Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A69861
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[The] Distressed child, or, The Cruel uncle
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1700
(1700)
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Wing D1700; ESTC R30982
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3,303
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10
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Distressed CHILD OR The Cruel Uncle BEING A True and Dismal Relation of one Esq Solmes of Beverly in Yorkshire who dying lest an only Infant Daughter of the Age of two Years to the care of his own Brother who with many Oaths Vows and Protestations promised to be loving to her but her Father was no sooner Dead but out of a wicked Covetousness of the Child's Estate of three hundred Pounds a Year carry'd it into a Wood and there put it in a Hallow-Tree to Starve it to Death Where a Gentleman and his Man being a Hunting two Days after found it half Famished having gnawed its own Flesh and Fingers ends in a dreadful manner With an Account how the Cruel Uncle to hide his Villany had caused the Child's Effigies to be buried in Wax and made a great Funeral as if it had been really Dead With the manner of the whole discovery by a Dream and taking the Wax-Child out of the Grave With the Uncle's Apprehension Examination and Confession before Justice Seubbs and his Commitment to Goal in order to be Try'd the next Assizes for that barbarous Action Note This Relation will be attested at the Three-Nuns and Rummer Tavern without Aldgate As also at the Three-Cups in Aldersgate street by the Huttington-Carriers c. Licens'd and enter'd according to Order London Printed by D. Brown in Bartholomew Close The Inhumane Brother c. The Love of Money is the Root of all Evil and is the Cause of the most barbarous Vices as may be seen by this following Example IN the Town of Beverly in Yorkshire about two Months ago there lived one Squire Solmes a very Honest Gentleman of about Three Hundred per Ann. His Wife dying by whom he had one little Daughter about two Years of Age he continued some Months a sorrowful Widower he cou'd not well enjoy himself after the Loss of his Dear Spouse And it so happened that partly out of Grief partly from a violent Fever he was brought to his Bed of Sickness where he continued not long for he died within a Fortnight after he was taken by that Fever He expressed a great concern for little Girl and therefore call'd his Brother a Gentleman that lived about 14 Miles from him and begged him to take care of his Daughter upon him Brother said he I leave with you the Dearest Thing that I have in the World my little Daughter and with her to you I intrust my Estate manage it for her Use and take care of her Education in Vertue and Religion use her as if she were your own and for my Sake see her married to an Honest Country Gentleman All which was faithfully promis'd by the Brother Thus when all things were settled the Gentleman dies and the Brother takes Home the Child to his House and for some time us'd her kindly But at the last the D l of Covetousness possess'd him nothing run in his Mind so much as making away with the Child and so possess the Estate After many ways he at last concluded to take her with him and hide her in a hollow Tree Which one Morning he effected and left the poor Infant with her Mouth stopp'd that she might not cry For he had so much Grace not actually to Murder her therefore he left her alive in the hollow of the Tree and the better to hide the Matter gave out that the Child was Dead and therefore caus'd an Effigie of Wax to be made laid it in a Coffin and a Shrowd and made a great Funeral for the Child Thus the Effigie was buried and no notice at all taken of the Matter At the same time a Neighbouring Gentleman Dream'd That that Day he shou'd see something that wou'd sufficiently astonisht him He told it to his Lady who disswaded him from going a Hunting that Day but he was resolved not giving any credit to Dreams and so takes Horse in the Morning As he was a Hunting he happen'd to be in the Wood where the Child was And as he was Riding by the Tree his Horse gave a great start so that he had lik'd to have fallen down and turning about to see what was the matter he saw some thing stir in a hole and being inquisitive to know the Cause his Dream presently came in his Head And therefore he calls his Man and bids him examine what was in the hole Who having search'd the Tree discovers the Child in the Tree He took it out and his Master carried it to his Lady almost Dead he told him his Dream was out declaring how he found the Child and begg'd her to take Care of it The Child was reviv'd and in a little time brought to its self again but they could not imagine whose it was till at last it happen'd that some Women came to the Gentleman's House a Singing at Christmas and seeing the Child knew it and declar'd whose it was and that it was suppos'd to be dead and buried The Gentleman goes and prevails with the Minister of the Parish to have the Grave opened and found the Waxen-Effigie of the Child in the Grave He went to the Justice of the Peace to whom he declared the matter who sent his Warrant for the Child 's Trustee Who being convicted of the matter was not able to deny it but confess'd all the business But seeing the Child was alive 't is suppos'd he will not be tried for his Life but 't is thought a severe Punishment will be inflicted on him and the Justice appointed the Gentleman that found the Child to be its Trustee till the Assizes The Child is now at the Gentleman's House who loves it as if it was his own for he has no Children himself and is a Man of a good Estate and is likely to augment very much the Child's Fortune POSTSCRIPT WE have this further Account from Huttington concerning the Child aforesaid That when the Gentleman and his Man found it in the hollow Tree it was almost quite Dead it having been put there by the Inhumane Uncle two Days before so that the poor innocent Creature for meer Hunger had in a lamentable manner suck'd and knaw'd its own Fingers ends till the Blood ran about its Cheeks and Mouth to such a degree that when it was brought to the Gentleman's Lady she fell in a Swoon at the sight of it The manner of the whole Discovery of the Uncle's â—ickedness was thus He having some time before got the Child's Effigies exactly made in Wax as abovesaid gave out the Child was Dead and thereupon bought Mourning and buried the said Counterfeit Corps in a Stately and Sumptuous manner And he being a Rich Man none in the least had any Suspicion of his being Guilty of so barbarous a Wickedness as to make away with his Brother's Child So that had not Divine Providence in almost a Miraculous manner preserv'd the Child's Life it would have been impossible by humane Endeavours to have detected him of the Crime However after he thought himself past danger a Woman that had often seen the said Child at his House happened after to came by the Gentleman's Door some days after it was found and seeing it in the Maid's Arms the Gentleman being by says she That Child is as like Squire Solmes 's little Daughter as one Apple is like another and further added that if quoth she I had not seen his Child buried some days ago I should have positively sworn it had been the same Child Upon which the Gentleman called her into his House and told her the whole Story how and where he found it almost starv'd to Death in a hollow Oaken-Tree as he was a Hunting so that getting Knowledge of the Woman where Mr. Solmes Liv'd he was first of all Apprehended and kept in Custody till the Grave was opened at which time the Wax Child was taken out to the Uncle's great Shame and Confusion and the more when the Gentleman told him how he found the living Child in the hollow Tree as he was Hunting Upon which he confess'd the whole matter to the Justice and wrung his Haâ—â—◠〈…〉 â—â—â—mented after a sad and dismal mannâ—◠〈…〉 guilty of such a monstrous Bâ—â—◠〈…〉 Flesh and Blood FINIS Advertisement THe best and most Experienced Romedy for Sore or Weak Eyes that ever yet was made known to the World being of that wonderful Efficacy that it infallibly dispels any Humour or Salt Rheum distilling from the Head and takes away all Soreness or Redness or Swelling It also strengthons weak Eyes sometines occasion'd by the Small-Pox and will disperse any Films or Cataract growing over the Eye whereby the Sight oftentimes becomes dim in a few times using this Excellent Remedy to those that will be perswaded to use it often it will preserve the Sight to an incredible Age and read the smallest of Prints It being a Sacret acquired by a Gentleman in his long Study whereby he has wrought wonderful Cures among his Relations and Acquaintance and now made publick for the Benefit of all People that will make tryal of it For those that are really Poor they shall have it for Nothing to Others for 6 d. the Bottle To be had only at the Bible in Westmoreland-Court in Bartholomew-Close near West-Smithfield