MOther Bumbers Daughter, being made acquainted with that blandum mitrerium (as Tresmegitus tearmes it) and having shot the starre of her virginity, and furnished the world with another propagator, the good old woman mother Bumbei one repvted a cunning woman, and to have know­ledge in things to come, so ordered that although God-fa­thers might not be permitted, to take the charge of a childe (should the Parents decease) it being impious in that Age & Country wherein she lived, to provide for widdowes, & Or­phans, yet she prevailed to have Goodman Last-Time, and Goodman Wicked-Time to stand as Godfathers, and Gammer Divellish Plot, and Gammer Hate-King to bee Godmothers, who that they might not incur the fury of the times, stood mute, and were but dumbe witnesses, and so let the Childe who was named Rotundus, to confesse its own Faith, who be­ing demanded by the Minister, who was called (All-shew) whether he forsook the Divell and all his workes, the vaine [Page]pomp and glory of the world, with all covetous, desires of the flesh so that he would not follow nor be led by them, mira­culously and contrary to nature spake, saying. I am borne, and for this end came I into the world that I might cleave to the Di­vell and be an Agent with him in all his workes to affect the pomp and glory of the world with covetous desires of the flesh, for which end I will attempt to extirpe Monarchy, and set up Anar­chy, to pull down all order, and erect the worst of disorder, to demo­lish Cities, and destroy Nations, yea even to distur be the whole world; the witnesses and Gossops much affrighted at this pro­degie would have bin gone, but that mother Bumbey stayed them saying, Trust me my Neighbors this child is born to great and ample fortune, born to be beloved of Neblemen, Gentlemen, & Citizent, who shall so hearken to his allurements, that to shield him securely, they shall forge their own safety, and by his perswasions shall bee stirred up to attempt that which shall prove fatall vnto them. Come my good neighbors, let us home, I have already prepared an hogshead of nappy. Ale, with a Gammon of Ba­con, & other good accowtrements, which to day wee'l make merry with: this motion [...]iked the whole crew, and now the Godfathers and Godmothers accompanied with two other old crones mother Coutie Legs, and mother Crumble tart, and froppish old shrews each of them greatly delighting to tell old Stories, downe in the dayes of yore, and you know well that it often hapneth that those Stories which such relate though the are trve in part, yet it is their manner, either to adde or diminish, according to their own fancy, and infinitly to falfisie the truth; these Gossips having fated themselves sufficiently with meat and waxing somthing warme with ale, Mother Bumbey motioned that each Gossip should sing a catch, but Gammer Grumble replyed, they in doing so, should lose much time, which they might thriftily employ in tipling, no, said Gammer Gowty Legs. my gossip Bumbey hath made ene a very good motion mirth is the best spice for Ale in my mind, every one her song, Mother Bumbey do you begin; Mo­ther Bumbey replyed, it is an old Ballad which I have heard my mother often sing in the winter nights by the fire side; she was a good old woman, and well beloved of her Neigh­bours, [Page 3]though I say't that should not; but this was her Song.

[Page 5] The Gossips were well pleased with the contents of this an­tient Ballad and Gammer Gowty Legs replyed, by my faith Martin Parker never got a faster Brat, no, not when he pend that sweet Ballad, When the King injoyes his own again.

Quoth Gammer Grumble, nay mother Bumbey, lets now have your tale too, each of us will do the like every one of us shall sing a song and tell a tale, and so we will drive away the tedious night; but first stirre up the fire, and let us have the other pitcher of Ale Mother Bumbey replyed my good neigh­bour, in my mind your councell is good and seasonable I will rehearse unto you an ancient tale which I have often heard, Mother Hookenose my Mothers mate, repeat.

There is an Island in the world, which is wholly surrounded with the Sea, at first inhabited with Gyants, afterwards cer­tain Outlawes exploring about the world for shelter, landing there, and finding the Soile fat, and the Climate temperate, resolved to make their abode there, and in divers conflicts discomfited the Gyants, and their Prince began to sway with regall power; after they mightily increased, and became very numerous, and were subject under many famous Kings, their neighbors the Picts or Scots and unfaithfull, or perjured ge­neration on all occasions took opportunity to invade them, & often made incursions and inrodes, but it so hapned after the death of a Maiden Queen the daughter of one of their mag­nificent Kings, they with one consent, chose a King of the Picts or Scots to be their King, partly for that it was his by succession, partly in hope to prevent future wars and with an intent to unite the two Kingdoms; but after his death, his son a vertuous and mild Prince, began to reigne, at what time it happened, that the Almighty wroth with the people of that Land for their crying sins▪ called a fury to him (named Conten­tion) and gave her Commission to use all meanes and practise all wayes, to dissolve and break the peace of that people, & to make them as throughly wretched and miserable as they were before glorious and potent; the Fury▪ according to her com­mand at her arrivall so wrought and tempered the mindes of some of the chiefe of that Ille, that they began to grudge at [Page 6]their own welfare; and therefore now they would be no lon­ger contentd to continue in the state they were; but would first after their government; Secondly, limit Kingly power; Thirdly, have no Uniformity in Gods Worship: the Prince of this People perceiving what Contention had done, & that his people dayly made head against him, giving out dange­rous speeches, and threats, hee being then in his Palace scitua­ted in the chiefe City of his Land called Cleapolas, with some few of his loyall Subjects, who could not bee drawne to take part against him, fled away to the further part of his King­dome there to arme his faithfull Subjects against those, who had put on Armour against him erected his Royall Standard, to which resorted many thousands of his people many noble Peers, valiant Knights and gallant spirited Gentlemen, so that he had gathered a strong and resolved Army, with which hee often encountted his Enemies, slaying thousands of them, and oncr brought them so low, that they would have made peace with him on reasonable conditions; but after, through the ne­gligence of his Commanders who gave their mindes more to inrich themselvs with plunder then to do him service, to serve in the wars of Venus, then those of Mars, hee was on a sudden vanquished and then being plunged in a Sea of misery, hee hazarded his Royall Person, and then with two or three of his most trusty friends took his flight to the Picts, of whom hee was first royally entertained, and his friends had faire hopes that that Nation would then by preserving his person, have wiped away the stain wherewith they have from the begin­ning been branded of being disloyall and treacherous; but their entertainment was only such as an Inne-keeper afford­eth his Guest to make the best of him O disloyall traytors, til they had made their bargaine to the utmost, they stood on termes capittulating about his honour and safety; but when they were assured of their vast sums, they sold him into their hands, who persecuted him: the consideration of so vile an act made many hearts ready to breake, and moved an odd fellow to write this Poem, which he called

These Verses (qd. she) I learnt by heart, after I had once heard them repeated, & I dare say Gossip Grumble, I have re­peated them word for word, according to the Authors in­tention, who had a name amongst those they call Poets, a merry man he was, and could write the finest Songs of Mer­cury Mercifull, Jove Jobs Son, and of June Jone his wife, come Gammer Grumble, lets have your Song and Tale now; then Gammer Grumble having taken a hearty draught of Ale be­gan to sing,

Ha! ha! quoth mother Gowty Legs, here was a Song indeed, Gammer Scrumble I thought your me­mory had not harboured so fine a Song, come, lets hear your Tale Gammer Scrumble, then began her Tale, and said: In a certain Kingdome, I wot not well where, there lived a King peaceable and vertuous, I know not how it was, but so it was, that the King was persecuted by his Subjects, because he would not al­ter those lawes, which he was sworn to maintaine, he was unwilling to be perjured, and also not altogether willing to sit still and hear himself reviled, and to be­hold [Page 10]his friends imprisoned and massacred: he there­fore raised so many as he could of his faithfull Sub­jects, and often resisted his Enemies: but it so hapned, for so providence would have it, that at last hee was overcome by his Enemies, his friends slain & disperst and himself taken prisoner, and laid in bonds: but it so fell out, during his imprisonment, that that Army of his Enemies who had before fought against him, fell at variance with the chiefest of those that had em­ployed them, their Consciences also smitten with re­morse to behold their Soveraignes desplicable estate, so that they resolved to set him at liberty, and to call those to an account who had primarily opposed him, their Generall a most noble and valiant Knight, liked well of their intentions, and resolved to countenance them, licensing a chosen party to march to the place where the King was imprisoned, and as a freed man, and their Prince to wait on him, from thence to the Army: this was performed with much celerity and magnanimity, and the King brought into the Army, of whom he was entertained as the Ark God was by the Israelites, with showting and rejoycing; with this Ar­my for a time he resided magnificiently waited on, in the meane time, those that first raised these Troopes, with all speed began to list men, and to raise a second Army to oppose and master their first. Hold there qd. Gammer Gowty Legs, you are mistaken in the Story, the major part I confesse to be true, but in the sequell you are apt to erre, and therefore I shall relate it for you; withall my heart qd. Gammer Grumble, for my memory is very fraile: well quoth Mother Bumbey let it be so; but first Gammer Gowty legs lets hear your Song, and then the residue of the story afterwards. [Page 11]willingly quoth Gammer Gowty legs, and then began to sing, Sir Iohn Louelesse his Althea.

By the faith of my body, quoth M. Bumbey this song pleases mee well, it shall cost me a fall but I will learn it, come now let us heare the rest of the tale which Gammar Grumble left untold, why thus it was saith Gammar Gowtie Legs, the King having his Ene­myes thus miraculously turned to his friends not a little rejoyced as did they who suffered for him, and went now in hope to tryumph with him, but the Noble Generall, with the assent of his chiefe Officers, and the souldiery in generall, not without mature de­liberation considering that he, and they were obliged in duty to God, and love to their Country ere they disbanded to see the true worship of God established, and the Peace of their Country setled, unanimonsly agreed — there Gammar Gowtie Legs was at a stand at which M. Bumbey, and the rest laughed, but it being so that none there could supply the Story, the old wives began to talke lesse and tipple more, drinking healths to their old sweethearts, then quoth Gammar Grumble M. Bumbey you can recover goods that are Stollen, and the loosers, who were the theeves, you are called a cunning woman, and have skill in things to come what doe you conjecture will be the Ishue of these things now in Agitation in that Ile before we speake of, then M. Bumbey turning about three times, and writhing her mouth at one inspired said.

By that time she had said these lines, the rest of the Gossips were all asleepe, which she perceiving, set her self down in her Chaire, and slept for company, where I leave them.