The title of the 1610 pamphlet
tells the story (archaic spelling is retained): The bloudy mother, or The most inhumane murthers, committed
by Iane Hattersley vpon diuers infants, the issue of her owne bodie: & the
priuate burying of them in an orchard with her araignment and execution. As
also, the most loathsome and lamentable end of Adam Adamson her Master, the
vnlawfull begetter of those vnfortunate babes being eaten and consumed aliue
with wormes and lice. At east Grinsted in Sussex neere London, in Iuly last.
1609.
Her third pregnancy and infanticide was also commented upon
by her neighbours. Frances Foorde a neighbour came to her house during her
labour and heard through the door ‘the shriek of a newborn infant’, which she
did not see or hear again, although Jane came out to talk to her.
This evidence was given at her trial and led to her eventual
execution.
[Laura Spence, Women Who Murder In Early Modern England,
1558-1700, Dissertation, University of Warwick, September 2010, pp. 34-5]
TITLE PAGE: The bloudy mother, or The most inhumane
murthers, committed by Iane Hattersley vpon diuers infants, the issue of her
owne bodie: & the priuate burying of them in an orchard with her araignment
and execution. As also, the most loathsome and lamentable end of Adam Adamson
her Master, the vnlawfull begetter of those vnfortunate babes being eaten and
consumed aliue with wormes and lice. At east Grinsted in Sussex neere London,
in Iuly last. 1609.
T. B. (Thomas Brewer) Printed for Iohn Busbie, and are to be
sold by Arth•…r Iohnson in Paules Churchyard at the signe of the White Horse.
FULL TEXT:
To the Reader.
YOu haue heere no translated wonder, no far fetcht matter,
no English lie, to passe for an outlandish truth: but a true relati∣on
of that that many tongues can wit∣nes to those that ambiguously shal
stand to withstand it. If it broght not with it that probabili∣tie
that it doth, I could not blame any that shold haue a ielosie or mistrust of
the certaintie of it; for we haue had some peices that haue had faire stampes,
but the stuffe has bin counterfeite. But this I cannot suspect can be suspected
by any (after they haue read it:) For first, the nearnesse of the place where
these cruelties were executed: secondly the time: thirdly the rumour hath bin
spread of it: and lastly the names of those that at the bench gaue euidence
against them, persons (for the most part) of good sufficiencie, yet liuing,
cannot but inforce a beleefe in any that haue sence to sen∣sure
vpon such manyfest markes of veritie.
Such it is, as mothers with wet eyes, and Fathers with
grieu'd hearts may receiue: for with the cheife of many precedent
soule-confounding mischeifes, this may stand, to shevv (with terror) the bloody
and most dangerous events of lust, and such libidinous liuing.
Tho. Brew.
The bloodie Mother. OR The most inhumaine murthers of Iane
Hattersley vppon diuers infants, being the issue of her owne bodie.
HAppie is that man whome o∣ther mens harms maketh to be wise.
I happie, and thrise happie is he indeed: but such is the folly of men in this
our vnhappie age, that though they see the most heauie and lamenta∣ble
ends of thousands of hell-charmd malefactors, yet they will not learne good
from their ill, nor to be wise by their folly.
Sinne, like a subtill and most cunning adulator, comes vpon
vs with a faire looke, and a tongue full of most fine words and phrases,
promising all happinesse and sweet content at his entrance; and with that
promise hastilye gets to the heart of man; where hauing once got firme footing,
he staies, till the most bitter and formenting contraries of his promised, euen
kill the hart he takes hold on.
O how happy is he, that seeing the foule ends of folly, and
vngratious actions a farr off, feares least the temptation and thought, which
was the Embryon of that euill, insinuate, and creepe into his heart: and
fearing praise for assistance to him that helps, whosoeuer calles vpon him for
helpe: one cole of fire is easily quenched, when many are hardly, or neuer
extin∣guisht,
till they haue confounded the matter they light on: So sinne, while tis but a
sparke, with easie opposition may be expeld the hart and minde of man: but
suffered to feed vpon the fewell Sathan casts in, and so to 〈…〉
spread it selfe in furious •…ames, will be the dire fall an•…•…usion of his
sufferer.
What heauie ends follow light beginnings, we may easily see,
& not goe farre to finde them; for alas, the multiplicity of sin, shews it
in euery corner. As for example: many there be that amongst their cannes, halfe
cannes, and most vnhealthfull healths, haue falne from ordinarie & familiar
conference to high and opprobrious speeches: from such words, to blowes: from blowes
to stabs: so in blood, and hemp, haue made an vn∣timely and heauie deuision of
their soules and bodyes.
Some entring into play, thinking at the enterance vppon
nothing but the ordinary end; vpon some pettie, ridiculous, and most childish
occasion, haue entertaind anger, and in that madnesse, (for indeed it is so)
one has bin sent to his graue, and the other to the gallowes.
Some taken in the stronge entangling nette of a beautious
looke, haue so •…bord for their maintenance, and securitie in that most dangerous
pleasure, that they haue drawne vpon themselues, an vnexpected reward: for the
reward of their la∣bor has bin the horror of their consciences, the greife
of their friends, and the shortning of their owne dayes, with shame and
bitternesse.
Thus much haue I said, to excite men at the very beginning,
and entrance of sinne to behold it, with an eye of perfect iudgement and
thoughts of a heauenly temper, that this Ser∣pent, with an Angelles forehead
and a diuells taile, may not be suffered to creepe in, to his confounding
labor.
But now to my bloody and heauie subiect: In Sussex in a
towne cald East Grinsteed, dwelt one Adam Adamsonne; a man that for his yeares,
place, and sufficiencie in estate of liuing, was in good account and recconing
amongst his neighbours, But men can but see as men; the eye of man, cannot
peirce or prye into the thoughts and intent of man; neither can it giue the
hart intelligence, but from outward behauiour and work∣ing: And
therefore right easily may the iudgements of men be deceiued: for most common
it is for man, to seeme that he should be, and be that he should not 〈◊〉 so
deceiuing (as I said) the ho∣nest coniectures and iudgements of
men, by a false and adulte∣rate appearance; as in this Adam
Adamsonne is apparant: for with a shew of honestie and good dealing, he couered
a masse of dishonest and putrified cogitations: amongst which, the most ranke
and corrupted, were of lust.
He had a wife, but the vigor and strength of lust, carried
his loue from her to a seruant he kept; who was as fitt for his thoughts (in
affibilitie and easie yeelding) as if she had spent an apparentiship in a house
of such trading, as train•… such as she to such damnable seruice and
imployment.
So much he doted vpon this strumpet, that all the loue and
kindnes that was fully due to his ligitimate bed-mate, she was mistris and
commaundresse of: what she commaunded must be performed; what she requested,
must be prouided; and what she was displeasd with, to please her must be
remoued: her will was Adamant and his Iron, which followed the at∣traction
of hers, to the very vtt•ermost of her pleasure: and often to make her the more
prone and apt to his will, he would pro∣mise her when his wife dyed, to
make her his wife: which pro∣mise so wrought in her minde, that
shee thought euery day a yeare till she might see the last gasp of her Dame.
So long were these thoughts suffred, without a gracious
resistance, that they grew to that strength, that they stird her to shew the
fowlnes of them in action: but the Lord so guarded the innocent wrong'd wife of
Adamson, that she could not haue the power to performe her diuillish purpose.
Six weekes she bare poyson in her pursse, to spice hir dames
drinke withall, in which time she made many faire (or rather most damnable
foule) proffers; but all were most strangely, and admirably frustrated by the
will of the almighty searcher of harts and reines, who saw and preuented euery
wicked and vngodly attempt of hers. When she saw that she was so oft and so
strangely preuented she resolud to giue ouer that purpose, and in that
resolution, she threw her poyson into the fire and burnt it.
Many yeares did this olde Lecher maintaine this young Lena
in this obscure and most foule sinne, in so thick a cloud of secrecie, as the
diuell makes fit, to helpe those that labour in the busines that is sweete
& pleasing to him, for ten or twelue haruests haue they reapt the most
wicked pleasures of their vn∣godly lust. In which time, the ful
number of the babes they haue had, cannot be knowne, but three she confest,
besides one that is yet liuing.
Of the first of her loads of woe and shame, (being by Adamson
turnd off, for that he suspected she made another partner with him in his
loathsome libidinous sinne) she lay in the house of one goodman King, who with
his wife ignorant of her ignomi∣nous course of liuing, and present
estate of bodie, had enter∣taind her very kindly.
But as she deceiu'd them, she deceiu'd many, for she so cun∣ningly
blinded the eyes of people, in the time that her sinne must needs appeare, with
loose lacing, tucking, and other odde tricks that she vsed, that to the very
instant minute of her deliuerie, none could perceiue she was with childe.
This Good-man King, and his wife (as thriftie persons vse to
doe) left their bed very early euery morning, and Iane to lye by it at her
pleasure.
It chanced so one morning, being thus left alone, that a
neighbors wife, comming to speake with goodwife King, found her in hard
trauaile with child: which (with an astonisht mind) perceiuing, she presently
ran to Kings barne, where she found him at his labour.
To him she very hastily, as halfe affrighted with that she
had seene, tould all, desiring him to call his wife and goe hen•e▪ he presently
left his worke and went with her, and before they came to his doore they met
his wife, then altogether going hastily home, they met this common & most
impudent bastard∣bearer, cōming out of the dores with the prety infant,
that euen that minute was come from her poluted womb, into this world, and that
then should haue bin tenderly laid and louingly looked vnto, most carlesly
wrapt vp in her apron, intending (as we may bouldly imagine) in some impuous
and execrable sort to haue made it away.
But that intent was by the blessed will and pleasure of God
most happily preuented, by these persons.
Very kindly at first, considering her case, they desired to
see ]
what she had in her apron; but Iane knowing the perill of it, told them she had
nothing there but a few foule clothes shee had looked vp to haue washt, and so
would haue past by them.
But they by no meanes, would suffer her to passe; inso∣much
that she fell to striuing with them for passage.
In this strife, the poore infant, so vnnaturally laid, by
his most vnaturall mother, (in a pittifull shreeke) did as it were, tell his
preseruers, that she told a wicked and villanous vn∣truth.
They hearing the cry of the infant, violently tooke it from
her, and after they had it, with kind vsage requested her to show the womanhood
that in that case was requisit; and not to shame her selfe, and bring a
scandalous imputation vpon her sex, by her obstinacie, and stuborne wildnes.
After many honest and faire perswasiue speeches, they got
her in a doores, and laid her in her bed, good-wife King very carefully tended
her, and mistrusting she would doe some mis∣cheife to that vnhappy issue, of
her loynes, she nightly lay with her.
Fiue or six nights she was her bedfellow, in which time she
perceiud in her no intent of euill against the infant, so that then she made
boulder to rise from her, then at the first she vsd to do.
But (oh greefe to relate it) she was no sooner out of the
house, but this shame of women tooke that from her sweet infant, that all
honest mothers striue, with all tender, louing, and diligent industry to
preserue and maintaine.
With that hand that should haue tenderly fed it, and giu'n
it that should haue maintaind the breath, she more then Tyger∣like,
stopt the breath. O cruell mother, O griefe to mothers, O wretch most wicked,
vnworthy the name of a mother.
Mothers haue harts of war that melt and consume in the heate
of sorrow, that comes by the wrong of their children: and eyes (that like full
fountaines) in aboundance of teares, shew the greefe and anguish they suffer for
the least wrong their children suffer.
But this wretch had a hart of steele, and eies of marble, so
indurate, that no motion of heauen, or sparke of humaine pitty, could be seene
or perceiued in them.
Long this woman (though too long) staid not in the busines
she went to, but returning she found a heauie obiect, the babe by his mother
breathlesse, with the mouth of it all •oyld with fome, that rose by her violent
wringing.
This sight struck her with such a strange and inexcogitable
amazment, that she could not perfectly tell, whether she saw that she saw or
no, but stood as if her sences had lost their power and operations: for she
knew she left the child perfectly well, and to see it so suddainly dead, (for
she was not an houre ab∣sent) she lamentably wondred.
This honest woman, maruelously incensed against her, by the
death of the infant, presently ran and fetch'd the constable, and other
neighbours, to see that eye-wounding spectacle, but before she (with them)
could returne, this most wicked of all precedent wickednes, had so wrought vpon
the child, to clense & trim it, that there was no signe of such a hand as
is minister to a hell-hardned hart, to be found vppon it: so that the babe,
(ignorantly) taken to be ignorantly ouer laid (for so Iane bouldly & deeply
swore it was) was without any great adoe, there buried. Goodwife King presently
giuing her such things as were hers, except a gowne she stopt for some
arrerages, or mony due for some matter, turnd her out of her dores.
Iane presently, notwithstanding the spleene of her maister,
in his iealious humor went vnto him, & after a fewe faire words and kinde
promises, was as strongly possest of his filth-affect∣ing fauour
and friendship as euer she was before: where with a face artificially set
desembling, she made a very sore complaint of very great and greiuous abuse
offered her by goodman King and his wife, and how they kept her gowne from her.
These words of hers, stird the blood of Adamson so strongly,
(in which he shewed the strength of the loue he bar• he) that presently he got
them iointly arested, and so wrapped them (as I may say) in the law, and
wrought vpon that wrapping, that in reuenge of his harlot, like a man vtterly
void of all sence or feeling, either of the ioyes of heauen, or woes of hell,
he did vt∣terly vndoe this poore couple.
As soone after this as nature will suffer, mistrusted to be
with child, she was searched by women, and found to be so: yet against them
all, with bitter and vehement othes, she stood in it they wrongd her, and were
ignorant in that knowledge, in giuing that iudgement vppon her, swearing she
was as cleare from that state or the cause of it, as she was in her cradle.
But within a while after, (as great breakers vse to doe)
shee plaid least in sight, for the space of foure or fiue dayes, no neigh∣bour
could haue a sight of her: all which time, she lay to be de∣liuered
of the loade that made her load her soule, with periurie, in Adamsons house.
This infortunate fruite of lust, and vnlawfull pleasures,
was no sooner borne, but by the hand of the bloody mother it was murthered, and
by the cunning of the cruell father, most secretly buried in a graue of his
owne making, by the side of a Box tree, in his orchard, which orchard not long
after he sould to one Edward Duffield: which done, she presently (to wipe of
the staine of susspition) stept from her bed (the bed that honnest wo∣men
cannot stepp from so lightly, neither if they could would, in decencie and
woomanhood) to her ordinary walkings.
She was (I say) presently seene abroad againe well, and so
lustie, as if she had no such strength-abating pang, as was iustly suspected,
and she truly suffred to haue made her carrie a con∣trary
appearance.
But common it is that such common peices, can beare it out
better then true and lawfull bearers of children can.
Adamson vppon this, cunning in their villanie emboldned, (to
cast this and other such like rubbes out of the way of their wickednesse)
impudently like a true brazen fac'd founder, opposd himselfe against her
searchers, and all such as mutterd in suspi∣tion against her, with peremptory
speeches, oathes and threa∣nings, which carried such a shew
of innocencie and clearnesse, that for that time he carried himselfe cleare
from the danger due to so foule and most vild a transgression.
The shame of her priuie offending, a third time growne to
ripenesse, she was laid in her old receptacle of sinne, (Adamsons house) very
priuatly? to which iust vppon the time of her paine in that busines, came one Fraunces
Foord, the wife of one Iohn Foord a neighbour to buye bread, who hearing some
lowe de∣prest
cryes and grones from Iane; thinking she had bin disseased by some ordinary
infirmitie, went vp: but she was no sooner entred into the roome where Iane
lay, but Iane very sodainly (fearing she would bewray her) requested her to goe
downe into the parler to set her nekercher, which Foords wife did; and when she
had don, (mistrusting no such thing, as they feared she would finde) went vp
againe to her chamber, but ere she could get to the top of the staires, the
chamber doore was shut against her by the wicked woman that was hir'd by her
and her maister to keep her in that case, and to keep that wickednes for euer
concealed. This goodwife Foord, thus withstood in her kindnesse, marueiled, but
made no words about it, yet mistrust∣ing she knew not what, she went
not downe, but staid and peept through the key-hole of the doore: through which
shee saw Iane (very warme wrapped) set in a wicker chaire by her beds side,
with a look bewraying very great debilitie and faint∣nes of body:
and not farre from, was a good fire to comfort her and to make ready such
things as might comfort her.
Yet, nothing mistrusted Foords wife, that she sate then gro∣ning
vnder the Annuall, or yeerely woe of a woman.
But long she stood not thus, ere she heard the weake shrike
of a new borne infant, and sawe in the hands of the keeper, a bole-dish, in
which was the after birth of a child, and other perspicuous and euident tokens
of a child borne at that instant.
Hauing seene this, to keepe it from their knowledge, she ve∣ry
easily went downe the staiers, and after a little stay, hearing the chamber
doore open, vp againe, and suddainely (to preuent auother preuention) into her
chamber: And there (without any shew of any thing that might bewray her
knowledge) she stood talking with Iane halfe an houre: in the time of which
confe∣ence,
her eye and eare were busie, to find that she sawe through the key hole; but
she could neither see what she had seene, nor heard what she had heard: for all
was most cunningly cleard by her conning keeper.
This child, as by manifest and probable circumstances appeard
at her triall, Adamson (after they had by most vile and inhumaine violence,
taken the breath from it, that but then it had receiued) in the dead of night
(friend to rape & murther) bu∣ried in an vnknowne graue as the
former.
And this villainie, as the former, he with his countenance,
as opposd against the weake words of Foords wife by reason of want of greater
proofe then her owne speeches, he easily past ouer, and they slept as securely
for all this start, in their horrible vncleanesse as before.
Still progrest this most gracelesse, audatious and impudent
beast, (too bad to beare the good name of woman) in this sinne, with all
impudencie.
This Chimera, with a Lions vpper-part in bouldnesse: a Goates
middle part in lust: and a Serpents lower part in sting and poyson.
Not long after this (for there were no greater Interims, be∣tweene
their great bellies then must needs be) the maturitie of her wombe, shewed it
selfe againe in swelling, which with a greater circumspection, then before was
looked into, many eies attended it to see the euent, and finde the euents of
former.
But she perceiuing she was so narrowly pryed into, fearing
they would finde that they sought for (her forepa•… villanie) she left her
maisters house; and went to Darking, to one Crab a Tailor, who had married a
sister of hers, & in his house, she was deliuered of a child, which was put
to nurse to one Thomas El∣lis, who tenderly tended it.
There she was too farre from the murdering hand, or cun∣ning
braine of her maister, to serue it as she had serued his fellowes: nay this
babe had such blest fortune, that insteed of the cruelltie, his poore bretheren
or sisters had from his lawlesse begetter, he had kindnesse and comfort, for he
allowed the nurse a good cow to giue her milke, that the allowance of the child
might be the better.
Many great bellies had she, besides these here spoken of,
but the vnhappie loads of them could neuer be seene: by which we may iustly
think•, and perfectly in reason, knowe, that there were many more murders, then
are in these leaues laid open: for (as I haue before said) for the space of ten
or twelue yeares this wicked couple continued vndetected, in these abho∣minable
sinnes of lust and murder.
Many times did Adamson, with his owne tongue giue cause of a
suspition for three or foure times, as Edward Duffell wrought in his Orhcard
(which as I haue before said was A∣damsons) he was earnestly
requested and sometime straightly charged, not to digg neere the Box tree: he
not mistrusting such a thought as raisd that prohibition, maruailed; yet not
know∣ing
what to make of it, let it passe without any further think∣ing
vppon it.
But see the goodnesse of the •eare of euery secret: within a
small time after this (vppon what occasion I know not) Adamson & Iane were
at high words, and very bitter reuilings past from one to another. In which
windie battails, Iane cald her maister murderer, in the hearing of many
neighbours, and that not once or twice, but itterated and reitterated it, very
freely & bouldly: and to this added, that there was that yet hid∣den,
that would hang him. And that there was a tree in Duffels orchard, which if it
could speake, would send him to the gallows.
These words in the vehemencie of anger she vttered, for thus
it pleased him that made Balaams Asse to speake, that beast, to make the beast
speake to open the way to their destruction: for hereupon Edward Duffel tooke
diuers of his neighbours, and (remembring that many times he had bin warned not
to digg neere the Box tree) went then and diggd about it, to see if there were
any such thing as they suspected should be, by her speeches.
Small digging seru'd to bewray their wickednesse, for he had
not digd a full foot deepe, eare he found many small bones, which bones, not
long after, before Iustices and men of account, were prooud (to barr al
opposite obiections) by the skill of a cun∣ning and very expert Anothomist,
to be the bones of a child.
Vppon this (in a word) Adamson and his seruant Iane were
apprehended, & sent to Horshan gaole some ten or twelue miles from Greensteed:
but Adamson vpon bands and good security to answers all that might be obiected
against him at the Assizes, was in a litle time from thence released, and had
his li∣bertie
to walke about his businesse.
Iane lay not long there neither; she was vppon bonds from
thence released •oo: but her bonds were the bonds she was bound in, & her
release, but a remoue from thence to the Kings bench in southwarcke, where
while she staid, she wanted nothing, for he that had bin kind and liberall to
her in the time of her libertie, did not forget her in the time of her
captiuitie.
But that he did at the first was in loue, the last in
pollicie: for all he spent then vpon her, was onely to win her confidently to
denie the words she had spoken, & to cleare him in her speech∣es:
and as for herselfe, he had her presume vpon it, without fears or doubting, he
would get her pardon.
But to preuent that, and all hope of it, she was remoued
from thence to Kingston, from thence (to omit teadious recitall) to Greensteed
againe. And there againe Adamson as before (For contrary to orders in that case
instituted (whether by purse or pollicie I know not) he had accesse vnto her in
the gaole) labord hard with her to vnsay all her dangerous words against him;
and to say that she was to say at the Bench to the demands of the Iudges, for
his clearing & acquiting: & withall, tould her that in so speaking well
in his behalfe, she should helpe her selfe in that danger.
And more ouer (for like waues our vpon the •…ck of another
came words of inducement from him) if the worst should come that might, he
would saue her with the Kings pardon.
And to make her beleefe and resolution the stranger, he
tould her, if she did not doe as he counseld her there was no lesse to be
expected by her then death: and backt it with this reason; that the least sillable
vtterd in way of confession, would frustrate the pardon he should purchas•e,
and make it to be of no force or vertue.
Thus, a•s since her execcution hath bin •ound, did he very
cunningly, & as closely worke vpon her simplicitie, and effected his wishes,
in her most wicked and impious credulity; for she beleeuing all he spake, and
making no doubt of the performance, with a face set to the highest key of
impudencie, was at the Bench very readie in the lesson he had taught her: so
that he was by the Iurie acquitted, but she condemned and adiug'd to the
gallowes: which sentence (presuming vpon her maisters pro∣mise)
she heard with an vndaunted heart.
To be short, she was according to her iudgement, vppon, or
about the sixt of Iuly 1609. carried to the place of execution, where stil
expecting the pardon Adamson tould her should come to the gallowes and saue
her, she was as stout and fearelesse, as if she had bin but (like a stage
player) to act the part in least.
But when she had staid so long, she might staie no longer
from the halter, her hart began to fall, and feare to rise, yet re∣membring
that he had said, a word in confession should frustrate her pardon which
(notwithstanding) in the last minute of her breath she expected (and fearing so
to preuent it) she would say nothing but in that feare, and hope of life, euen
in the rope she gaue the hangman six pence to cut her downe quickly: for she
(simple wench) thought verily though she were turnd off, before she could be
halfe dead, the pardon would come, & saue her in that heauie gasping: but
her beleefe was vaine, and her vaine hopes were deceiued, for as she deserued
she there died.
BVt now you haue, with the eyes of your vnderstanding, seene
the most iust and deserued end of her, turne them a∣gaine to Adamson,
who presently after her execution, fell into a most miserable, greeue∣ous
and lamentable consumption.
Wormes meate we are al in death, but he in life, was (by the
iust iudgement of God (which God make vs all haue an eye to) a prey to these
despicable and deuouring creatures, which had intrenched them∣selues
in many parts of his bodie to the bone, and minutely, and so mercilesly, with
eager appetites fed vpon his afflicted flesh, as though he had bin laid onely
but but for one meale to be deuoured.
Lice in great multitudes tormented him: no shift in •innen,
nor other costly shift in trimming, picking & annointing, could de∣crease
ye innumerable number of them: and so loathsome a sauour came from his body,
that those that went to see him could not stand to giue their eyes
satisfaction, for the greeuous and odious strength of it: but turning as
disdainfully in the offence, or greeuance of that sence) as from the in∣fecting
stench of carrion they would leaue him, ere they could well looke on him.
Thus for the space of halfe a yeare lay he most greeuously
tormented, in which time, he spent much mony, for a happie re∣stauration
or recouery, but all his cost was lost, for alas Cum Deo pugnare, graue est:
there is no striuing against the will of God.
All his meanes were wast and consum∣ed: for he
neuer left consuming till he was consumed to skinne & bone, and so lamen∣tably
ended his dayes about the begining of Nouember last.
Yf we looke well into this lamentable end of his, we shall
finde a lesson worth the looking into, and that is this: that though he could,
by mony and freinds; or some false colour and couering, 〈◊〉 his desert from the
hands of men, yet the Lord would not let him passe this world without a
punishment, that like the 〈◊〉 burst out through the Fogg• & cloudes of his
dissembling and priuie contriuing, to shew the world that he was not the inno∣cent
man that he would haue seemd to be.
Many that haue wit to shift, and craft to couer, thinke
themselues wise, but the Lord knowes they are fooles, & so makes their end
shew them. But to that we cast not an eye, but (alas) being set in the race of
our owne ruine we runne (like the O∣nagrie, or wild Asse, of Mauritaunia,
with such dexteritie and strength that till we are breathlesse we stoppe not
till we are breathlesse indeed: for til our breath leaues vs, we leaue not
sinning. O could we imi∣tate him as well in the path of
pietie, we should haue heauen in our bosomes, I meane such consciences as
(after this life) would assure vs of the euerlasting beati∣atitude
of Angelles.
An exhortation.
IF the Apostle Peter illuminated by the spirit of God, in
his time determined the consumation of the world to draw nigh, and like the
Lord of Hosts his loyall Herault proclaimed thervpon to all the faithfull: Now
the end of all things is at hand. If godly Cypryan many yeares after iustly
thought, and taught, that the end of the world did hang ouer his head▪ sweete Laotantius
sighed in spirit, & said it could not lack aboue two hundred yeares: and ho∣ly
Ierome (that obserued a iournall, & watched the houres of his life) had so
certaine a perswasion of the suddennes, and nearenes thereof, that he euer
seemed, to heare the sound of the Troump of the latter day, sounding this hea∣uy
note in his eares: Surgite mortui, venite ad iudicium: That is Arise ye dead
and come to iudgement: all no doubt incited thereunto, and inlightened by the
holy Gohst: certes we 〈…〉 good cause, that liue in these latter and dangerous
dayes, stedlastly to beleeue for many cau∣ses; and especially these three,
that the second comming of Christ cannot be farre off.
First, for that all the prophesies of the Patriarkes, and
Prophets, of all the auncients, yea, and of the Iewes them∣selues,
who yet idlely and ignorantly expect another Meslias, so concordantly agree
with this our after age, that the Orthodoxes so long since deceased, may seeme
now to liue and beholde the state of the dayes instant.
Secondly, for that all those prodegies, and tokens fore∣tolde
by our Sauiour in the Gospel, are now vniuersally fulfilled in the worlde, and
autentiquelly importe an vni∣uersall dissolution of the world.
Thirdly, for that in the same place our Sauiour promiseth to
shorten those dayes: and surely if (as there he promi∣seth) for his
elects sake those daies were not shortned, scant any flesh should be saued; for
if we narrowly looke on the course of time, the manners of men, the sta•ting vp
of false Christs, the vprise of counterfeyte Prophets, the contempt of Religeon,
and vntowardnes of all things, we shall assuredly finde, that this our old
writhen world, is altogether like to vnfruitfull, and drie stubble or chaffe,
apt for nothing, but to be consumed with fire, or as the Apostle Peter saith,
the heauens, and earth that now are kept by the same word in store, and reserud
vnto fire, a∣gainst the day of iudgement: Lord it is time, yea it is
full and due time (fit were thy blessed will and pleasure) that thou come to
iudgement: Come thou Alpha and Omega, thou first and last, come Lord Iesu, come
quickly: For sinne ouerfloweth, Iniquitie aboundeth, Faith fayleth, Hope
fadeth, Loue freeseth; in steade whereof Paganis∣me, Despaire, and Murder are
founded, and generally wickednesse flourisheth, and vertue falleth.
But omitting all the rest, this wilfull murderiug of Inno∣cents
is iudged a most heynous iniquitie in the sight of God, and amongst all good
men counted principall of those sinnes, whose lamentable clamours ascend vp be∣fore
the maiestie of God, & incessantly yell out, greedily thirsting for
reuenge.
Let vs therefore take warning by those Cruell, bloudy, and
libidinous bad liuers, whose horrid sinnes calles ven∣gance from
heauen: and let vs desire almighty God to hasten the latter day, to the comfort
of his elect and glory of his most holy name
Amen.
The names of the witnesses.
Maister Andrew Sackuill
Edward Paine.
George Drury.
Steeuen Price.
And Edward Duffield in whose orchard the bones of the
murthered Infants were found.
Goodwife King
Goodwife Foord
Goodwife Paine
Goodwife Pulman
Goodwife Kent.
FINIS
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