THE LIFE and DEATH OF Damaris page.. THAT Great, Arch, Metropolitan ( Old-Woman) OF Ratcliff High-Way.  
Who( through Age and Sickness) departed this Life at her Manner of the Three-Tuns in the Parish of Stepney the 9th day of this present October, and was butted the Sunday following at St. George's in South-wark, with great Lamentation of all the Sister-hood.  Hugh Peters, 1.2. 
Let us whiles we are 〈◇〉 make use of our time, for a mans life is finished in a day.  
LONDON, Printed for R. Burton at the horse-shoe in West-Smith field. 1669.   

The Life and Death OF Damaris page.:  
DAmaris page., as is conjectured, was born about the Year 1601. and as it is thought in the Month of March because she was used to sturdy storms and bitter blasts which that Month is much subject unto she was in her time a woman of very great famed, for the Seamen had spread her name abroad into all the countrys of Europe, Asia, Africa and America, and the Isle of P●nes also, in which Country she was had in very great repute and Veneration by the Inhabitants thereof, for those notable qualiti●s wi●● which she was endowed. Now there is ●o●e that is famous for all things but only for some particular. Dr. Faustus was very famous for being a conjurer Hind and Ha●nam were famous for their ●hievery, Dr. ●r— was much noted for his skill in a pisspot, Martin Parker was famous for making of Ballads, and Squire Dun got a great name for his excellent skill and dexterity in the riding knot, whereby in half an hours time he would cure a Man of the Squinancy, as he d●d often experiment at that terrib●e triple Tiburni●n ●●ee that stands in the Road betwixt London and Paddington a Gentleman of my acquaintance was very f●mous for his skill in Tobacco-stoppers, and another that I knew got a great name for his admirable dext●rity in making of N●●●●ra●k●n●d ●m 〈◇〉 great a●● metropolitan ●.— was most notably famous for keeping a house of, what shall I call it, for it had divers names, some called it the Seamans whirlpool, others Venus Bower, Cupids pesthouse, the chirurgeons friend, the Hectors Office, a Vaulting-School, the amorous chase, a Brothel, a Stew the huck-strings Accademy, the hole in the Wall, &c. But the down-right Seaman when he was gotten three quarters drunk, would call it in plain English, a Bawdy-house.  
And therefore though she kept great hospitality, she could not be said to keep a good house, and though she had many Female servants she kept few Maids, dealing much in brittle Ware that were often subject to cracks and fla●●, whom the chirurgeon was forced to play the Tinker with in mending them the other materials belonging to her house, were a clos● Box with a side bed to kennel in, clean linen, sweet powder, paint, p●tches, plaster, pint bottles of Wine at two shilling a bottle, Stepony, R●spberry-ale, Cock-ale, Cakes, a Barrel of Beer, a tub of new ale, a G●●lo● o● Strong-water, two Gallons of Brandy, Cans, Black pots, Pipes ready ●●lled with stinking instead of Spanish. Tobacco; Cards, a Pits-pot, and a piece of crotched chalk that should make two scores at once for the greater felerity in writing.  
And though some have reported her to be of a very hasty ●roward peevish disposition, yet we know contrarily that she was endued with a great stock of patience, as was evidently manifested when the unruly rabble on Easter holidays defaced her mansion of pleasure; breaking her goods, cutting in pieces her beds, making the feathers to fly about the streets, yet notwithstanding she were thus wronged, she was not heard to give them any bad words, but contrarily called them good gentlemen and pray gentlemen, with other Sugar-candy words, nothing savouring of scolding brangling, or impatiency at all.  
But though she had some virtues, certainly she had more vices, then any Smith hath to work withall, for she would lie( in her bed every night she would scold, but that she learned of her neighbours; she would drink, and eat too, else could she not have lived so long: she would talk, for she was not tongue-tied, yet was she very just of her word, for if she promised to help a man with a wh— she would not help him to an honest woman.  
And what can be desired more I pray,  
Then people for to do as they do say.  
And though some may think she got her living very lightly, and with much case, yet certainly they were greatly mistaken; for besides the rigour of the Laws which them of her occupation are liable unto, as Imprisonments, Cartings, and the like, there was besides great charges for Fines and Fees to Justices clerks, Beadles, and such other inferior relics of Authority; besides a great deal of charge for white and read to empayer decayed Nature, and to hid the furrows and wrinkles of old age, which should they have appeared, might have been very detrimental to one of her profession: and therefore whatsoever some may think, a B— doth not get her iiving with so much ease as the world supposeth, nor i● that adventure of her danger of Ca●ting to be slighted.  
Now I would not have any one to be mistaken, to think because our Damaris died at Ratcl●ff-High way, that she was the old woman that was drowned there a Forth ght ago; No, be it known to you that she feared more burning then drowning; and besides too, wearing Cork-shooe●, she was so light-heel'd, that had she been thrown into the water, she would not have sunk.  
No doubt but her ambition was very great in striving to imitate the examples of some former great Potentates and Noblemen, who upon the committing of some heighnous Crimes, to expiate heir sins, as they thought, would build monasteries and Religious houses; which as that well-languag'd Historian Mr. Speed thinks, their foundations being lined in blood. or as bad matters was one great cause of their downfall in the time of King Henry the eight, so she was very charitable to the Poor whiles she lived, which yet I may speak not as any ways blaming her, and, as I am informed, at her death gave, amongst other Legacies, money to buy Smocks for a hundred poor Seamans widdows, an example of which I wish many that detested her life would practise at their Deaths.  
She dyed on Saturday morning the 9th day of this instant October, and was with a great concourse of people attending her Corp, butted ●t St. Georges in Southwark on Sunday following in the afternoon, where now she rests in the Grave secure from a Shrove-tuesday rous, or E●ster-holydays vexation.  

Her Elegy.  

And is it true; is Damaris dead indeed  
And hath put on Death's sable Ebbon Weed,  
Hath grizly death instead of ●eef and cabbage  
Trust her up deep in Grave both Bag and Baggage,  
Then mourn ye Mobbs of Venus, each bright spark  
That shines in Luteners Lane, and Whetstones Park,  
Blow forth deep sighs and let your groans be runners  
Let tears run from your eyes like drops through scummers  
Let your eyes Rain make in the ground Meanders  
And weep her Death like Hero's and Leanders.   

Death on her house of day at last did seize,  
And sacked the same worse then the Prentices;  
There many a Seaman hath sat with his Doxy  
And spent his coin till he grew Foxy, Poxy:  
Boarding of Friggots, until at the last  
Lights of a friendship, and so spoils his Mast,  
Well might you think mischief would on it come  
Falling to rummaging her Powder-room,  
Thus Souldiers may get wounds though not in Wars,  
For Venus hurts do prove the greatest scars.   

But whether goes my Muse; come back again  
sail not thy lustre in a Pockey Vein,  
Thy task it was to tell of death's Fegaries,  
And nor of Surgeons and Apothecaries:  
To meddle with no idle lustful Wench,  
That takes in English, and pays back in French,  
Thy task it, was to make an Elegy,  
To show how, where, and when did Damaris die  
How sickness did her body Carbanado  
And then death killed her with his great Granado,  
Her Mobbs could not make cruel Mors to faint  
He'd not be bribed with their Pox not Paint,  
He knew she was a bit for his own Trencher,  
They did mistake to think death was a Wencher,  
Now she is gone and laid in ground full cool  
The chief being dead the rest may break up School,  
And yet oft-times we by experience know  
Great Oaks being gone, the Shrubs will faster grow,   

Farewell thou noted Female, henceforth be  
famed with Lais, Thais, Chorrinna, Rhodope.  
And yet so long as Luteners-Lane stands still  
Dog and Bitch-yard, Whetstones Park, and Saffron-hill,  
Who listeth for to seek there he may find  
Though thou art gone, more h●●●s are le●t behind.   

Epitaph.  
Pass by Reader, and forbear  
To inquire who lies here,  
We do not mean believe to cheat  
Within here lies virtuous, modest, great,  
And such like Epithets be spread,  
cousin the living belie the dead,  
We boast no wonders beg no praise  
Let this suffice and go your ways.    

Some few Legacies which she bestowed by word of mouth a little before her departure.  
Imprimis to all the Sister-hood in Nightingale-Lane Well-close, Ratcliff-High-way, and those petty places of Trading, two pence a piece, to buy thread to mend their stockings.  
Item, I give to all those who having handsome Wives of their own yet follow whores, the sum of four pence a piece to buy them a book called Greens groatsworth of wit.  
Item, I give to all the Dammee Hectorian blades about the Town, the sum of thirteen-pence half-penny a piece, to pay the successor of Squire Dun, his wages when they shall have need of him.  
Item, I give to all Thieves, Cut-purses, and Pick-pockets, good counsel to leave off their damnable Trade, or else they will fall Gallows ripe into the Hang-mans budget.  
Item, To all rotten p●ckified Who—( of which there is a great many) I give four-pence a piece, to buy them sweet powder, to keep them from stinking a i've.  
Item, I bequeath to all young Sm●ll▪ Smocks that intend to follow Whores, this counsel before hand that they provide money for the Apothecary and chirurgeon.  
Item, I give to the Officers belonging to Fumblers Hall o.o.o.o.  
Item, I bequeath to him that shall writ my Life and death the sum of ten shillings to be paid him by the book-seller.    

Post-script.  
Much more might have been added of the virtues and vices of this woman, but I think here is sufficient, and more willingly then I would do for nothing, for the honestest woman that lives in Whetstones Park, Luteners-Lane, Dog and bitch-yard, Saffron-hill, Well-close, Nightingale-Lane, or Ratcliff-High-way.  
FINIS.