The truth of the most wicked and secret murdering of john Brewen, Goldsmith of London, committed by his own wife, through the provocation of one john Parker whom she loved: for which fact she was burned, and he hanged in Smithfield, on wednesday, the 28 of june, 1592. two years after the murder was committed.  
Imprinted at London for john Kid, and are to be sold by Edward White, dwelling at the little North door of Paul's, at the sign of the Gun. 1592. Thom Kyde   

❧ The murder of john Brewen Goldsmith of London, who through the enticement of john Parker, was poisoned of his own wife in eating a measse of Sugersops.  
HOw hateful a thing the sin of murder hath been before the sight of the eternal God, the holy Scriptures do manifest, yet from the beginning we may evidently see how busy the devil hath been to provoke men thereunto, in so much that when there was but two brethren living in the world, the only sons of the first man Adam; he provoked the one most unnaturally to murder the other. And albeit there was none in the world to accuse Cain for so fowl a fact, so that in his own conceit he might have walked securely and without blame, yet the blood of the just Abel cried most shrill in the ears of the righteous God for vengeance & revenge on the murderer. The Lord therefore ordained a Law that the cruel & unjust blood-sheader should have his blood justly shed again: of which law, although no man is ignorant, and that we see it put in execution daily before our eyes, yet doth the Devil so work in the hearts of a number, that without respect either of the fear of God, or extreme punishment in this world they do notwithstanding commit most heinous and grievous offences to the great hazard of their souls, and the destructions of their bodies on earth, only through Satan's suggestions, as by this example following may evidently be proved.  
There was of late dwelling in London a proper young woman named Anne Welles, which for her favour and comely parsonage, as also in regard of her good behaviour and other commendable qualities, was beloved of divers young men, especially of two Goldsmiths, which were Bachelors, of good friends, and well esteemed for fine workmanship in their trade: The one of them was called john Brewen, and the other john Parker, who although he was better beloved, yet lest deserved it (▪ as the sequel hereafter will show) But as the truest lovers are commonly lest regarded, and the plain meaning man most scorned of undiscreet maidens, so came it to pass by Brewen, who notwithstanding his long and earnest suit, the gifts and favours which she received was still disdained and cast off, albeit he had the good will & favour of all her friends & kinsfolk: but no man was so high in her books as Parker: he had her favours whosoever had her frowns: he sat and smiled, when others sobbed, and triumphant in the tears of the dispossessed. It came to pass that this nice maiden had upon a promise between them, received of Brewen both gold and jewels, which he willingly bestowed upon her, esteeming her the mistress and commaundres of his life, but when he saw his suit despised, and his good will nothing regarded, and seeing no hope of her good will and favour, he determined, that seeing his suit took no effect, to demand his gold and jewels again. And upon a time coming unto her, requested that he might have his gifts again, to whom disdainfully she made answer that he should stay for it: and the young man having been thus driven off longer than he thought good of, made no more ado but arrested her for the jewels.  
The stout damsel that had never before been in the like danger, was so astonished & dismayed, that she concluded on condition he would let his Action fall, & not to think ever the worse of her afterward, to marry him by a certain day, & to make him her husband: And this before good witness she vowed to perform. Brewen was hereof very joyful and released his prisoner on his own peril being not a little glad of his good success. And thereupon so soon as might be, made preparation for their marriage, albeit it proved the worst bargain that ever he made in his life. Now when Parker understood of this thing, he was most grievously vexed, and as one having deep interest to the possession of her person, stormed most outrageously, and with bitter speeches so taunted and checked her, that she repent the promised she made to Brewen, although she could not any way amend it, nevertheless it kindled such a hatred in her heart against her new made choice, that at length it turned to Brewens' death & destruction. And this accursed Parker although he was not as then in estate to marry (notwithstanding he ere then had lain with her and gotten her with child) & would never let her rest, but continually urged her to make him away by one means or other. divers and sundry times had they talk together of that matter, and although she often refused to work his death, yet at length the grace of GOD being taken from her, she consented by his direction to poison Brewen: after which deed done Parker, promised to marry her so soon as possibly he could.  
Now she had not been married to Brewen above three days when she put in practice to poison him. And although the honest young man loved her tenderly, yet had she conceived such deadly hatred against him, that she lay not with him after the first night of her marriage, neither could she abide to be called after his name but still to be termed Anne Welles as she was before: And to excuse her from his bed, she said she had vowed never to lie by him more till he had gotten her a better house. And the more to shadow her treachery & to show the discontent she had of his dwelling she lodged never a night but the first in his house, but provided her a lodging near to the place where this graceless Parker dwelled. By this means the villain had free access to practise with her about the murder, who was so importunate and hasty to have it done that the wednesday after she was married she wickedly went to effect it, even according as Parker had before given direction: which was in this sort. The varlet had bought a strong deadly poison, whose working was to make speedy haste to the heart without any swelling of the body or other sign of outward confection. This poison the wicked woman secretly carried with her to her husband's house, with a merry pleasant countenance, and very kindly she asked her husband how he did, giving him the good morrow in most courteous manner, and asked if he would have that cold morning, a measse of sugar sops, (for it was the week before shrovetide) I marry with a good will wife (quoth he) and I take it very kindly that you will do so much for me, alas husband (quoth she) if I could not find in my heart to do so small a matter for you (especially being so lately married) you might justly judge me unkind, And therewithal went to make ready his last meat, the thing being done, she powered out a measse for him, and strewed secretly therein part of the poison, and having set the porringer down beside her while she put the posnet on the fire again, with her rising up from the fire, her coat cast down that measse which for her husband she had prepared, out alas quoth she, I have spilled a measse of as good sugar sops as ever I made in my life. Why, quoth her husband, is there no more? Yes, quoth she, that there is, two, as good as they or I will make them as good, but it grieveth me that any good thing should so unluckily be cast away. What woman quoth he? vex not at the matter, your ill luck go with them: marry Amen, quoth she, speaking God knows with a wicked thought, though the well meaning man thought on no evil.  
But I pray you john (said she) shall I entreat you to fetch me a penny worth of red herrings, for I have an earnest desire to eat some, that I will quoth he with a good will. This siy shift she devised to have his absence, that she might the better perform her wicked intent, and by the time he came again she had made ready a mess of sugar sops for him, one for herself, and another for a little boy which she brought with her, but her husbands she had poisoned as before: when he was come, she gave her husband his mess, and she and the child fell also to eating of theirs. Within a pretty while after he had eaten his, he began to wax very ill about the stomach, feeling also a grievous griping of his inward parts, whereupon he told his wife he felt himself not well, how so quoth she you were well before you went forth, were you not? yes indeed was I said he, than he demanded if she were well, she answered I: so likewise said the child. Ah quoth her husband, now I feel myself sick at the very heart: and immediately after he began to vomit exceedingly, with such strains as if his lungs would burst in pieces, than he requested her to have him to bed, never mistrusting the treachery wrought against him. Now when it drew somewhat late, she told her husband she must needs go home to her lodging, and when he requested her to stay with him, she said she could not nor would not: And so unnaturally left the poisoned man all alone that whole night long, without either comfort or company. All that night was he extreme sick, worse and worse, never ceasing vomiting till his entrails were all shrunk and broken within him (as is since supposed.) The next morning she came to him again, having been once or twice sent for, but made little semblance of sorrow, and when he quibd her with unkindness, for not staying with him one night, she asked him if he would have her forsworn, did I not quoth she swear I would not stay in the house one night, till you had gotten another: well Anne quoth he, stay with me now, for I am not long to continue in this world, now God forbidden quoth she) and with that she made a show of great heaviness and sorrow, and then made him a caudle with sugar and other spices, and so on the thursday, immediately after he had eaten it he died, & on the Friday he was buried. No person as then suspecting any manner of evil done to him by his wife, but esteemed her a very honest woman, although through her youth, she knew not as then how to behave herself to her husband so kindly as she ought, which they imputed to her ignorance, rather than to any malice conceived against her husband. Now you shall understand that within a small space after her husband was dead, she was known with child, and safely delivered: every neighbour thinking it had been her husbands, although she since confessed it was not, but that child lived not long but died.  
The murder lying thus unespied, who was so lusty as Parker with the Widow, being a continual resorter to her house, whose welcome was answerable to his desire. And so bold in the end he grew with her, that she durst not deny him any thing he requested, and became so jealous, that had she looked but merely upon a man, she should have known the price thereof, and have bought her merement dearly. And yet was he not married unto her, yea to such slavery and subjection did he bring her, that she must run or go wheresoever he pleased to appoint her, held he up but his finger at any time, if she denied him either money or whatsoever else he lifted to request, he would so haule and pull her, as was pity to behold, yea and threaten to stab and thrust her through with his dagger, did she not as he would have her in all things, so that he had her at commandment whensoever he would, and yet could she scant please him with her diligence. In this miserable case he kept her unmarried for the space of two years after her husband was dead, at length he got her with child again, which when the woman knew, she was careful for the saving of her credit to keep it unspied so long as she could, in so much that she would not go forth of her doors for fear her neighbours should perceive her great belly. In the mean space Parker coming unto her, she was upon one day above the rest most earnest with him to marry her. You see (quoth she) in what case I am, and if you will not for your own credit, yet for my credit's sake marry me, and suffer me not to be a pointing mark for others, and a shame among my neighbours. The varlet hearing the great moan she made unto him was nothing moved therewith, but churlishly answered, she should not appoint him when to marry, but if I were so minded (quoth he) I would be twice advised how I did wed with such a strumpet as thyself, and then reviled her most shamefully: whereunto she answered she had never been strumpet but for him, and woe worth thee (quoth she) that ever I knew thee, it is thou and no man else that can triumph in my spoil, and yet now thou resusest to make amends for thy fault: my love to thee thou hast sufficiently tried, although I never found any by thee. Out arrant quean (quoth he) thou wouldst marry me to the end thou mightest poison me as thou didst thy husband, but for that cause I mean to keep me as long out of thy fingers as I can, and accursed be I if I trust thee or hazard my life in thy hands: why thou arrant beast (quoth she) what did I then, which thou didst not provoke me to do, if my husband were poisoned, thou knowest (shameless as thou art) it had never been done but for thee, thou gavest me the poison, and after thy direction I did minister it unto him, and woe is me, it was for thy sake I did so cursed a deed. These speeches thus spoken bet ween them in vehemency of spirit, was over heard of some that revealed it to the magistrates, whereupon the woman was carried before Alderman Haward to be examined, & the man before justice Young, who stood in the denial thereof very stoutly, neither would the woman confess any thing, till in the end she was made to believe that Parker had bewrayed the matter, whereupon she confessed the fact in order, as I have declared. Then was she carried into the country to be delivered of her child, and after brought back to prison. And then she and Parker were both arraigned and condemned for the murder at the session's hall near newgate, and the woman had judgement to be burned in Smythfield, and the man to be hanged in the same place before her eyes. This was accordingly performed, and they were executed on wedensday last, being the 28. of june 1592. two years and a half after the murder was committed. The Lord give all men grace by their example to shun the hateful sin of murder, for be it kept never so close and done never so secret, yet at length the Lord will bring it out, for blood is an unceassant crier in the ears of the Lord and he will not leave so wild a thing unpunished.  
FINIS. 
 Tho. kid.