The second part of the Widow of Watling-streete, and her three Daughters.  
To the tune of The Wanton wife.  
THe beautiful Widow of Watling street,  
being thus falsely accused by her son:  
With her three daughters of favour so sweet,  
Whose beauty the love of so many had won,  
With her daughters three for succour went she,  
Unto the king's counsel of Noble degree,  
Now fie upon falsehood and forgery frail,  
For great is the truth and it shall prevail.  
¶ Her son by a writ now summoned is,  
At the Starchamber with speed to appear:  
To answer there the abuses of his,  
The Lords of the counsel the matter will hear:  
This news was brought his wits he sought,  
Which may his villainy best might be wrought.  
¶ Then up and down the City so fair,  
He seeketh companions to serve his turn:  
A sort of vacabonds naked and bare,  
the which to work murders for money is won:  
These wretches behold for money and gold:  
He hired for witness his lies to uphold, etc.  
¶ My masters quoth he, my mother by name,  
To be a lewd strumpet accused I have:  
And having no witness to prove that same,  
Your aid and assistance herein I do crave:  
Therefore without fear, before the Lords there  
yet this thing is certain, you fix shall it swear.  
¶ The first two quoth he, shall swear on a book  
That sixteen years passed they plainly did see,  
As they through the garden hedge sadly did look  
That she in one hour was abused by three:  
And how it feel, as they marked it well:  
That just nine Months after she had her first girl  
¶ The second couple shall swear in this sort,  
That at Bristol fair about xvii. years' past,  
She with her own apprentice did fall in such sport  
That her second daughter was got at the last,  
now trust us qd. they we'll swear what you say,  
Or any thing else for money this day, etc.  
And thus the third couple their oath now that take  
That as a●t he Bathe she stayed on a day.  
For ache in her bones as the excuse she did make,  
How she with a Courtier the wanton did play:  
And how well you wot in the pleasant plot,  
her dearest young daughter for certain was got,  
But now you masters your names let me know:  
That I may provide you apparel with speed,  
Like six grave Citizens so must you go,  
The better your speeches the Lords will heed,  
So shall I with scorn, ere Saturday morn,  
Prove her a Harlot, my sister's base borne, etc.  
¶ My name is make shift, the first man did say,  
And Francis light-finger the second likewise,  
Cuthbert creepe-window the third to display;  
And Rowland Rob-man, with foul staring eyes:  
jack shameless comes then with Harry steale-hen,  
You are qd. the widow some right honest men.  
¶ Before the Lords most prudent and grave,  
This wretch doth with his witness come:  
The mother complains & justice doth crave,  
Of all the offences that he hath her done:  
My Lords then qd. she, I pray you hear me,  
The Law for my deeds my warrant shall be.  
I say she is a Harlot most vild,  
And those be her bastards that standeth is place,  
And that she hath often her body defiled,  
By very good witness i'll prove to her face:  
This thing of thy Mother thou oughtest for to smother  
'tis shame for a child to speak of his Mother.  
¶ But if this matter be proved untrue,  
And thou a false liar be found to thy face:  
Worse than an Infidel, Pagon, or jew,  
Thou oughtest to be punished & plagd in this case,  
And therefore draw near, and now let us hear,  
What says the witness that here doth appear?  
¶ When the first couple did come for to swear  
They quivered and quaked in most wondrous sort,  
The lords very countenance did put them in fear  
And now they knew not what to report:  
The second likewise stared so with his eyes,  
They stamberd and knew not what to devose.  
devose The Lords perceiving the case how it went,  
Did ask the last couple what they had to say,  
Who fell on their knees incontinent,  
Saying they were hired for money that day:  
Quoth they it is so, the truth for to show,  
Against a good widow no harm we do know.  
¶ Thus was the widow delivered from blame,  
With her three daughters of beauty most bright  
Her son reproached with sorrow and shame,  
Having his judgement appointed him right:  
To lose at the least the goods he possessed,  
To lose both his ears, and banished to rest.  
When he heard this judgement pronounced to be  
The tears full bitterly fell down from his face,  
To mother and sisters he kneeled on his knee,  
Confessing that Lucre had wrought his disgrace,  
That for my own gain, I sought to detain,  
My sisters three portions this lie I did fain,  
Therefore dear Mother forgiveness I crave,  
Of you and my sisters offended so sore:  
My body from peril if you will but save,  
I swear I will grieve and offend you no more,  
The Lords than replied, the Law justly tried,  
the punishment now thou are like to abide,  
¶ Therefore to prison now thou shalt go,  
Where thou shalt the king's pleasure abide,  
From thence to be brought with shame & with woe,  
To suffer the punishment due to thy pride:  
Then out of hand, thou shalt understand,  
That presently thou shalt be banished the land.  
¶ Now while in prison this prisoner did rest  
Himself he hanged in desperate wise:  
Such horror of conscience possessed his breast,  
& being cast forth, the Ravens picked out his eyes  
All children behold, what here hath been told,  
Accuse no man falsely for lucre of gold.  
Now fie upon falsehood, and forgery frail,  
For great is the truth, and it will prevail.  
FINIS.   

Imprinted at London for T. P.