A most notable example of an ungracious Son, who in the pride of his heart denied his own Father, and how God for hi● offence, turned his meat into loathsome Toads.  
To the Tune of Lord Darley.  

 

IN searching famous Chronicles,  
it was my chance to read  
A worthy Story strange and true,  
whereto I took good heed:  
Betwixt a Farmer and his Son,  
this rare example stands,  
Which well may move the hardest hearts  
to weep and wring their hands.   

The Farmer in the Country lived,  
whose substance did excel;  
He sent therefore his eldest Son,  
in Paris for to dwell,  
Where he became a Merchant man,  
and Traffic great he used,  
So that he was exceeding rich,  
till he himself abused.   

For having now the World at will,  
his mind was wholly bend  
To gaming, wine, and wantonness,  
till all his goods were spent.  
Yea, such excessive Riotousness  
by him was showed forth,  
That he was three times more in debt  
then all his wealth was worth.   

At length his credit clean was cracked,  
and he in Prison cast,  
And every man against him than  
did set his action fast.  
There lay he locked in Irons strong,  
for ever and for ay,  
Unable while his life did last,  
his grievous debt to pay.   

And living in this woeful case,  
his eyes with tears he spent:  
The lewdness of his former life,  
too late he did repent:  
And being void of all relief,  
of help and comfort quite;  
Unto his father at the last,  
he thus began to write.   

Bow down a while your déedfull ears,  
my loving Father dear:  
And grant I pray in gracious sort,  
my piteous plaint to hear.  
Forgive the foul offences all  
of your unthrifty Son;  
Which through the lewdness of his life,  
hath now himself undone.   

O my good Father, take remorse  
on this my extreme need,  
And succour his distressed state,  
whose heart for woe doth bleed.  
In direful dungeon here I lie,  
my feet in setters fast:  
Whom my most cruel Creditors  
in Prison so have cast.   

Let pity therefore pierce your breast,  
and mercy move your mind:  
And to release my misery,  
some shift, sweet Father find.  
My chiefest cheer is bread full brown,  
the boards my softest bed:  
And flinty stones my pillows serve  
to rest my troubled head.    

The second Part,  
to the same Tune.  
 

MY garments all are worn to rags,  
my body starves with cold:  
An● crawling Vermin eats my flesh,  
most grievous to behold.  
Dear Father come, therefore with speed,  
and read me out of thrall,  
And let me not in Prison dye,  
sith for your help I call.   

The good old man no sooner had  
perused this written scroll,  
●hat trickling tears along his cheeks  
most plenteously did roll.  
Alas, my Son, my Son, quoth he,  
in whom I joyed most,  
Thou shalt not long in Prison be,  
whatever it me cost.   

Two hundred heads of welfead Beasts,  
he changed into gold:  
Four hundred quarters of good Corn,  
for silver eke he sold.  
●ut all the same could not suffice,  
this heinous fact to pay,  
Till at the last constrained he was  
to sell his Land away.   

Then was his Son released quite,  
his debt discharged clean,  
〈◊〉 he likewise as well to live,  
●s he before had been.  
●●en went his loving Father home,  
who for to help his Son  
〈◊〉 sold his Living quite away,  
〈◊〉 eke himself undone.   

〈◊〉 that he lived poor and bare  
〈◊〉 in such extreme need,  
●ut many times he wanted food,  
●is hungry Corpse to feed.  
His Son mean time in wealth 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 increase,  
and riches in did slide:  
So more and more his hardened heart  
did swell in hateful pride:  
But it fell out upon a time,  
when ten years' woe was past,  
Unto his Sun he did repair  
for some relief at last.   

And being come unto his house  
in very poor array:  
It chanced so that with his Son.  
great States should dine that day.  
The poor old man with hat in hand  
did then the Porter pray,  
To show his Son that at the gate  
his Father there did stay.   

Whereat this proud disdainful wretch,  
with taunting speeches said,  
That long ago his Father's bones  
within the Grave were laid:  
What rascal then is that quoth he,  
that staineth so my state?  
I charge thee Porter presently  
to drive him from my gate.   

Which answer, when the old man heard  
he was in mind dismayed:  
He wept, he wailed, he wrong his hands,  
and thus at length he said:  
O cursed wretch, and most unkind,  
and worker of my woe,  
Thou monster of humanity,  
and eke thy Father's Foe:   

Have I been careful of thy case,  
maintaining still thy state,  
And dost thou now so doggedly,  
enforce me from thy gate:  
And have I wronged thy brethren 〈◊〉  
from thrall to set thee free:  
And brought myself to beggar's sta●●  
and all to succour thee?   

Woe worth the time when first of a●…  
thy body I espied,  
Which hath in hardness of thy hear●  
thy Father's face denied.  
But now behold how God that time;  
did show a wonder great;  
Even where his Son with all his frie●●●  
were settled down to meat.   

For when the fairest Pie was cut,  
a strange and dreadful case,  
Most ugly Toads came crawling ou●  
and leapt 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 virtuous Children learn by thi●  
obedient hearts to show.  
And honour still your Parents dear,  
for God commanded so:  
And think how he did turn his m●●●●  
to poisoned Toads indeed,  
Which did his Father's face deny,  
because he stood in need.     
FINIS.  

London Printed by M. P. for He●●● Gosson, on London Bridge▪