was the second time taken into a more strict examination wherein albeit she could not denie any of her generall assertions yet touching the death of her husband that she forswore renounced the fact or practise thereof to be hers with such a shameles constancie that â—â—ee strucke amazement into all that heard her in the end by authoritie of Iustice she was committed to the white Lyon in Southwarke during the time of which imprisonment till her time of tryall thinking to out face truth with boldnesse and sin with impudence she continued out all her examinations taken before seuerall Iustices in her former denialls and whereas the Rod of imprisonment laid vppon others is receiued as a gentle correction whereby to looke into themselues it was to her rather the bellowes of indignation then a temperer to patience rather a kinde of frenzie then a cooler of furie rather a pruoker to euill then a perswader to goodnesse for she was seldome found to bee in charitie with any of her fellow prisoners nor at any time in quiet with her selfe rather a prouoker then an appeaser of dissentions given to much swearing scarce praying but continually scoulding so that shee was as hatefull to all them that dwelt with her in that her last home the prison as shee was to people of honest conuersation hauing deserued the name of a Baud while she liued abroad In this vnciuill order spending her houres the time of tryall comming on when such offenders were to appeare before the earthly Iudge to giue accoÌ„pt of their liues past amongst many others this Margaret Ferne-seed was one and at the assizes last according to the order of law she was indighted arraigned the purpose of which inditement was to haue practised the murther of her late husband Anthony Ferne-seede who as before was found dead in Peckham field nere Lambeth to the inditâ—â—ment she pleaded not guiltie putting her cause to God and the Countrie which were a credible Iurie paniled and had there made their personall appearance for that purpose then were these seuerall witnesses produced against her namely of the incontinentnes of her life past her attempt to poyson her husband before this murther as also to prepare broth for him and put powder in it her slight regard of him in his life and her carelesse sorrow for him after death with other circumstances as the flight of the fellowe whome she had liued long in adulterie with all her present sale of her goods vppon her husbands murther as it may be iustly thought with purpose to flie after him on which lawfull euidence she was coÌ„uicted after iudgement giuen her to be burned and from thence she was conueyed backe to the White Lyon till the time appointed for her execution How Margaret Ferne-seede spent her time in prison from Satterday the day of her conuiction till Munday the last of Februarie when in S. Georges fieldes she was executed BEing come backe to the prison for the first night she disposed her selfe according to her ancient habit being as it were so rooted and accustomed to euil that as euen death it selfe had not power to make her forget it and endeuour a better course but being at the same time in the prison with her three Gentlemen who likewise were condemned and who through the course of their liues had not taught them to liue well yet the care of theirs soules remembred them to dye well these Gentlemen hauing heard how ill her life past had bene and that her countenance was as resolute importuned the keeper that they might haue her company partly to instruct her but especially that she might see them by the reformation of their liues she might learne to amend her owne and as they did to prepare her selfe fit for death whose porsuasion and wholsome counsells of their owne with comfortable promises of our mercifull Sauiour Iesus Christ to them that vnfainedly beleeue in him and by vnfained repentance make way to their saluation as also with threatning her with the terrible Iudgements of Hell which are prepared for them that perish through lacke of grace they so wrought in her she was at last drawne to make a confession of her former life past and to repent her of the same The forme of which was in this manner The Confession and repentance of Margaret Ferneseed after her condemnation in the White Lyon TO prepare the reader for this confession of hers know that I was credibly satisfied that when the heat of her fury was past to which she was much subiect vnto she a womaÌ„ wel spoken offaire deliueraÌ„ce and good persuasion and so to her confession To excuse my selfe O Lord before thee who knowes the conspiracies of our thoughtes euen to the vtmost of our actions how euer so priuat or publikely committed were folly or to iustifie my selfe were sinne since no flesh can appeare pure in thy sight I here therfore with prostrate knees deiected eyes as vnworthie to looke vp vnto thy diuine Maiestie with a contrite hearte and penitent soule also here voluntariely confesse I am the greatest of sinners which haue deserued thy wrath and indignation In this good manner she proceeded and withall satisfied all that came desired to haue priuate conference with her of the whole course of her life that in her youth euen from the age of aptnesse she had bene a prostitute whore but growing into desabled yeares to please the loose desires of such customers she after turned baude a course of life more hatefull in tempting and seducing youth then the other in committing sinne the one makes but spoile and ruyne of her selfe and the other of a multitude for quoth shee I my selfe haue had ten seuerall women retaining to my house for that purpose some were mens wiues which repaired thither both by appointment and at conuenent houres when their husbands might least suspect or haue knowledge of their absence and these women did I first tempte to their fall some by perswading them they were not beloued of their husbands especially if I could at any time haue note of any breach or discontent betweene them others that their husbands maintained them not sufficiently to expresse their beauty and according to their owne desarts of these theÌ„ hauing brought my purpose to effect that I knew they had offended I made this booty that they were as fearefull to offend mes as their husbands should haue knowledge of their offences and these allowed mee a weekly pention for comming to my house and durst not at all times but finde opportunitie to come whensoeuer my selfe or such loose friendes whome either they had bene familiar withall or now desired to be acquainted with them should send for any of them to supply my house and make spoile of yong maides who were sent out of the countrie by their friends herewith hope to aduance themselues I went weekly to the Carriers where if the maide liked mee I so wrought with the
Carrier that she Aldomeleft me till I had brought her to be as had as I purposed which effected euery one of them I compelled to giue mee ten shillings a week out of their gettings hauing as I said sildome lesse then ten whose bodies and soules I kept in this bondage Besides I confesse I was a continuall receiuer of theft stollen but in all this as it was badly got so was it worse consumed for nothing of it did prospere with me whereby quoth she I acknowledge I haue deserued death and in the highest degree but for this which I am condemned Heauen that knoweth best the secrets of our hearts knowes I am innocent But who knowes not that in euill there is a like impudence to deny as there is a forwardnesse to acte in which we wil leaue here whom the law hath found guilty and hauing thus truly related her owne confession wee proceed to thee manner of execution First onely touching the euidence of two Sailers giuen to the Iurie at her arraignment Among other circumstances that was auailablest to condemne her this was one and the chiefest during the time while she kept a bad house about the Iron-gate by Tower-ditch there hapned a couple of Bargemen to come to reuell at her house with such Guestes as she kept to entertaine loose customers and hauing spent the whole day in large ryot and much expence the night being late for that time they made their lodging there they beeing a bed it hapned that night which was sildome her husband came to make his lodging there also and being chambered with his wife but a wall betweene where these Bargemen lay they could expreslie heare them euerie word that passed betweene them the effect of which was the reprouing of her for her had life his perswading her to amendment which she not willing to listen vnto fell a scoulding at him and so left both his bed and chamber some time passing At last Maister Ferneseede heard these Barge-men cough wondring to haue strangers lodged in his house for it was not common to his knowledge arose out of his bed and demanded of them what they were who asked of him also wherefore hee questioned them mary quoth hee for if you be honnest men and haue a care either of your bodies or soules avoide this house as you would doe poison least it be the vndoeing of you all they seeing him of a comely personage and that his wordes tended to some purpose demanded of him what he was that gaue them such wholesome counsell I am quoth he the maister of this house if I had my right but I am bard of the possession and commande thereof by a deuilish woman who makes a stewes of it to excersice her sinnefull practises so with some other admonishment left the roome when these Barge-men tolde mistris Ferneseed what they had heard of her husband to which she replyed hāg him slaue and villaine I will before God bee reuenged of him nay ere long by one meanes or other so worke that I will bee rid of him which making good in the iudgement of the Iudge to gather with her life practises she as aforesaid was condemned On Munday being the last of February she had notice giuen her that in the after-noone she must suffer death and a Preacher commended vnto her to instruct her for her soules health who laboured much with her for the confession of the fact which she still obstinately denied but made great showe of repentance for her life past so that about two of the clocke in the after-noone she was stripped of her ordinary wearing apparell and vppon her owne smocke put a kirtle of Canuasse pitched cleane through ouer which she did weare a white sheet and so was by the keeper deliuered to the Shreue one each hand a woman leading her and the Preacher going before her Being come to the place of execution both before and after her fastning to the Stake with godly exhortations hee admonished her that now in that minute she would confesse that fact for which she was now ready to suffer which she denying the reeds were planted aboute vnto which fier being giuen she was presently dead FINIS
THE Araignement burning of Margaret Ferne-seede for the Murther of her late Husband Anthony Ferne-seede found deade in Peckham Field neere Lambeth hauing once before attempted to poyson him with broth being executed in S. Georges-field the last of Februarie 1608 LONDON Printed for Henry Gosson and are to be solde at the Signe of the Sunne in Pater-noster-rowe 1608 THE Burning of Margaret Ferne-seede THe grosest part of folly and the most repugnant euen vnto our owne naturall reason is to thinke that our hidden abhominations can be concealed from the eie of the Almightie or that hee seeing our bloodie and crying sinnes will not either reueale them before his Ministers of publique iustice or in his best pleas'd time power downe sharpe vengeance for such presumptuous and rebellious offences Oh! the miracles in these Reuelations are such and so infinite that the thought of man or his wisdome is but meere weakenesse going about to comprehend such vnspeakeable iudgements of this wee haue before our eyes a most notable exaÌ„ple in this wretched woman of whome my present discourse intreateth named Margaret Ferne-seede a womaÌ„ that euen from her time of knowledge if the generall report of the world according to the old adage may be taken for an Oracle was giuen to all the loosenesse lewdnesse of life which either vnlawfull lust or abhominable prostitution could violently cast vppon her with the greatest infamie yea and with such a publique and inrespectiue vnchastitie that neither beeing chaste nor caute she regarded not either into what eare the loathsomnesse of her life was sounded or into what bed of lust her lasciuious bodie was transported in this more then beastiall lasciuiousnes hauing consumed the first part of her youth finding both the corruption of her blood to check the former heate of her lust and the too generall vglinesse of her prostitution to breed a loath in her ordinarie customers being then confirmed in some more strength of yeares tooke a house neare vnto the Iron-gate of the Tower where she kept a moste abhominable and vilde brothell house poysoning many young women with that sinne wherewith her owne body long before was filthilie bebotched From this house at the Iron-gate she was married vnto one Anthony Ferne-seede a Taylor dwelling in Ducke-lane but keeping a shop vppon Addle-hill neare Carter-lane This Anthony was amongst his neighbors reputed to be both sober and of verie good conuersation Now it hapned that some few monthes agoe in the fieldes of Peckham neare London there was found a man slaine hauing his throate cut a knife in his hand golde ringes vppon his fingars and fortie shillings in money in his pursse his woundes of so long continuaÌ„ce that it was not onely corrupted but there was also Maggots or such like filthie wormes ingendered therein which gaue testimony to the beholders that he had not slaine himselfe in that place as well because the place was free from such a spectacle the day before as also that such corruption could not proceede from a present slaughter Againe what the person slaine no man knewe both because his phisâ—â—omie was altered in his death and because his acquaintance was little or none in those partes about Peckham in the end searching his pockets and other parts of his apparaile amongst other notes and reckonings they found an Indenture wherein a certaine youth which did serue him was bound vnto him this Indenture gaue them knowledge both of his name and of the place of his dwelling whereupon certaine discreete persons of Peckham sent to Londdon to Ducke-lane and inquiring for the house of one Anthony Ferne-seede deliuered to his wife the disaster and mischance which had befallen her husband which her hardoned heart receiued not as a message of sorrow neither did the grudging of an afflicted countenance gal her remembrance but as if it had bene the report of some ordinarie or vulgar newes she imbraced it with an inrespectiue neglect and carelesnes demaunded instantly before the message would tell her how he dyed whether his throate were cut or that he had cut his own throate as either knowing or prophesing how he dide yet to obserue a customarie fashioÌ„ or as the prouerbe is to carrie a candle before the deuil she prepares herself her Seruant in all haste to go to Peckham to behold her husband in the way as she went it was her chance to meete with one of her Husbands antient acquaintance who feeling that in charitie which she ought to haue felt in nature began to coÌ„plaine her misfortune telling her she had lost a most honest good husband she whome the deuill now would not suffer to dissemble though his greatest art be in dissimulation told him her feare was she shold not heare so well of him he wondring at her vngodly carelesnesse let her passe when presently she met another of her acquaintance who with like charitie to the former began to pittie her griefes though griefe was neuer further from her heart and to wish her those comforts which are fit for affliction but she as carelesse as before gaue him by the neglect of her words true testimonye how far sorrow was from her heart which when he noted he said why mistris Ferne-seede is the losse of a good husband so slightly to be regarded for mine owne part had such a unschance faine to my fortune I shouldere this haue wept out mine eyes with true sorrow but she quickely made him answore tut six mine eyes are ill alreadye and I must now preserue them to mend my cloathes not to mourne for a husband after that in her going the winde blowing the dust in her face she takes her skatff wiped her eyes said she should scarce know her husband when she saw him these curtizan like speeches made her acquaintaÌ„celeaue her wished her more grace so she her boy came where the bodie was where more for awe of the Magistrate then any terror she felt she made many sower faces but the drinesse of her braine would suffer no moisture to dessend into her eyes many questions were asked her to which she answered with such constancie that no suspition could be grounded against her then was her boy taken and examined whod liuered the abhomination of her life and that since her mariage with his maister she had liued in all disquietnes rage and distemperature often threatning his life and contryuing plots for his destruction that she had euer since her mariage in most publique and notorious maner maintained a yong man with whom in his view she had often committed adultrie that the same young maÌ„ since his maisters losse was fled he knew not whether and that his mistris had euen then before the message of his maisters death sould all his goods as he supposed to fly also after him whom she loued all these speeches were not only seconded but almoste approued by some of her neighbors which liued neare vnto her insomuch that she