Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	child_n	father_n	life_n	5,155	5	4.4801	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12308	A certaine relation of the hog-faced gentlewoman called Mistris Tannakin Skinker, who was borne at Wirkham a neuter towne betweene the Emperour and the Hollander, scituate on the river Rhyne Who was bewitched in her mothers wombe in the yeare 1618. and hath lived ever since unknowne in this kind to any, but her parents and a few other neighbours. And can never recover her true shape, tell she be married, &c. Also relating the cause, as it is since conceived, how her mother came so bewitched.		1640 (1640)	STC 22627; ESTC S117439	10,388	18

noble Allies nay that he himselfe should assent thereunto without the least taxation of any injustice And to that purpose she sent for him out of prison and thus said Though for the death of my Grand child Bruneus both his Father and my selfe might take just vengeance of thee since thy life is forfeited into our hands Yet upon condition that thou wilt resolve me of one question which I shall propound thee thou shalt have liberty for three moneths but if not in that space thou canst not give a full solution of my demand thou shalt here take thy personall oath as thou art a Knight to returne back again unto this Castle where thou art now our prisoner and vassall and yield thy selfe up to a voluntary death freely acquitting us of the fact to thine Uncle the Emperour This being concluded as well by oath as obligation in writing sealed and subscribed the question was What thing above all other women most desire Imagine him now free on horseback and in his way to Court where being arrived and demanding of the wisest and gravest Philosophers and others to be resolved in this point and withall telling them of his own danger if it were not answered Every one were of severall opinions one said Pleasure another Pride some that they desired most to be praysed and flattered so that in this diversity of censures he was forc'd to depart thence unsatisfied now he whose honour was more precious unto him then the preserving of a thousand lives resolved to yield up his body according to covenant and riding through a Forrest some few leagues distant from the Castle pondring a thousand things in his perplexed head he casting his eye aside spied an old withered and decrepit Hag of the most ugly and lothsome aspect that ever his eyes beheld who stepping unto him and taking his horse by the bridle said Florens I know thee and that thou art now going to thy certain death but be advised by me and upon condition I will save both thy life and honour Blame him not if being now in his flourishing youth he gave her a willing care and cheerfully demanded of her what gift she would have or what taske impose him who presently answered That when hee had resolved the Beldam of her question by her means and had gained his life and liberty hee should returne to that place where hee then found her and from thence beare her to his place of residence and make her his wife Which when he heard he was now in a double distraction as preferring many deaths before such a loathsome and unequall match and so left her without reply But better considering with himselfe that being so old she could not live long and being married it was in his power to mew her up from the sight of men with other the like apprehensions and life being sweet he turned backe and swore by his Kinight-hood he would doe all that she demanded which being agreed betwixt them she told him that when the question was againe propounded What thing above all other women most desire he should answer To have their Wills and the Soveraignty over their Husbands Let us Imagine that by this he was acquit though to the great indignation both of the Father and the Grandam and came backe according to his Covenant where he met with the former Hagge of whom my Author in his old English gives this description She was the loathedst wight That ever man cast on his Eye Her Nose baas her browes hye Her Eyes small and deepe set Her Cheekes beene with teares wet And rivling as an empty skinne Hanging downe unto the Chin Her Lips shrunken bin for age There was no grace in her visage Her Front was narrow her lookes hore She looketh forth as doth a More c. In whose sight she was so odious that now he repenteth him that he had not suffered Death rather then to bee so miserably disposed of But shee still urging him upon his Knightly promise he was forc't in her torne and thred-bare habit to take her up behind him but so ashamed of his burthen that he only travailed either through woods or by Owle-light till at length hee came to his owne Castle where necessity though much against his will compelled him to discover her unto the Ladie his sister and other of his neare Allyes who were all much astonished and grieved at his wretched fortune But she still hastning on the match the day of marriage came when the Ladyes striving to tricke her up in the richest habite and best ornaments they could devise the more they strived to beautifie her the more ugly and deformed she appeared Briefly married they were and bed-time came heaven knowes to his small comfort and lesse content the Bride-chamber was prepared and the rooms according to the Brides appoyntment stucke full of lights The doors are shut to bed she goes and urgeth him to make haste and doe the office of an husband who was no sooner laid by her side with as much distance as was possible shee pluckt him by the arme and desired him to reach a Light and if shee could receive no other favour at his hands yet at least once more to looke upon her and she would then acquit him of his promise This seeming to be an easie condition he takes a light and looking stedfastly upon her he discovered a sweet yong Lady of an incomparable beauty and feature the like to whom to his imagination he never had in his whole life time beheld at which strange sight being much extasied he grew as greatly Inamoured insomuch that he beganne to court her and offered to kisse her c. But she modestly putting him backe said to him as followeth Sir I am indeed no other than I now seeme unto you and of these two things I give you free choise whether I shall appeare to you thus as you now see me young faire and lovely in your bed and all the daytime and abroad of my former deformity or thus beautifull in the day to the sight of your friends but in your armes every night of my former Age and Vglinesse of these two things I give you free choise of which till you have resolv'd me there can be no other familiarity betwixt in therfore without pause give me a speedy answer This more then all the rest distracted him For what was her beauty to him in the night if she appeared to all his friends so loathsome by day or what was her rare feature to him either abroad amongst his friends or at board if she were so odious to him in bed therefore he said unto her Sweet and delicate Lady I am confounded in your question nor know I what to answer but into you owne hands and choyse I give the full power and soveraignty to make election of which you best please At which words shee lovingly turned towards him and said Now Sir you have given me that which all women most desire my Will and Soveraignty and know I am the Kings daughter of Sicily who by a wicked and sorcerous step-dame was thus inchanted never to returne to my pristine shape till I was first married and after had received such power from my Husband And now from henceforth I shall be the same to you night and day of that youth and lively-hood which you now see mee till Time and Age breed new alteration even to the last period of my life At which how incredible his joy was I leave to the opinion of the understanding Reader who I hope will easily conceive what affinity this story may have with the former I should have spoken something of her residing in or about London as of her being in Black-Friers or Covent-garden but I can say little onely abundance of people doe resort to each place to enquire the truth some have protested they have seene her by the helpe of their acquaintance and give this reason why she will not as yet be constantly in one place because the multitude is so great that doe resort thither that they dare not be knowne of her abiding least by denying the sight of her they that owe the house should have it pulled downe about their eares Her portion is very large it being 40000 pounds she likewise goeth very gallant in aparrell and very courteous in her kind to all And whosoever shall in Pamphlet or Ballad write or sing otherwise than is discoursed of in this small Tract they erre from truth for what is here discovered is according to the best and most approved intelligence FINIS

yeere Monsters have been borne within these few yeeres in Virginia New England and other Colonies of our own Plantation of which it is now too long to insist And the like prodigious is now that a Gentleman of quality within these moneth died who being opened in his heart was found a worme in the forme of a Serpent which stretched out was found to be sixteene inches long But if we shall be any way jealous of the trruth of reverent Antiquity let us but looke backe upon our selves I will give unto you a few instances for many not to speake of those which have preposterously come into the world with their Feet forward and born with Teeth in their head as Richard the Third of that name King of England and others Twin Children have beene borne amongst us with two heads and bodies from the Gird lested upward and but two legs and feet to support them both and when one of them dyed the other survived but not many houres after A Scotch childe about two yeeres since was to bee seen in Barthlomew Faire a Girle about the age of seven yeeres who was so hairy hands armes face and body that you would have thought Orson to have bin her Father and some she Beare her mother yet had she her speech sences and all other deportments of a child of her age who had bin well educated and instructed But to leave all digression and come to the purpose now in hand I will onely remember unto you a very handsome young man late if not now in Towne whose picture hath bin publickely set out to the common view and himselfe to bee seene for money who from one of his sides hath a twin brother growing which was borne with him and living still though having sence and feeling yet destitute of reason and understanding whence me thinkes a disputable question might arise whether as they have distinct lives so they are possessed of two soules or have but one imparted betwixt them both but of this let the Philosophers or rather the Divines argue and Define being I must ingeniously confesse an Argument much above my element This prodigious birth though it was knowne to some few yet was it not made popular spoken of by all which the Father and mother for their owne reputations and credits were very carefull to maintaine so that it was never seene by any being an infant bare-fac'd but vaild and covered and so brought up in a private Chamber both fed and taught by the Parents onely and her deformity scarce knowne to any of the Servants and as the daughter grew in stature so the Father also increased with wealth so that he was accounted to be one of the richest men in all that Country Now how she came to be borne with such deformity there be divers and sundry conjectures but if we may Judge the cause by the effect and of the preceedent by the subsequent most probable it is that it came by Witchcraft And that there be such we have manifest proofe for in Skedam in Holland there is scarce a man or woman but they are either Magi or Sagae that is men or women witches but for the last wee neede no further witnesse then that of the Lancashiere witches some few yeares since of which I make no doubt but this whole City hath taken especiall notice of c. Now whether Witches have power to effascinate an inant in the wombe of the mother may be a question of which after some illustrations by knowne examples without any tedious Deviation I hope to gaine the Reader ample satisfaction History tells us that the Witch Circe the daughter of Sol and the Nimphe Persae who dwelt not farre from Caietu a City of Campania by her sorcerous Spells and Incantations changed divers of Vlisses his companions into Swine if she had such power over the whole no wonder then if a Witch in these dayes by the helpe of her Father the Divell cannot disguise the face which is but a part It hath beene knowne also in our knowne Country when a Gentlewoman of good discent and quality hath brought an infant into the World with a live Snake wrapt about the necke and body in memory of which that Noble Family in the emblazon of their Armes give the Snake ever unto this day which accident is quite against nature and therefore can be conferr'd upon nothing but Diabolicall Sorcery and Witchcraft I could tell you of the like prodigious things done by Medea Micale Erecto Magun Dipsas Aeriphala Locusta Guthurna Canidia Neopolitana Sagana Vera Folia and infinite others but though I study brevity give mee leave to give thee this short Character Their power is by the permission of the higher powers and instigated by the malice of the Divells to transhape men into beasts make barren fields blast Corne unfructify Trees parch and wither Grasse and Hearbes bring scabs and diseases upon men and murraine and rot upon Heards and Flockes effascinate the eyes weaken the hands benumbe the feete c. Now to prove that this Child was bewitched in the wombe there be these pregnant reasons following It is credibly reported that this Burgers wife having conceived an old woman suspected for a Witch came to begge of her an Almes but she being at the busied about some necessary affaires gave her a short and neglectfull answer at which she went away muttering to her selfe the Divells pater noster and was heard to say As the Mother is Hoggish so Swinish shall be the Child shee goeth withall which is a great probability that the infants deformity came by the malitious Spells and divelish murmurations of this wicked woman who after for the like or worse practises both upon men women and children whom shee had bewitched unto death being brought within the compasse of the Law and after to suffer at the stake amongst many other things confessed as much as I have before related yet either out of her perverse obstinacy would not or else the Divell forsaking her in extreamity as he doth all his other servants in her deficiency of power could not uncharme her yet by this means that which was before kept so private was now publickly discovered to the World insomuch that much confluence of people came to see the progedy which wearied the Father and cast a blush upon the cheekes of the good woman the mother some desirous to heare her speake whose language was onely the Dutch Hoggish Houghs and the Piggs French Owee Owee for other words she was not able to utter which bred in some pitty in others laughter according to their severall dispositions Others were importunate to see her feede then milke and the like was brought unto her in a silver Trough to which she stooped and eate just as a Swine doth in his swilling Tub which the more mirth it bred in the Spectators increased in the Parents the more melancholy insomuch that he bethought himselfe to finde out some meanes if it were