A Wonderful Example of God's Justice showed upon one Jasper Conningham A Gentleman born in Scotland, who was of Opinion, that there was neither GOD, nor Devil.  
To the Tune of, O Neighbour Robert.  
 

IT was a Scotchman,  
a Scotchman, lewd of life,  
That long had lived  
unlawful from his Wife:  
His name was Jasper Conningham  
as I did understand,  
Whose dwelling was at Aberdeen,  
a Town in fair Scotland.   

He had a Sister  
which was both fair and bright,  
Worshipfully wedded,  
unto a worthy Knight;  
Godly, wise, and virtuous,  
in every thing was she,  
A fairer comely Lady  
in Scotland could not be.   

Her wicked Brother  
such inward pains did prove,  
That with his Fair Sister  
he greatly was in love:  
He watches time and woos her,  
he shows to her his mind,  
And still he says sweet Sister,  
be not to me unkind.   

This comely Lady  
in mild and gentle wise,  
Unto her brother  
thus modestly replies:  
The Lord forbid, dear Brother,  
I should consent at all,  
To such a damned action,  
to bring our Souls in thrall.   

Are not great torments  
prepared for hateful sin?  
Is not God as Righteous  
as ever he h●th been?  
Is not Hell prepared,  
with quenchless flames of fire,  
To give such wicked persons  
their due deserved hire,   

Wherefore dear Brother,  
repent and call for Grace,  
Let not these motions  
within your heart take place:  
Consider how to judgement  
we shall be one day brought,  
To answer for our Follies,  
which in our lives we wrought.   

Her Brother hearing  
her Godly Christian talk,  
Within the Garden  
as they alone did walk;  
Blasphemously replied,  
as shameless as he stood,  
Saying she had declared  
a Tale of Robin Hood.   

You are deceived,  
fair Sister, than said he,  
To talk of Heaven's Glory,  
or Hell's plagues unto me:  
These are devised Fables,  
to keep poor Souls in fear,  
That were by wise men written,  
though no such things there were.   

You speak of reckoning,  
and of a judgement-day,  
And after life is ended,  
and flesh consumed away;  
And of a God most justly,  
will plague all things amiss,  
And those that do believe it,  
are much deceived I wis.   

Alas, said he, my Sister,  
these things are nothing so;  
No God, nor Devil is biding,  
in Heaven nor Hell I know:  
All things are wrought by Nature;  
the Earth, the Air, the Sky  
There is no joy nor sorrow,  
after th●t men do die.   

Therefore let me have pleasure,  
while here I do remain,  
I fear not God's displeasure,  
nor Hell's tormenting pain:  
No sooner had he spoken  
this foul blasphemous thing,  
But that a heavy judgement  
upon him God did bring.   

For in the Garden,  
whereas he did abide,  
Suddenly a Fire  
sprung up on every side;  
Which round about enclosed  
this damned wretch that day,  
Who roared and cried most grievous  
but could not start away.   
 

THis fearful fire,  
up to his knees did rise,  
Burning blue like Brimstone,  
in most outrageous wise:  
The Lady which beheld it,  
ran crying in for aid,  
To pluck away her Brother,  
which in the fire stayed.   

But nought prevailed,  
for all that they could do,  
Long Staves, and also Pitchforks,  
they reached him unto;  
Because they durst not venture  
near to the fiery flame,  
He taking hold upon them,  
to draw him out of the same.   

But not a finger  
nor hand that he could move,  
His Arms hung dead behind him,  
great pains that he did prove;  
And now he bands and curses  
that day that he was born,  
And wishes' that his Carcase  
by Devils might be torn.   

Now I feel surely,  
quoth he; there is a God,  
That sorely doth plague me  
with his strong Iron Rod:  
O hide me from his presence,  
his looks are death to me,  
Nothing but wrath and vengeance  
about him do I see.   

I have despised him,  
but can no whit repent,  
My heart is hardened,  
my mind cannot relent,  
No pity nor compassion,  
nor mercy is in store,  
For me vile wretched creature,  
despised for evermore.   

I am in Hell tormented,  
and to endless pain,  
Look how the Devils torment me  
in stretching every vein:  
Look how they swarm about me,  
O what hell fiends are these,  
Woe worth the time that ever  
I did the Lord displease.   

I burn in flaming fire,  
yet do no whit consume,  
My conscience doth torment me,  
that did in sin presume:  
Alas! my loving sister,  
now do I know full well,  
There is a God most righteous  
and eke a Devil in hell.   

And with these speeches  
his Eyes fell from his head,  
And by strings hung dangling  
below his Chin stark dead:  
See how the Devils, than he said,  
hath plucked my eyes out quite,  
That always was unworthy  
to view the heavenly light.   

Then from his mouth there fell  
his foul blasphemous tongue,  
In very ugly manner,  
most piteously it hung;  
And there away he rotten,  
in all the People's sight,  
By Lice and filthy Vermin,  
it was consumed quite.   

With ghastly groaning  
and shrieks that sounded high,  
Two hours after  
this Cursed Man did lie;  
And there at length he died,  
and then the fire ceased;  
His Carcase stunk more filthy  
than any Carrion Beast.   

No man was able  
for to endure the smell,  
Nor yet to come to bury him,  
as true Report doth tell;  
Until he was consumed  
he lay above the ground,  
The doors about the Garden,  
therefore was locked round.   

Let all Blasphemers  
take warning by this thing;  
Lest that God's Vengeance  
they do upon them bring:  
And Lord grant all Christians  
thy holy Grace and fear,  
They may think on the punishment  
that Conningham had here.    

Printed for Alex. Milbourn at the Stationers-Arms in Green-Arbor-Court in the Little Old-Baily.