Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A13750
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A pleasant history of a gentleman in Thracia which had foure sonnes, and three of them none of his own; shewing how miraculously the true heire came to enioy his inheritance. To the tune of, Chevy Chace.
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M. P. (Martin Parker), d. 1656?, attributed author.
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1633
(1633)
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STC 24047; ESTC S101989
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2,366
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2
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A pleasant History of a Gentleman in Thracia which had foure Sonnes and three of them none of his own shewing how miraculously the true heire came to enioy his Inheritance To the tune of Chevy Chace IN searching ancient Chronicles it was my chance to finde A story worth the writing out in my conceit and mind It is an admonition good that Children ought to haue With reuerence for to thinke vpon their Parents laid in graue In Thracia liu'd a Gentleman of Noble Progeny Who rul'd his houshold with great fame and true integrity This Gentleman did take to wife a neat and gallant Dame Whose outward shew and beauty bright did many hearts inflame The luster that came from her lookes her carriage and her grace Like beautious Cynthia did outshine each Lady in that place And being puffed vp in pride with ease and iollity Her Husband could not her content she other men must try Lasciuiously long time she liu'd yet bore it cunningly For she had those that watcht so well that he could nought espy With bribes and gifts she so bewitcht the hearts of some were néere That they conceal'd her wickednesse and kept it from her deare Thus spending of her time away in extreme wantonnesse Her priuate friends when she did please vnto her had accesse But the all séeing Eye of heauen such sinnes will not conceale And by some meanes at last will he the truth of all reueale Vpon a time sore sicke she fell yea to the very death And her Physician told her plaine she must resigne her brèath Diuines did likewise visit her and holy counsell gaue And bade her call vpon the Lord that He her soule might saue Amongst the rest she did desire they would her husband bring I haue a secret to reueale she said My heart doth sâ—ing Then he came posting presently vnto her where she lay And wéeping then he did desire what she to him would say She did intreat that all might voyd the roome and he would stay Your pardon husband I beséech vnto him she did say For I haue wrong'd your marriage bed and plaid the wanton wife To you the truth I will reueale ere I depart this life FOure hopefull sonnes you think you haue to me it best is knowne And thrée of them are none of yours of foure but one's your owne And by your selfe on me begot which hath so wanton béen These dying teares forgiuenesse beg let mercy then be seene This stroke her husband in a dumpe his heart was almost dead But rouzing of his spirits vp these words to her he said I doe forgiue thée with my heart so thou the truth wilt tell Which of the foure is my owne sonne and all things shall be well O pardon me my husband deare vnto him she did say They are my children euery one and so she went away Away he goes with heauy heart his griefes he did conceale And like a wise and prudent man to none did it reueale Not knowing which to be his owne each of his loue did share And to be train'd in vertues paths of them he had a care In learning great and gentle grace they were brought vp and taught Such deare affection in the hearts of Parents God hath wrought They now were grown to mens estates and liu'd most gallantly Each had his horse his hawke his hound and did their manhood try The ancient man did ioy thereat but yet he did not know Which was his sonne amongst the foure that bred in him much woe At length his glasse of life was run the Fates doe so decrée For poore and rich they all must dye and death will take no fée Vnto some Iudges he did send and Counsell that were graue Who presently to him did come to know what he would haue They comming then to his beds side vnto them he did say I know you all to be my friends most faithfull euery way And now before I leaue the world I beg this at your hands To haue a care which of my sonnes shall haue my goods and lands And to them all he did relate what things his wife had done There is but one amongst the foure that is my natiue sonne And to your iudgement I commit when I am laid in graue Which is my sonne and which is fit my lands and goods to haue He dying they in Councell saâ—e what best were to be done For 't was a taske of great import to iudge which was his sonne The brothers likewise were at strife which should the liuing haue When as the ancient man was dead and buried in his graue The Iudges must decide the cause and thus they did decrée The dead mans body vp to take and tye it to a Trée A Bow each brother he must haue and eke an arrow take To shoot at their dead fathers corps as if he were a stake And he whose Arrow néerest hit his heart as he did stand They 'd iudge him for to be right heire and fit to haue the land On this they all did streight agrée and to the field they went Each had a man his shaft to beare and Bow already bent Now quoth the Iudges try your skill vpon your Father there That we may quickly know who shall vnto the Land be heire The eldest tooke his Bow in hand and shaft where as he stood Which pierc'd so déep the dead mans brest that it did run with blood The second brother then must shoot who straight did take his aime And with his Arrow made a wound that blood came from the same The third likewise must try his skill the matter to decide Whose shaft did make a wound most déep into the dead mans side Vnto the fourth and youngest then a Bow and shaft was brought Who said Dée thinke that are my heart could harbour such a thought To shoot at my deare Fathers heart although that he be dead For all the Kingdomes in the world that farre and wide are spred And turning of him round about the teares ran downe amaine He flung his Bow vpon the ground and broke his shaft in twaine The Iudges séeing his remorse they then concluded all He was the right the other thrée they were vnnaturall And so he straight possest the Lands being made the heire of all And heauen by nature in this kind vnto his heart did call His brothers they did enuy him but yet he néed not care And of his wealth in portions large vnto them he did share FINIS Printed at London for H. G.