departure overhearing the musick which was daily in the next roome she desired one of her sons to call in their father to whom with a broken sad voice she said Husband you well know what a burthen this Excesse of musick hath been to me all my life must that which hath been so much affliction to me in my life be brought to my death bed may I not dye out of the noise of it pray forbeare I have not many houres to live and then you may have your fill of musick To which he replied not one word but went out in discontent and so fel to his musick againe The third day after shee departed this life a little before her death shee called to her her son in Law and daughter Vernon desiring them amongst other requests to see to the Education of her two younget sons the Eldest being a little before married to a vertuous maid of an honest and Religious Neighbour familie for which shee much rejoyced hoping that her eldest son now taken into partnership with his Father and matcht with a stay'd discreet wife the Old man would the more delight himselfe in his children and condition and take himself off from his extravagant musick To which purpose shee then also desired her children to labour by all fair wayes to take him off from that company especially from the frequentation of Mr. Edward Jones and that not so much out of dislike to him as to his wife whom shee saw to be a subtil undermining woman that would be ready to make her own advantage of old Mr. Goodwins weaknesse I told you before that the eldest son Andrew Goodwin was upon his marriage taken into partnership with his father into a Stock of Eighteen hundred pounds of which two thirds are the fathers and one third the sons as by Indenture appears which partnership is to continue eighteen years a little before Mr. Goodwin had cast up his estate and found his neat stock to be two and twenty hundred pounds a fine competency though nothing to what he might have honestly raised out of his Trade which for the quantity I verily believe to be one of the best Dyers trades in England In this partnership it was agreed that Andrew Goodwin being the better accomptant should keep the books and cash and looke after the street businesse and old Mr. Goodwin to follow the trade within doors and so they began very comfortably together About three months after Mrs. Goodwins death Mr. Goodwin going to see his son in Law and daughter Vernon after some abrupt passages he began to tel them that his house wanted aguide and he had found a Godly woman that would be a fit wife for him this he pretends to desire with much passion when as it now appeares he was sent by Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Pigeon her sister to act this cheat to delude the world which is plaine by what Mr. Pigeon hath affirmed under his hand and seal Which attestation of Mr. Pigeons lyes deposited in the hands of Mr. Cooper Minister and the Elders of the Parish of Olaves Southwarke by which writing he affirms that long before even in the life time of Mrs. Goodwin deceased Mr. Goowdin had engaged to marry Mistris Jones But this pretended passion lasts not long for within ten dayes after Mr. Goodwin returnes againe to the house of his said son in Law tels them that he saw now that God had not appoynted this match for him but that God had provided for him a wife so eminent in Piety and wisdome that his former wife deserved not to be named the same day And when he was entreated by his said children to discover who this rare woman was he utterly refused to reveale it yet his daily converse and familiarity with Mrs Jones put them in strange thoughts but still the businesse was to them but tanquam Nubibus very dark till time the Mother of truth hath made it more apparent and notorious as by this ensuing discourse appeares Let the Reader note that Mr. Goodwin is a member of Mr. Coopers Congregation Mrs. Jones a member of Mr. Kiffins Church and Mrs Pigeon of Mr. Hansard Knowles Now because Mrs. Pigeon is the chief agent and contriver in these sinful projects I shall give this brief discription of her She is one that can transforme her self into an Angell of light and having her tongue tipt with Scripture can with teares sighes gesture at command set off what she would have beleeved as Gospell though very false thereby to ensure such as hearken to her Charmes no sport to her like catching credulous persons with her faire Saint-like expressions making sure prey of all that she can thus draw into her toyles and so implacabe that when she hath once got an advantage nothing shall satisfie her but the utmost rigour which she will rise at midnight to prosecute This finely qualified Gentlewoman was wife to Mr. Starkey an Apothecarie but she soone as is beleeved woried him out of the world with her wicked imperious usage She had by him as is thought one childe and a faire estate After a while she marries with second husband one Mr. Pigeon a Lieutenant in the then Lieutenant Generall Cromwells regiment Shortly after her marriage with Mr. Pigeon she returnes to her old imperious carriage as will appeare by this story She askes Mr. Pigeon what he would doe with his estate if he should die he sayes he hopes to have children by her she replies she hopes he loves her so well that he will trust her with his children and presses him to promise that if he dye he will give her all he endeavours in a loving way to divert her but she insists peremptorily in her resolution to make him sweare to give her all which he still refusing she absolutely refuses to admit him as a husband and yet to worke him to her purpose did behave her selfe very amorously towards him and besides her personall allurements did many times urge him to drinke aqua coelestis vinum viperatum compounded with provocative drugs and many other provocative meats and drinks for many dayes together promising him that if he would sweare as aforesaid she would be to him according to his owne heart yet did he for good reasons still refuse to consent and she still pursues him till one morning practising the very height of amorous behaviour towards him and yet peremptorily refusing him unlesse he would swear he fell into such a passion and was so transported that he became altogether senselesse feeble and irrationall so that she feared he would never returne to his reason againe in which condition she then besought him for Christs sake to speak to her as formerly but all in vaine for he was no wayes sensible of what he said or did She now much affrighted at this strange accident applies her selfe to one Doctor Burges a Physician who coming to him in that condition gave him two vomits in one day which through excessive
him yet never could obtaine any succour but what came from their hands which what it was I leave to God and their owne consciences In the best construction that can be made they did very wickedly to trifle away a mans life being ignorant of his disease and in that consideration if no other are guilty of his bloud which God will one day make inquisition for and avenge That night they sate up in the hall with a good fire and ale to see what would become of him and about three of the clock he departed when whether terrified with the guilt of what they had done or what other consideration but presently they tooke coach and departed though in the dead of the night Some moneth after young Mrs. Goodwin dyed a vertuous young woman whose sicknesse occasioned more visits from these good Ladies and might have done more physick but they were now out of credit and her parents watc'ht diligently that she should take nothing that came from them It is generally believed that she dyed of griefe having her heart broke by the occasion of the practises of these women In my hearing she hath often made bitter complaints saying these women had disgraced the family and would be the ruine both of her husband and father in law Now the project thrives apace two of their great opposers are by death removed out of the way there remaines onely the young man to be dispossess'd and then all is their own in order to which they first order the old man to tell his son that his family wants a guide and that he is resolved to bring Mrs. Jones to take charge of his family The young man in a great deal of distraction acquaints his friends with this newes and according to their advice endeavours to perswade his father by faire meanes not to disgrace the family by bringing in a woman that was reported to be his whore and seeing his father persist that he would bring her in tells him plainly that he hath an interest both in the stock and trade aswell as his father and that seeing her coming in tends to the ruine of both he is resolved to oppose it and if she comes to thrust her out by head and shoulders This the old man reports back againe and they are for the present at a losse You may wonder that active Mrs. Pigeon hath been so little mentioned all this while but she is not idle but hath her irons in the fire she sees how successefully her sister Jones with a little of her help hath rid her selfe of her husband and therefore now she plots how to shake off also her shackles of matrimony You may remember that Mr. Pigeon to satisfie her violent importunity had made over to her all his estate which was very great well thinking by such an unparalleld act of love to binde her to him in duty and affection for ever but what can oblige such savage natures she returnes to her old disobedience as before you have in part heard It was a common practise with her if at any time he refused to act her wicked projects to run away from him sometime for a week sometime for a moneth amongst other of her devices it being immediately after the late Kings death she makes shew of much discontent against the actings of the present Governors she projects to her husband to draw up a declaration against them and their proceedings which he must subscribe and avow and then he should be her dear husband and she vowes to stand by him to the last in it Let others thinke their pleasure for my part I beleeve this was a plot laid to have destroyed Mr. Pigeon but he wisely refused to act in it reproving her pragmatical spirit for which she vowes to be revenged of him then Mr. Knowles is sent for who according to her instructions had framed a bill of divorce which he then perswaded Mr. Pigeon to subscribe alledging he might lawfully in the sight of God doe it and at last did prevaile with him to subscribe Not long after Mr. Pigeon is againe reconciled to his wife and Mrs. Pigeon did then also subscribe two writings with her hand and seale which Mr. Pigeon hath still by him wherein she covenants to forget all former discord and to be to him a loving and dutifull wife yet after this she ran away severall times and began now to fall into intimate acquaintance with a merchant living at Clapham from whose company to this day Mr. Pigeon could never reclaime her Sometime she would come and stay a week and then to this Merchant againe and though Mr. Pigeon did before good witnesse upon the Exchange admonish the said Merchant to abandon her company and gave him reasons which did induce him to thinke that she was the said Merchants whore yet they still persist in their familiarity now Mr. Pigeon being commanded into the Isle of Jarsey at his returne his wife being lately delivered they were againe with much adoe reconciled yet was her old project still on foot for Mr. Pigeon having one night got cold by his carefull tending of the childe he said to her Sweet-heart I fear I shall have the Gout for I have a paine in my wrist that shoots into my finger she presently with violence affirmes that it was the Pox he perswades her and she opposes and at last resolves to send for Mr. Knowles to be advised by him Mr. Pigeon the next day meeting casually Mr. Knowles acquaints him with their difference tells him if he will come and endeavour to perswade his wife to reason he would take it kindely Mr. Knowles replies it was Mrs. Pigeons custome first to resolve upon things and then to aske counsell and further said to Mr. Pigeon that he need not thinke Mrs. Pigeon spent his money upon him for he had never received but five pounds for himselfe and five shillings for the poore of their Congregation he said if Mr. Pigeon would be at home that evening he would come and endeavour to perswade her which accordingly he did Mrs. Pigeon conducts him into an upper chamber from her husband where they were together about halfe an houre and then came downe together into the roome where he remained and she then began to make grievous complaints insisting chiefly on two heads viz. that he had the Poxe and that she was in feare of her life He then asked her what ground she had for it and if he had threatned her since he came home she replied he had not but that he had a paine in his arme which she knew was the Poxe Mr. Knowles said that he had a paine in his arme and she might aswell say so by him and added that she was his wife or else she was a whore She still insists she was afraid and could not be satisfied Mr. Pigeon mildely said thus to Mr. Knowles Sir you hold my wife too hard she pretends I have the Poxe if you thinke fit we
A BRIEF RELATION OF THE Strange and Unnatural PRACTICES OF WESSEL GOODWIN MEHETABELL JONES the wife of EDWARD JONES and ELIZABETH PIGEON the wife of JOHN PIGEON Prov. 2. 16 17. To deliver thee from the strange woman even from the stranger that flatters with her words Which forsakes the guide of her youth and forgets the Covenant of her God Prov. 30. 15. The Horseleech hath two Daughters that cry Give Give Printed in the Year 1654. TO THE READER READER I Here present thee with a most stupenatous Relation of a father formerly loving his children even to doting and now without any just provocation abhorring his owne flesh of two sisters that heretofore were transcendent in the profession of Saintship and now apostatized into Libertine and unnaturall practises the Apostle saith he that provides not for his family hath denyed the faith and is worse then an Infidell here shalt thou see a father so far from providing for his dutifull children that he strips them of all that which God hath given him and gives it to strangers the Apostle saies of these latter dayes that there shall be seducers that shall creep into houses and lead captive filly women laden with sins led away with divers lusts here behold seducing women cunning in wickednesse creeping into a silly mans house and leading him captive to their wicked purposes and to his owne and his families utter ruine Stories make mention of certaine Sea-Monsters whose upper parts are the resemblance of beautifull women and the neather parts of an ugly fish who by their melodious voices entise the unwary passengers to attention and then suddenly seise and devoure them here behold two Land Sirens or monsters being neither maides wives nor widowes having only the shape of women charming with the musick of their fained speeches a silly old man and suddenly seising and devouring both him and all his family I doe professe in the presence of God I am not conscious to have set downe one passage that I scruple the truth of it to most of them I have been an Ocular witnesse That which is most remote from my owne knowledge hath severall times been related to me by their owne husbands My intention in this publication is not to defame the parties herein concerned but to discover the truth which by their feigned pretences and foule practises hath been grievously defamed I have also considered that haply this narrative may light into the hands of old Mr. Goodwin and who can tell but when he shall see in this true glasse his whole shape at once and behold what a deformed Creature his sinfull converse with these women hath made him who can tell I say but he that hitherto hath stood out against all the reproofes and admonitions of godly friends and Ministers professing that he valued their reproofes no more then the dirt under his feet by the powerfull assistance of the Spirit of God his secret thoughts may rebound within him his heart throb his bowells be moved and he may smite upon the thigh and say what have I done Reader here thou wilt see a Land-wrack where there are in these perilous times more rocks and quick sands then in the great Ocean and all for want of minding the Compasse Let it teach thee to keep to the rule of Gods word to grow in Grace and to stand fast in sound principles to stand amased at thy owne vilenesse and Gods goodnesse so wilt thou be humble and thankfull and be preserved from the snares of seducers Farewell MAster Wessell Goodwin one of the principal subjects of this relation was borne in the Borough of Southwark where yet he liveth bred up in the mystery of a Dier of whose Descent and parentage I will not mention one word that I may contract my discourse keeping close to the subject I have undertaken About the twenty sixth of his age he married Mistris Ellenor Armestrong a Liecester shire Gentlewoman of an antient honorable Familie a woman of the most excellent frame of spirit that I ever met with judicious sober vertuous and above all religious a Charitable heart that would seldom send away the poore without a double Almes relief for the body and good counsel for the soul that in some things seemed parsimonious that on just occasions shee might be the more liberal that could finely divert her Husband from his follies and yet give him all due respect by her he hath four children three sonns one daughter all handsomely educated for many years they continued in good correspondency of affection till towards her latter daies that his folly would admit of no restraint Amongst other extravagancies he was ever strangely given to musick to which he had a ravenous appetite five pounds for pricking out two or three lessons which when he had he understood like Arabick thirty pounds for a Lute of which he had with other sorts of fiddles a whole roome full and which is the wonder can ply of none only admires them ten pounds at a time to a musick Master for a months teaching or rather playing to him And as at Virginia Tobacco and at the Barbadoes Sugar is put in the place of money so many hundred weight for a field or a Cow so doth he fondly thinks musick to be that which answers all things I 'le give but one instance from an hundred coming one day to see his Daughter Vernon he used these words to her Husband Sonne quoth he I am sorry I cannot doe for you as I would I see you have a great charge and trading is bad which I doe consider and therefore will bestow upon my daughter a suite of Mr. Rogers his new lesons I am sorry to spoile paper with such fooleries but there is a necessity that the sequent truth may the better appeare I might add his training up all his children to musick and so farr as they gave way to his musickal distemper so far they were dutiful and obedient so far as they slighted musick wicked and rebellious for instance his second son being intended through his Mothers importunity for a Prentice accordingly he was put to an able writer to perfect his hand but still he plies him to have a great care of his Lute and would needes have brought him a musick Master to the house where he boarded and when by the youth and his son Vernon he was told he had musick enough and could not now so unseasonably atend so much musick he fell into a great rage against his said son Vernon telling him he had Corrupted his son with his counsel but should corrupt no more of his children About the 58 yeare of his age his vertuous wife fell sick of a painfull disease contracted by melancholy of which in a few moneths she died I should not mention any of the private unkindnesses with which she long strugled and at last sunke under only this particular I may not omit When she drew neare her death some few dayes before her