The Strange and. W on ' Mother Shipton.' . , Printed and Sold ~t the .Printing-Offi,e in -Bow-Churcl,-Y-ar4. Lof]-dQn. ~ .. ~· . . \ , HISTORY OF Mother SHIPTON~ C H A P. I. - ·OJ her Birth. MOther Shipton· ( as all hiftories agree) was born in Y orkfhire, the place is much difputecl, but the received opinion is Knareshorough near the dropping-welt Concerning her parentaie, there are like wife various reports: Some fay her fa ther was a necromancer, and thereby i became entailed on his inheritance. Bu the common ftory, which therefore : ihall follow, is, that her mother was .J .daughter of very poor parents, who die when .fue was f carce fifteen years of ag 3 ) Agatha ( for that was her .name) being ~ of a rn.dancholy temper,' and reduc'd .to extreme poverty, was 'one .day fittii1g in . a 1n.e1ancholy pofit1-re, . by the fide of i __river, when ·fhe was accofl:'ed by the Df vil, in the ihape of a_, h ndfome youn~ man, in this manner, f-Io now, pretty maid, why are you fo fad? Does -all'y ~hing trouble you?- Difcover but your malady, and I'll foon eafe yoqr troubles. , Agatha, not thinking of the:- Devil, took hi1n fer fame compaffionate ·mortal~ and Jo let him underil:and, that her great wants were the occafion cf her · trouble. J>i(h, faid the infernal courtier, that's .a tri_fle, for ,if you like me, I'll marry you, and take care of you. This is too good news to lie true, faid .Agatha. -Meet me at this place to-1norrow morning, faid he. · and I'll be as good as my. werd. To this Agatha. confented, and came to the fame place at the time -appointed, ·and 1nd the Devil was as punctual as ihe, md it feems; came provided to carry a\vay 1is bride, having a horfo with a pillli0n·. i fo without many \\"ords, when both fides were agreed, !he got up behinei him, and tway they rid. _ ·, I 4- 1 1 .. .-, I . Hfs ..courfcr being of the -idfernal kind, ~eedecd neither whip .nor fpur, but f wife a~ the wind, im.rnediately brought then1 to their jo.urney's end ; where alighting, ihe was conducred into a ftately roan:. · ,fion, and rich garments being brought her, lhe was' bid to attire herfelf in 'them, which ·fhe did, and was then le .into a fl:~tely hall, where ih_e found 'a large table, furniilied with all vari~ties, herfelf being placed at the upperend ·next to her inferpal huiband; the other gue{L " placed themfelves as they pleafed . . · Having dined, they went to dancing . -~n the midfi: of \vhich, Agatha's luftfu Devil took her into a private room, an'C · there inticing her to luft, the fimph wench confented, and they went to-bee without more ceremony. His embraces as !he told the mid wife, were as cold ~ ·ace, without any thing 0£ genial warmth After t~is acting of theirs was over h told he'r what he was, and that ihe fhouli -have power to command the winds, rail ternpefts, or do ,vhatcver ilie pleafed, an Jhe believed him, whereupon he taugr. her a parcel of unintelligible g_ibberi!h . ( 5) ' His ,infernal cetemonie·s-being over,. it 'thu.ndered after a prodigious mann~r, and. the poor wretch was ftript of her gaudy ~ttire, and fouAd herfelf in the middle of a difmal wood, wheire fhe faw· a chariot. drawn' by t\"° flaming dragons,. coming · towards her, and was,. by fome invifib_le rand put into it,. a-nd in an infiant car~ ried thro) the air• to her own 't:ottage. I ' ~~~~ffi~~~~~~ffl C 1-l A P.. J:i,. ow Shipton's Mother pr-crved 1.ttiih .Cbild; how jhe fitted the jeruere Jujtice, a11d qf , w1ba,t happe~ed at her Birt~. HE neighbours feeing i\gatha live · T to handforn.e, with any en1ploy, were furprized to fee her big with child, ,which coul.d not be concealed by reafon of her bignefs. So .ibe was carried be ....: fore a ju!tice of · peace, who chid het for her incont.inency, but was foon fi. lenced, for his wife and family being pre fent, Agatha L'lid to him, Mr. jufiict; tho' ygu talk fo much, your worfhip fa not f o free, for there fiand two of yeur fervant-wenches,. both with child by. you,, . , ' ( 61. ) pointing to ' them ~with her finger, upon .. which -they were iall fo blank, that his wife faw wtiat ilie [aid was true, and fo .fell- upon the harlots 1ike-~fury, for no-' - t!li.ng could afTua.ge her. So Agatha was -difn1jffed> and Vv'as foon afterwa\:ls dcli- vr;red in the ~1onth of July, in the 4th yclr of the reign of king .Henry 'VJI. ' .-md j L.. th-e year of CI1r ifi 1frh ~. I-I er .. travail ~-as very grjevous, and a moft (erribie clap of thunder happened at the birth of her, ·who was afterwards called mother Shipton, nor could the tempe!t affright the ,vomen more than the prodi gious phifiognomy of the child, the bo-J dy was long- and very big-bon'd, great goggling eyes, very {harp and fiery, an un proportionable nofe, having many crooks and turnings1 adorned with great pimples, and wLich gave fuch a lufire ,in the night that her .our[e needed no other candle to drefs her by, and befides this horrid fbape it was obki:ved, as foon as ihe was bor.n 1he fell a laughing, and a grinning, after a jeerir mannt r, and immediately the em pefi ceafed. { 7 ) ~~$(1~~4'~~ ~A P. III. e H - By what (}fher .lV11me 1Vlo_ther Shipton·-'l.f..'{JS chri//ened, atzd how her J.11..other 'Wf.'(1! ' into a .l~fonsfti!ry. ' HE child being thus born, ,~as or- der::d by the acbot of Beverly to. T ' by , be chriflen~d, which v.;,as perfonned her the nan1e of U [[ula Sontible. Jo was \1t: .mother 11a1~ed, and Shi_pt~n i5 her· h fhe band's nan1e. But to proceed, when ,be-_ WlS about t\VO year5 old, her mother ing fenfible of her evil, in holding a cor .ap refpoudence ,vit:h a wicked fpirit. So plying hede1f to ievr:ral 1-eligious n1en of fhe great note; by whofe grave advice into a grew truly penitent, put herfeJf put neighbouring n1onafi:ery, having firfi to out .her child, with a piece of rnoney her friend, and to {pend the remainder the of her days in the fa1nous convent of order .of St. Bridget, near N ottinghan1, of in. prayers and tears, and other acts pennance, for the wickednefs of her youth. relate the acci= But ·wonderful. it \Vas to . -( 8 ) dents that befel the the old nurfe fhe wa pu-t to, for the .fiend her father often vi fited her,-particularly, one day fhe fol:}n I .her'door open. So fearing ·{he was robb'd, fh(t aiked three or four neighbours wive to go int0 the entry. They heard a noife as· jf 1 oo cats had been in concert, which fo difn1ayed thern, that they all endea voured-who fhould fir.fi: get out of doors; . but in vain, for every one of them had a yoke on. But foo:1 after the yoke felr ,of( and a coul-flaff ,laid on two n1en's fuoµlders, on which an old woman pre iented herfelf fiark na,ked, hanging fome times by the middle. \Nhile the women, having theit cloaths over their heads, ex pofed their .iharne to public view, and fo continued 'till a friar accidentally came to the h0ufe, and then they were f uddenly releafed ; but {till the child could nnt be found, 'till one of the company looking by chance into the chimney) faw it ftark naked, fitting r1firide upon the iron to whi~h the pot-hook,s w~re fafiened, from whence they took it down_without the )eaft hurt; and fo far from being frjght ened, that it feemed, by it's monfl:rous ( ,.) · frnile, to be very well pleafed, at th~:ple-a~ fant exploits. , · ~~·~~=®~=~~·~ C H A P. IV . . Several other ve~y nierry Pranks played by . Mother Shipton, in Revenge to )itch as . a bu.fed her. S our Urfula gtewi up,. fhe was of;te.R A affronted hy reafon of h~r d.efor mity~ but fhe n.everr fa1led to tPk~ reyepg,e on d1ofe that clid it,. As one-da.y th¢ pa riili w~re inet~ 0ne abufed h~r ,_ by cal .. ling her eevil's,.. baflard,, hag!s-f-i;J.ce, ind the like; whereupon Ihe grumbled, .1nd went a-way: But when they fat dowll to dinner, one of them in an iuftant had his ruff pulled oft: and the feat of an houfe of office clapt in its place. He that fate n~xt hiw. budl: into a laughter, upon this his hat was conveyed away, and a ck>fe fiool-pan put in its reom ; befides this, a modefi: young gentlewoman, fitting· at the table, looking on the· two, endeavoured · to refrain laug4ing, but cotild not, and continued breaking wind backwards for a _ quarter of an hour~ like fo m~,ny broad- - ( IO ) fid~s; w,ll1ch m·ade all th cornpany laugh f o heart rl y, ·that the mafter ot th~ houfe was -alar~ed therew ~th~; and being defi- · rous tg iliare w_ith his guefl:s iti their mirth, . he came running up Hairs,. but of fe,rip.g to enter the door, he could not>. and no wonder, fince the oldeft rrran~a live ~~ve! faw a larger ~air of horns than I he had on his head. Bt:1t whi!ft they were gazing on each 01her, as more than half difl:racled, they were all reduced to the fame condition they were in at firft.- After which fol1owed · a vafr noife, as if above an hundsed perfons were laughing tqgether, but nothing feen . . . -· CHAR. .~ .. (II). , ' ~Sllf~~$ll@~•~. C H A_ p,. V~. , r Ho-w Urfula 11u.zrried a yo_un-g Man· named· 'l"oby Shipton; .. and hO'w jpe pJJnijhed a ·'I'h£q: . . . . UR Urfula was now 24 years old, O c}nd tho' fue _was none of the pret ti~ft maids in tov1n, yet (he lon'ged for· a huiband as n1uch as the beft of them, and at-laft obtained her defires; for whether - fhe u(ed any love-:-powder, or charn1~, to e_namour him; or whether the hopes o( getting fome money, which ihe was r~ 1 ported to have, tho' no b0dy could guefs how {he fhould come by it, -c~ufed him to cou·rt her. Some men. there are, that ( 12) would not only marry the devil's own daughter, but his dam too, for· money. I c_annot certainly inform the reader, but a f weethearf Ole had,- who was nan1ed Toby Shipton., by trade a carpenter, to who~ !he .was fhortly after married, and very comfortably they lived together, but never had any ·children. ' It happened about a month after her_ marriage one of her neighbours leaving her door carelefiy open, loft a new fmock and . a fine petticoat, ,vhich was ftolen as fhe was tellihg a goffiip's tale of an hour long. - This misfortune fh~ ma-de kt1own to \ mothe~. ShiptQn, who did not as our con- uurors, make a lo g difcovery of fhe knew not what, but .told her fuch a won1an by name had ftolen the things, and ilie'd make her return them the ne~t market day, before all_the people. This fhe did, for the woman could not avoid putting the fmock on over· her other ~loaths, and the very petticoat in her hand, and march'd thro, the crowd, to the market crofs, where the other woman was, by mother Shipton's dircctians, ~anding tG> { { ·1g ) . receive them, dancing a11 tp.e ,vay, .an.4 finging t,h~fe words: _ 1 flok my neighbour's Jmotk aiJ ctJat,· 1 . I am -a thief~ and here I jhow't. ·. c· H A ·p. VI. - . Her Prophecy , again/I Cardina!1Vo!fay. y thefe, and. ·fuch like e'xploits, mo ther Shipton had got . a n~e, far a~dB near for .a cunning woman, -~t, ,a wo m~n of forefight : So that he,r worcls were , counted oracles ; nor did t'he meddle only: with the f!1ean private per:fons, btilt \vas confo.lted by quality, a1nongft w~om w!1en cardinal Wolfey was faid to be cYork, where.they took one Mr. Beafiy for their guide, fo coming to Shipton's houfe, the cry.'d out, Come in Mr. Beafly and thofe noble lords wit.h you, which much fur prized them ;. and as they can1e in, fhe call'd each of them by their names, and _gave them ~ake~ and ale; whereupon one of the lords faid, If you knew our errand, you'd not make us f o welcome : you faid the cardinal ihGuld never fee York. No, faid fhe, I faid he mLght fee it, but !hould never come at it. Well, faid the lords, when he comes thou 1halt be burnt. She then took a linen handkerchief1 and faid , I£ that burns, then , m~y I burn, and put it ~nto the fire, · but it would ·not btjrn ;, fo aiter i'( lay in· the flames a quarter of an hour, f11,e took 'it out ?gain not fo n:iuch as finged.. .Hereupon .one of ·the lords aik' d her what ihe thou~ht of hiqi ? My lord, faid fhe, the tirne will c9me , when you ,will be as low. a·~I am ; which proved true, for . foon aftet 'he was be- headed. . · · Nor was ·!,.er f peech of the cardinal's lefs. true; for cdming· to Caw·ood;· he went to the top _of a tower, a-rid ~aiked where Y ~rk was, which being fhewn • him, he enquired how far it was t_hith~r; For, quoth he, there was a witch f~id I ihall never get there. Th~n he. vow'd to burh her as f oon as he came to the place, ·w'hich ,vas but eight miles diftant. ··. But beh_old he was immediately fent ' for by the king, and died of a· violent loofenefs at Leicefter. · CHAP. . . ~~·~··~~·~~ CH AP. VU. Some other Prophecies of Mother Shipton, · relating to theft 'Times. T div~r~ othe.r time~ when perfons A of quality came to v1fit her, th~ de- livered thefe prophecies : · . _ Firfl Prophecy. . B·efore Oofe-bi:idge and Trinity church meets they .fhall bui~d it by day, and it ihall fall ·by night, until they ,get the up pertnofr fione <1:frinity-church to be the lowefi: ftone of Oofe-bridge. Explan.ation. This aame ,to pafs, for Trinity fieep1e in~York w:as blown down by a tempefr ; and Oofe-.bridge;broke down by a rapid ,flood, and what1 tney repaired by day, fell down by night; till at laft they laid the higheft ftone of the fteeple as a foun dation of the bride. Secona Prophecy. A timct iliall come \Yhen a !hip will come failing up the Thames, till it is op pofite London, and the maft:cr of the fhip ( 17 I r \ ~ . ... ' ~ .a!ks the ca'ptain why he· weeps, fi11ce:.lie" has. ma~~ fo good a voyage ,? and he fh·aU, fay, Ah -~ what- a grand city wa'S:, t~is·-? · none -in the world comp~rable to _it, .. and now there's [care~ any houfe left~ , , Explanadon. Thefe lafi words were verified,. aftet the drea::lful fre of London in 1666, not a houfe b~ing left on th~Tpames iide from the tovv,r to· the Temple .. · C H .A. P. 'VIII. I . Her Prophecies to t4e .A}j/)(J~ of Beverlyp H E abbot of Beverly gi_ving J1er -a T vifit told her, a~ he had found ma~ ny of her predictions true,,. fo he was-per- ·fua~ed fhe was npt ignorant of what was t0 enfue. And ·fo he requefied. her to im part Come of h er know le~~e to hitn, for whi ~Q. faveur he fhould not want either a. tongue or a.heart to make a return. Mr. A.bbot, fajd fhe; do leave off com plimenr i ng: I am an old woman. who_ wiii n,.ither .flatter, nor be flattered by any, yet !hall anfwer your defu-es as foo~ ( ,,I 8 ) as may,_ be : And fo in my9:ical verfes dif (;over'ed to hirn the vaft accidents which haye happened from that time to this, as in)he following e.xplanation fhall foon ?P pear. ~ _ When the cow doth ride thetbull, 'ihen prie)J beware t by Jkull. · By the cow \\'as meant Henry VIII. ·who gave the cow in his arms as earl of , Jlich1nonc, · and the bull betokens madam ,_'Anne Bullen, not only as the firfi: fyllable of her name, but becau[e her father gave ·a black bull's head in his creft, and 1m :mediately after the king married her, hap pened a dHTolution of monafieries, and of RomHh priefts. For a f weet pitJus prince make room, · And in each kirk prepare a broom. This means king Edward VI. when, the protefiant reljgion was eftabli£hed, and the popifh religion abolifbe~, the old po pifh {u perftitions f wept cut of the kirk, .an old word ufed in Scotland for the church. Alef!o next ajfumes the croUtn, Andjlreams qJ- blor;d run Smit/field down- --. - ( r9 ). - _Thefe linrs 9ecipper queen M~ry; fne -bejng call'd . Alelt:o (the name of one of .the furies) . for her ?afe c_ruelry to the poor . proteft~nts, of whom. great nupibers dy~d in Smithfield.. ' A :mai'den ___queen full manj.\a year; ~ - Shall E1:'gltind' s -zi:;arlz'ke jcepter beat\·.. · Spoken of q1.,1een Efrzabeth, .. who w~s beloved by lier f ubjects, . and I dreaded by herA enemi~. _above 40 years. •. , 'The weflern inonarch'.-s . wooden ,horfee.,, .. · -Shall be dejlroyed 6y Drake's jCJrces~ . The.kirrg ..of Spain's mig_hty armada ia/ 15-~ 8, deflroyed 'by the Enghih fl'eet, '1/x nOPthern /ion .·o'er• the tweed: The maiden .queen jhall 1uxt fucceed'j , .Aluf jo£n z'n one tw(r mighty ftates, , rhen jloaN Janus jhut his gates. This relates to king:-- J~mes, . vrh0 Hay~ ing been many.years King.of Scotland, the - crown of Eng_land,, by queen ~Elizabeth's de-ath fell to hin1 ·; whereupon he came ov..er the · Tweed to take. up his refidence here, , and {o · joined · the ·two old · king'""_. d0ms -. under one _government, As fo~ .; . . · ( 20) Janus' ilintting ,.up- hls gates, I you muft ki,lbw Janus was one. of the heathen gods "!'hof-e gates we1~e· never iliu't but in tim·es of peace ; aUuding µnto which our pro phe.tefs declares the peaceful and quiet -reign -of king J~mes. -~- ~--Forth fro1n the · north mifchief blew, And E12glijh Hob Jhali' add thereto. Mars Jhall rage as he was woo' d, And earth flail darken' d be wi'th blood. . I This relates to our Civil Wars. But Jhe·w what next, oh, cruel fate! ./1. king made martyr at his gate. . Meaning the wicked anq execrahle murder of king Charles I. The ju)l king dead, the wolf foal! then With blood ujurp tbe lion's den. Con.fufton /hall awhile bear fway, But death foal/ fnatch him hence awt1_J. ~ill j ate tc Eng land Jhall rejlore A king to reign as heretqjore, lVh() mercy and ju/lice likewift Shall in his empire exercifa. Thefe prophecies we have feen fulfilled by. ~rGmwel's ufurpation, the committe; ( 2 ·1\') . of fafety's confuiion, and ~he .'m\a ,raculous reftoratioa.·of Char1es -IL · - ,, • \ '7'fiuthphant death riies Ltlndon thro' · And men on taps 4 .. hof!-fts go.. . The firft -line points out the great f.ick-. uefs, in London ih I 66 S ·; the fecond the dreadful fire' the year foll9wing.· · ,. . ~ 'Ihe north }hall rffe it wohcfrous fore, But the fouth rue it ever,_nore. , You fhall have a year of hunger, and you iliall not know of the war over-night, yet it {hall be in the morn, an CH AP. IX. Of Mother ~hipton' s Death and-Burial.' H I.S fan1ous prophetefs oontinued: T feveral · ye,.ars efieemed as,_the ?.racle of thofe tiines. At laft, being 70 years of age, ilie found the- time in the black - book of defi:iny, wherein fhe muft bid a· final adieu to the world> which ihe fore told. to .a· day ; and at the hour predicted; having taken folemn leave of her friends; ilie layed herfdf down, and died. On ·whom.this· Epitaph was wrote. E P · l T, AF H. ERE lies)he whQ ne'Ver ly'd, , H Whoft Jkill Jo often has been try'd, Her pr-OfJhecies /hail jli'll Jitrruive, And iver- keep her na.me a1i'lle. An ( 23 ) ·· An antient ProphecJ of the Lilly K. 'J. and Keo W. HE- lilly fhall remain in a merry T world, and he thall be moved againft. the feed of . the lion, and he !ball ftand on one fide of his country with a number. of {hips. Then lhall come the fon of man, whofe kingdom is the , land of the Moon, which is dreaded thro' the whole world ; with a number of people fh~ll -he pafs many ·water-s, and cotne, to the land of the lion, looking out for help of the beafl: of his country ; and an eagle ilialJ· come out of the eafi, f pread w~th the beams of the fon of man, and {hall defiroy caft]es of the Thames, and there ihall be battles an1ong many kingdoms. That year ihall be the bloody a_nd w bite field, and lilly K. J. fhall lofe his crown,. w.here with ihall be crowned the fon of man,. K. W. And in the fourth year lhall be many battles for the faith, and .the fon of man, with the eagles, lhail be preferr~d, ·and there fhall be a peace all over the world, and there lhall be p]enty of fruits, and then !hall he go unto the la·nd of the Crofs. F , I N I S. . ,. · ' .At the W,arehoufe in Bow-Church-rar d, Country 'C ·H1\.PMEN, TRAVELLERS, &c. m,y be furnifhed with the following HIST-ORtES. 1 -ACaaer111 o/Co~plime11ts. Art ofCottrtjhip. Argalu · and Parthenia. B11temfib's 'Trazedy. Bool of Fairr Blimi Beggar of BiJna/Gree11. _George Barmvt/1. ChtflJ Chafe. Children in the PVor;d. Canterbu,y Tele;. Co11rtier and 'linker Cflrd. Fortune Bo,k. Dreams and Moles. De· lights far Yomzg Jl(l~,r ani Maids. D_elights of the Grover. Dr. Faujlu1. Divine Song;. DireElio,n for Rea Jing with Elegance avri Propriety. Deftription ef'Holfand Ejop'1 Fa-bles. Eyyptian Fortune Teller. Errri Pater. Hiflory of England. Fair Rofat1Ju11~. Frior Bacon Fortunatus. Four Kings. Fairy· Strrrin. Friar aJtd Boy. Groatfworth ofWit. Guy of Wdtwick. ,Golden Cabinet. Gulliver's 1'ravelI. Houu Pocu,. High Germ1111 Fortune-Book. John and Kate. Jack of Newbury. Johnny Arm/lrrmg. Jane Shore. John Franks. Jack 'Horner. Joaks upon Joak1. Jack and the Oiants. King and Cobler. lovers 9uarrel. Lanc(Jfoirt Witches. long Meg tJf Wejiminjfer. Lawrence Lazy. Lon~ don Prentice. Mother Bunch. Mother Shipton. Monte/ion Moll Flanders. N!ghtinga!e. Nixon's Prophecy. Old Wo~ fnan of Rt11cliff Hlghway. Pott J Jefls. Patie11t _Grijfell. Pleufures of Mat,·imony . Pufl in Boots , Pre;ent State of England, with New Stile. ~een Elizabeth and the Earl if Ejfex. Rabin/on Crufa. Reynt1rd the Fox. Rolin Hood. Raritin of Richmond. Shr,emakers Glory. · Simple Simon. St. George. Sir John Barleycorn. Sleeping Bermty. Sevm Champio!II. Seven Wife Majier1. Seven Wife Miftreffi1. Sir John MandeviIIe. ram Long the Carrier. Cfh oma1 of Reading.
Mother Shipton.'
