The second part of the Widdow of Watling-streete, and her three Daughters.
To the tune of The Wanton wife.
THe beautifull Widdow of Watling streete,
being thus falsly accusde by her sonne:
With her three daughters of fauor so sweet,
Whose beauty the loue of so many had wonne,
With her daughters three for succour went she,
Vnto the kings counsaile of Noble degree,
Now fie vpon falshood and forgerie fraile,
For great is the truth and it shall preuaile.
¶Her sonne by a writ now sommoned is,
At the Starchamber with speed to appeare:
To answere there the abuses of his,
The Lords of the counsel the matter will heare:
This news was brought his wits he sought,
Which may his villanie best might be wrought.
¶Then vp and downe the Citty so faire,
He seeketh companions to serue his turne:
A sort of vacabonds naked and bare,
the which to worke murders for money is won:
These wretches behold for money and golde:
He hired for witnesse his lyes to vphold, &c.
¶My maisters quoth he, my mother by name,
To be a lewd strumpet accused I haue:
And hauing no witnesse to proue that same,
Your ayde and assistance herein I do craue:
Therefore without feare, before the Lords there
yet this thing is certaine, you fixe shall it sweare.
¶The first two quoth he, shal sweare on a booke
That sixteene yeares past they plainely did see,
As they through the gardē hedge sadly did looke
That she in one houre was abused by three:
And how it feel, as they markt it wel:
That iust nine Moneths after she had hir first girle
¶The second couple shall sweare in this sort,
That at Bristow faire about xvii. yeares past,
She wt her owne apprentise did fal in such sport
That her second daughter was got at the last,
now trust vs qd. they weele sweare what you say,
Or any thing else for money this day, &c.
And thus ye third couple their oath now that take
That as a [...]t he Bath she staid on a day.
For ach in her bones as the scuse she did make,
How she with a Courtier the wanton did play:
And how well you wot in the pleasant plot,
her dearest yong daughter for certaine was got,
But now you masters your names let me know:
That I may prouide you apparell with speed,
Like sixe graue Cittizens so must you go,
The better your speeches the Lords will heed,
So shal I with scorne, ere Saturday morne,
Prove her a Harlot, my sisters base borne, &c.
¶My name is make shift, the first man did say,
And Francis light-finger the second likewise,
Cutbert creepe-window the third to display;
And Rowland Rob-man, wt foule staring eyes:
Iack shameles comes then wt Hary steale-hen,
You are qd. the widdow some right honest men.
¶Before the Lords most prudent and graue,
This wretch doth with his witnesse come:
The mother complains & Iustice doth craue,
Of all the offences that he hath her done:
My Lords then qd. she, I pray you heare me,
The Law for my deeds my warrant shall be.
I say she is a Harlot most vilde,
And those be her bastards that standeth is place,
And that she hath often her body defilde,
By very good witnes ile proue to her face:
This thing of thy Mother yu oughtst for to smother
Tis shame for a child to speake of his Mother.
¶ But if this matter be proued vntrue,
And thou a false lyar be found to thy face:
Worse then an Infidell, Pagon, or Iew,
Thou oughtst to be punisht & plagd in this case,
And therefore draw neere, and now let vs heare,
What saies the witnes that here doth appeare?
¶When the first couple did come for to sweare
They quiuerd and quakt in most wondrous sort,
The lords very coūtenance did put them in feare
And now they knew not what to report:
The second likewise stard so with his eyes,
They stamberd and knew not what to deuise.
¶ The Lords perceiuing the case how it went,
Did aske the last couple what they had to say,
Who fell on their knees incontinent,
Saying they were hir'd for mony that day:
Quoth they it is so, the truth for to show,
Against a good widow no harme we do know.
¶Thus was the widow deliuered from blame,
With her three daughters of beauty most bright
Her sonne reproached with sorrow and shame,
Hauing his iudgment appointed him right:
To loose at the least the goods he possest,
To loose both his eares, and banisht to rest.
When he heard this iudgment pronoūced to be
The teares full bitterly fell down from his face,
To mother and sisters he kneeled on his knee,
Confessing yt Lucre had wrought his disgrace,
That for my own gaine, I sought to detaine,
My sisters three portions this lye I did faine,
Therefore deare Mother forgiuenes I craue,
Of you and my sisters offended so sore:
My body from perill if you will but saue,
I sweare I will grieue and offend you no more,
The Lords then replide, the Law iustly tride,
the punishment now thou are like to abide,
¶Therefore to prison now thou shalt go,
Where thou shalt the kings pleasure abide,
From thence to be brought wt shame & with wo,
To suffer the punishment due to thy pride:
Then out of hand, thou shalt vnderstand,
That presently thou shalt be banisht the land.
¶Now while in prison this prisoner did rest
Himselfe he hanged in desperate wise:
Such horror of conscience possessed his brest,
& being cast forth, the Rauens pickt out his eies
All children behold, what here hath bin tolde,
Accuse no man falsly for lucre of golde.
Now fie vpon falshood, and forgerie fraile,
For great is the truth, and it will preuaile.
FINIS.
Imprinted at London for T. P.