The first part of the widow of Watling street& her three daughters,& how her wicked Son accused her to be an harlot, and his sisters Bastards.  
To the tune of Bragandary.  

OF the kind widow of Watling street  
I will the story tell,  
Who by her husband déere was left,  
In substance very well;  
A prodigal son likewise had she,  
And faire young daughters lovely three?  
Great misery, sorrow and misery,  
cometh for want of grace.  
For by his daily practices,  
which were both lewd and ill,  
His fathers heart from him was drawn,  
His love and his good will.  
But yet what chance so ere befell,  
his mother loved him dearly well,  
When in prison lay full poor,  
for debt that he did owe,  
His father would not stir out of doors,  
For to release his woe.  
But when his mother his grief did see,  
shee found the means to set him free.  
And when her husband fell full s●cke,  
and went to make his will,  
O husband remember your son she said,  
Although he hath been ill:  
But yet no doubt he may return,  
repenting the evil he hath done.  
Remember wife what sorrow and care,  
through him I daily found:  
Who through his lewd ungracious deeds,  
Hath spent me many a pound:  
And therefore let him sink or swim,  
I means not for to deal with him.  
And therefore sole Executor here,  
I do thee onely make:  
To pay thy debts& legacies, the rest unto thee take,  
Not so my husband dear( quoth she)  
but lat your son be joined with me:  
For why he is our child( she said)  
we can it not deny.  
The first that ever graced you  
With fathers dignity,  
Oh, that ever you did me love,  
grant this request for his behove.  
Thy love dear wife was evermore,  
most precious unto me:  
And therefore for thy sweet loues sake  
I grant thy svit to thee.  
But ere one year be fully spent,  
I know thou wilt the same repent.  
Now was his son received home,  
and with his mother dear,  
Was joined Executor of the Will,  
which did his courage cheer:  
The old man dying, butted was,  
but now behold what came to pass.  
The funeral being ended quiter, it fell vpon a day  
some friend did fetch the widow forth,  
To drive conceits away,  
While she was forth and thought no ill,  
her wicked sons doth work his will.  
Possession of the house he took, in most despite full wise  
throwing his sisters out of doors,  
With sad lamenting cries.  
When this they did his mother show,  
She would not beleeue he would do so.  
But when she came unto her house,  
and found it so indeed,  
Shee called unto her son and said, although her heart did bleed,  
Come down my son, come down said she,  
let in thy mother and sisters three.  
I will not let in my mother he said,  
nor sisters any one,  
The house is mine, I will it keeps,  
Therefore away begun.  
O son how canst thou endure to see't.  
thy mother and sisters to lie i'th street.  
Did not thy father by his will,  
For term of this my life,  
give me this house for to enjoy, without all further strife.  
And more of all his goods said shee,  
I am Executor joined with thee.  
My father left you the house, he said,  
but this was his intent,  
That you therefore daring your life,  
Should pay me yearly rent:  
An hundred pound a year therefore,  
you shall give me, or else give it o'er.  
And sith the Cities custom is,  
that you thirds must haue  
Of all my fathers movables,  
I grant what law doth crave:  
But not a penny more will I,  
discharge of any legacy.  
O wicked son, quoth shee that seeks  
thy mother thus to fleece:  
Thy father to his daughters gave  
Three hundred pounds a piece:  
Tell me who shall their portions pay,  
appointed at their marriage day.  
Then with a scornful smile he said,  
What talk you of so much:  
Ten pounds a piece, I will them give,  
My charity is such.  
Now fie vpon thee beast, quoth she,  
that thus dost deal with them and me.  
But ere that they and I will take  
this injury at thy hand:  
The chiefest peers of England shall  
the matter understand:  
Nay, if you go to that, quoth he,  
mark well what I shall tell to thee,  
Then hast a secret harlot been,  
and this Ile prove full plain,  
That in my Fathers life time didst  
Lewd Ruffians entertain:  
The which did then beget of thee,  
in wicked sort these bastards three,  
No daughters to my father then  
were they in any wise:  
As he supposed them to be,  
Thou blinding so his eyes.  
Therefore no right at all haue they,  
to any penny given this day.  
When shée did hear her shameless son,  
for to defame her so,  
Shee with her lovely daughters three,  
with grief away▪ did go.  
But how this matter out did fall,  
the second part will show you all.   
FINIS.   

The second part of the widow of Watling street 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 savour so sweet,  
Whose beauty the love of many had won:  
With her daughters three for succour went she,   

unto the Kings counsel of Noble degree.  
Now fie vpon falsehood, and forgery frail,  
For great is the truth, and it will prevail.  
Her son by Writ now summoned is,  
At the Star-chamber with speed to appear,  
To answer the vile abuses of his:  
The Lords of the counsel the matter will hear,  
This news being brought▪ his wits he sought,  
Which way his villainy best might be wrought.   

Then up and down the city so faire,  
He seeketh companions to serve his turn:  
A sort of Vagabonds naked and bare,  
The which to work murders for money are won:  
These wretches behold, for money and gold,  
He hired for witness his lies to uphold, &c.   

My masters, quoth he, my mother by name,  
To be a lewd strumpet accused I haue:  
And having no witness to prove the same,  
Your aid and assistance herein I do crave,  
Therefore without fear, before the Lords there,  
That this thing is certain you six shall it swear.   

The first two quoth he shall swear on a book,  
That sixteen yeares past 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 befell, they two mark it well,  
That just nine moneths after she had her first girl.   

The second couple shall swear in this sort,  
That at bristol about thirteen yeares past,  
She with her own prentice did fall in such sport,  
That her second daughter was got at the last,  
Now trust us quoth they wele swear what you say,  
Or any thing else for money this day, &c.   

And thus the third couple their oath now shal take,  
That as at the Bath shee stayed on a day,  
For a●h in the bones an excuse she did make,  
How shee with a Courtier the wanton did play,  
And how well you wot in that pleasant plot,  
Her dearest young daughter for certain was got.   

But now my masters your names let me know,  
That I may provide your apparel with speed,  
Like six grant Citizens, so must you go,  
The better your speeches the Nobles will heed:  
So shall I with scorn ere Saturday morn,  
prove her a harlot, my Sisters base born.   

My name is Make-shift the first man did say,  
And Francis Light-finger the second likewise:  
cuthbert Greepe▪ window the third to display,  
And Rowland Robman with soul staring eyes,  
jack shameless came then with Harry steale-hen,  
You are quoth the Widow some right honest men.   

Before the Lords most prudent and grave,  
This wretch doth with his witnesses come,  
The Mother complains, and Iustice doth crave,  
Of all the offences that he hath her done.  
My Lords than quoth, I pray you hear me,  
The Law for my deeds, my warrant shall be.   

Her son said also shee's a harlot most vilde,  
And those be her bastards that stand here in place,  
And that she hath often her body defiled,  
By very good witness Ile prove to her face,  
This thing of thy Mother thou oughtest to smother,  
Tis shane for a child to speak ill of his Mother.   

But if this matter be proved untrue,  
And thou a false liar be found to tby face,  
Worse than an infidel, Pagan, or jew  
Thou oughtest to be punished and pl●g●'d in this case  
And therefore draw near and let us bear,  
What says the witness that here doth appear.   

When the first couple did come for to swear,  
They quluered 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 so stared with their eyes,  
They stammered and knew not what to devise, &c.   

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 the 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 shane,  
having his Iudgement appointed him right,  
To forfeft even all the goods he possessed,  
To loose both his ears, and banished, so rest, &c.  
When he heard his Iudgement pronounced to be,  
The fears full bitterly fell down from his face:  
To Mother and Sisters he kneeled on his knee,  
Confessing that lucre had brought this disgrace,  
That for mine own gain I sought to defaine  
My Sisters three portions this lye 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 then replied the Law justly tried.  
The punishment now thou art like to abide:   

Therefore to prison now thou shalt go,  
Whereas thou shalt the Kings pleasure abide:  
From thence to be brought with sham● 〈…〉 with woe  
To suffer the punishment due for 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:  
And being cast forth, the ravens picked out his eyes  
All Children behold what hath been  told,  
Accuse no man falsely for Lucre of Gold.  
Now fie vpon falsehood and forgery frail,  
For great is the truth and it will prevail.    
FINIS.   

Printed for Fr. cowls.