extreme néed,

That many times he wanted food,

his hungry corps to féed.

His ſon meane time in weolth did ſwim,

whoſe ſubſtance now was ſuch,

That ſure within the City then,

few men were found ſo rich.

But as his goods did ſtill encreaſe,

and riches in did ſlide:

So more and more his hardned heart

did ſwell in hatefull pride:

But it fell out vpon a time,

when ten yéeres woe was paſt,

Vnto his ſonne he did repaire,

for ſome reliefe at laſt.

And being come vnto his houſe,

in very poore array:

It chanced ſo, that with his ſonne

great States ſhould dine that day.

The poore old man with hat in hand▪

did then the Porter pray,

To ſhew his ſonne that at the gate

his father there did ſtay.

Whereat this proud diſdainefull wretc [...]

with taunting ſpeeches ſaid:

That long agoe his Fathers bones

within his graue were laid:

What Raſcall then is that (quoth he)

that ſtaineth ſo my ſtate?

I charge thée Porter preſently,

to driue him from my gate.

Which anſwer when the old man hea [...]

he was in mind diſmayd:

He wept, he waild, he wrung his hand

and thus at length he ſaid,

O curſed wretch and moſt vnkind,

the worker of my woe,

Thou monſter of humanity,

and eke thy fathers foe:

Haue I béene carefull of thy caſe,

maintaining ſtill thy ſtate:

And doſt thou now ſo doggedly

inforce me from thy gate:

And haue I wrong'd thy brethren all

from thrall to ſet thée frée:

And brought my ſelfe to beggers ſtate

and all to ſuccour thée?

Woe worth the time when firſt of all

thy body I eſpide,

Which hath in hardneſſe of thy heart,

thy Fathers face denide.

But now behold how God that time

did ſhew a wonder great:

Euen where his ſon with all his frien [...]

were ſettled downe to meat.

For when the faireſt pye was cut,

a ſtrange and dreadfull caſe,

Moſt vgly Toades came crawling [...]

and leaped at his face.

Then did this wretch his fault conf [...]

and for his Father ſent,

And for his great ingratitude,

full ſore he did repent.

All vertuous Children learne by thi [...]

obedient hearts to ſhew:

And honour ſtill your Parents deare

for God commanded ſo.

And thinke how he did turne his m [...]

to poyſoned Toades indéed,

Which did his Fathers face deny,

becauſe he ſtood in néed.

§

Printed it London for H. Goſſon.

FINIS.

§

A moſt excellent Ballad, of an old man and his wife, who in their great want and miſery ſought to Children for ſuccour, by whom they were diſdained, and ſcornefully ſent away ſuccourleſſe, and Gods vengeance ſhewed vpon them for the ſame.

[Page]

To the tune of Priſcilla.

[figure]

IT was an old man which with his poore wife

in great diſtreſſe did fall:

They were ſo féeble with age God wot,

they could not worke at all.

A gallant Sonne they had,

which liued wealthily:

To him they went with full intent,

to eaſe their miſery.

Alacke and alas for woe, &c.

A hundred miles when they had gone,

with many a weary ſtep:

At length they ſaw their Sons faire houſe,

which made their hearts to leape.

They ſate them on the gréene,

their ſhooes and hoſe to trim:

To put cleane bands about their neckes,

againſt they ſhould enter in. Alack, &c.

Vnto the doore with trembling ioynts,

when thoſe old couple came:

The woman with a ſhaking head,

the old man blind and lame:

Full mannnerly they knockt,

fearing for to offend:

At laſt their Son doth frowningly come

vnto them in the end. Alack, &c.

Good folks, quoth he, what would you haue here,

me thinkes you are too bold?

Why get you not home to your Country

now you are lame and old?

With that they both replyed,

with ſorrow, care, and griefe:

Here are we come to thée our Sonne,

for ſuccour and reliefe. Alack, &c.

This is thy Father (gentle Sonne)

and I thy louiug Mother:

That brought thée vp ſo tenderly,

and lou'd thée aboue all other:

I bare thée in this wombe,

theſe breſts did nouriſh thée:

And as it chanſt, I often danſt

thée on my tender knée.

And humbly now we thée intreat,

my deare and louing Sonne:

That thou wilt doe for vs in our age,

as we for thée haue done.

Nay nay, not ſo, he ſaid,

your ſute is all in vaine:

Tis beſt for you, I tell you true,

to get you home againe. Alack, &c.

The world is not now as when I was born

all things are growne, more deare:

My charge of Children likewiſe is great,

as plainely doth appeare.

The beſt that I can doe,

will hardly them maintaine:

Therefore I ſay, be packing away,

and get you home againe. Alacke, &c.

The old man with his hat in his hand,

full many a legge did make:

The woman wept and wrung her hands,

and prayed him for Chriſt his ſake

Not ſo to ſend them backe,

diſtreſſed and vndone▪

But let vs lie in ſome Barne hereby,

quoth ſhe, my louing Sonne. Alack, &c.

By no meanes would he thereto conſent,

but ſent them ſoone away:

Quoth he, You know the perill of Law,

if long time here you ſtay:

The ſtockes and the whipping poaſt

will fall vnto your ſhare:

Then take you héed, and with all ſpéed,

to your Country doe repaire. Alack, &c.

Away then went this wofull old man,

full ſad in heart and minde:

With wéeping teares his wife did lament

their Sonne was ſo vnkinde.

Thou wicked Childe, quoth they,

for this thy cruell déed,

The Lord ſend thée as little pitty

when thou doſt ſtand in néed.

Alack and alas for woe, &c.

His children hearing their Father ſet

his Parents thus at nought:

In ſhort time after to haue his Land,

his death by ſubtlety wrought:

What cauſe haue we, quoth they,

more kindneſſe to expreſſe,

Then he vnto his Parents did

in their great wretchedneſſe?

Alacke and alas for woe, &c.

They murthered him in pittifull ſort,

they waid not his intreats,

The more he pray'd compaſſionatly,

the greater were their threats,

Speake not to vs, quoth they,

for thou the death ſhalt die:

And with that word, with dagger & ſw [...]

they mangled him monſtrouſly.

Alack and alas for woe, &c.

When they had got his ſiluer and gold,

according to their mind:

They buried him in a ſtinking ditch,

where no man ſhould him find.

But now behold and ſée,

Gods vengance on them all:

To gaine their gold, their Couſin came,

and ſlew them great and ſmall.

Alacke and alas for woe.

He came among them with a great club

in dead time of the night,

Yea two of the Sons he braind therewi [...]

and taking of his flight,

The murtherer taken was,

and ſuffered for the ſame:

Deſerued for their cruelty,

this vengance vpon them cam [...]

Alack and alas therefore,

Alack and alas therefore.

FINIS.

§

Printed [...]t London by E. [...].

Information about this book

Title statement

A Most notable example of an vngracious son who in the pride of his heart denyed his owne fathe[r] and how God for his offence, turned his meate into loathsome toades : to the tune of Lord Darley.

Edition statement

1625

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A68038

ID [STC]

STC 10610.3

ID [STC]

ESTC S2115

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

23038903

ID [OCLC]

ocm 23038903

ID [VID]

26131

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Early English books online.

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A68038)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 26131)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1795:62)

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— A Most notable example of an vngracious son who in the pride of his heart denyed his owne fathe[r] and how God for his offence, turned his meate into loathsome toades : to the tune of Lord Darley.,

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1 broadside.

For H. Gosson,. Printed at London :: [ca. 1625]. (Date of imprint suggested by STC (2nd ed.).) (Without music.) (Bound and filmed with "A most excellent ballad of an old man and his wife" (STC 1329.5, cataloged separately).) (Reproduction of original in the Pepys Library.)

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