A most notable Example of an ungracious Son, who in the pride of his heart denied his own Father and how God for his 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 dwelled,  
whose substance had none end;  
He sent therefore his eldest Son,  
in Paris for to dwell,  
Where he because 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,  
than 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 careful case,  
his eyes with tears besprent:  
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 though last,  
he thus began to write.   

Bow down a while your heedful ears,  
my loving Father dear:  
And grant A prey in gracious sort,  
my piteous plaint to hear.  
Forgive the soul offences all  
of thy 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 distdessed state,  
whose heart for when doth bleed.  
In direful dungeon here I lie,  
my feet in fetters 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.   

My garments all are worn to rags,  
my body starves with cold:  
And crawling vermin eats my flesh,  
most grievous to behold.  
Dear Father, come therefore with speed  
and rid 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:  
But trickling tears along his cheeks,  
from watery eyes did roll.  
Alas my son, my son, quoth he,  
in whom I joyed most,  
Thou shall not long in Prison be,  
what ever it me cost.   

Two hundred heads of well fed beasts,  
he changed them for gold:  
Four hundred quarters of good Corn,  
for silver eke he sold.  
But all the same could not suffice,  
this heinous debt to pay,  
Till at the length constrained he was  
to sell his Land away.   

Then was his son released quite,  
his debt discharged clean:  
And he likewise as well to live,  
as he before had been.  
Then went his loving Father home,  
who for to help his son,  
Had sold his living quite away,  
and eke himself undone.   

So that he lived poor and bare,  
and in such extreme need,  
That many times he wanted food,  
his hungry corpse to feed.  
His son mean 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 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 son 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 his 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 hea●●  
he was in mind dismayed:  
He wept, he wailed, he wrung his hand  
and thus at length he said,  
O cursed wretch and most unkind,  
the 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 all  
from thrall to set thee free:  
And brought myself to beggar's state  
and all to succour thee?   

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

For when the fairest pie was cut,  
a strange and dreadful case,  
Most ugly Toads came crawling 〈◊〉  
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.    

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 scornfully sent away succourless, and God's vengeance showed upon them for the same.  
To the tune of Priscilla.  
 

IT was an old man which with his poor wife  
in great distress did fall:  
They were so feeble with age God wot,  
they could not work at all.  
A gallant Son they had,  
which lived wealthily:  
To him they went with full intent,  
to ease their misery.  
Alack and alas for woe, etc.   

A hundred miles when they had gone,  
with many a weary step:  
At length they saw their Sons fair house,  
which made their hearts to leap.  
They sat them on the green,  
their shoes and hose to trim:  
To put clean bands about their necks,  
against they should enter in. Alack, etc.   

Unto the door with trembling joints,  
when those old couple came:  
The woman with a shaking head,  
the old man blind and lame:  
Full mannnerly they knocked,  
fearing for to offend:  
At last their Son doth frowningly come  
unto them in the end. Alack, etc.   

Good folks, quoth he, what would you have here,  
me thinks you are too bold?  
Why get you not home to your Country  
now you are lame and old?  
With that they both replied,  
with sorrow, care, and grief:  
Here are we come to thee our Son,  
for succour and relief. Alack, etc.   

This is thy Father (gentle Son)  
and I thy loviug Mother:  
That brought thee up so tenderly,  
and loved thee above all other:  
I bore thee in this womb,  
these breasts did nourish thee:  
And as it chanced, I often danced  
thee on my tender knee.   

And humbly now we thee entreat,  
my dear and loving Son:  
That thou wilt do for us in our age,  
as we for thee have done.  
Nay nay, not so, he said,  
your suit is all in vain:  
'tis best for you, I tell you true,  
to get you home again. Alack, etc.   

The world is not now as when I was born  
all things are grown, more dear:  
My charge of Children likewise is great,  
as plainly doth appear.  
The best that I can do,  
will hardly them maintain:  
Therefore I say, be packing away,  
and get you home again. Alack, etc.   

The old man with his hat in his hand,  
full many a leg did make:  
The woman wept and wrung her hands,  
and prayed him for Christ his sake  
Not so to send them back,  
distressed and undone▪  
But let us lie in some Barn hereby,  
quoth she, my loving Son. Alack, etc.   

By no means would he thereto consent,  
but sent them soon away:  
Quoth he, You know the peril of Law,  
if long time here you stay:  
The stocks and the whipping post  
will fall unto your share:  
Then take you heed, and with all speed,  
to your Country do repair. Alack, etc.   

Away then went this woeful old man,  
full sad in heart and mind:  
With weeping tears his wife did lament  
their Son was so unkind.  
Thou wicked Child, quoth they,  
for this thy cruel deed,  
The Lord send thee as little pity  
when thou dost stand in need.  
Alack and alas for woe, etc.   

His children hearing their Father set  
his Parents thus at nought:  
In short time after to have his Land,  
his death by subtlety wrought:  
What cause have we, quoth they,  
more kindness to express,  
Then he unto his Parents did  
in their great wretchedness?  
Alack and alas for woe, etc.   

They murdered him in pitiful sort,  
they weighed not his entreats,  
The more he prayed compassionately,  
the greater were their threats,  
Speak not to us, quoth they,  
for thou the death shalt die:  
And with that word, with dagger & sw●●●  
they mangled him monstrously.  
Alack and alas for woe, etc.   

When they had got his silver and gold,  
according to their mind:  
They buried him in a stinking ditch,  
where no man should him find.  
But now behold and see,  
God's vengeance on them all:  
To gain their gold, their Cousin came,  
and slew them great and small.  
Alack and alas for woe.   

He came among them with a great club  
in dead time of the night,  
Yea two of the Sons he brained therewith  
and taking of his flight,  
The murderer taken was,  
and suffered for the same:  
Deserved for their cruelty,  
this vengeance upon them cam●  
Alack and alas therefore,  
Alack and alas therefore.   
FINIS.   

Printed ●t London by E. 〈…〉.