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A most notable Example of an Ungracious Son, who in pride of his heart denyed his own Father, and how God for his offence turned his meat into loathsom Toads.
To the Tune of, Lord Derby.
[illustration]
IN searching famous Chronicles,
it was my change to read,
A worthy story strange and true,
whereto I took Good heed;
Betwixt a Father and a Son
this rare example stands,
Which well may move the hardest hearts
to weep and wring their hands.
A Farmer in the Country liv'd
whose substance did excel,
He sent therefore his eldest Son
in Paris for to dwell:
Where he became a Merchant man,
and Traffique Great he used,
So that he was exceeding rich
till he himself abused.
For having now the world at will
his mind was fully bent.
To Gaming, wine, and wantonness,
till all his Goods were spent.
Yet such excessive riotousness,
by him was shewed forth,
That he was three times more in debt
than all his Wealth was worth.
At length his credit clean was crackt,
and he in prison cast,
And every man against him then,
did set his action fast:
Then he lay lockt in Irons strong
for ever and for aye,
Unable while his life did last
this grievous debt to pay.
And living in this woful case,
his eyes with tears he spent.
The lewdness of his former life
too late he did repent:
And being void of all relief,
of help and comfort quite,
Unto his Father at the last,
he thus began to write.
Bow down a while your heedful ear,
my loving father dear,
And grant I pray in gracious sort,
my piteous plaint to hear:
Forgive the soul offences all
of our unworthy Son,
Which through the lewdness of his life
hath now himself undone.
O my good father take remorse,
on this my extream need,
And succour his distressed state
whose heart for woe doth bleed,
In direful dungeon here I lye,
my feet in fetters fast,
Where my most cruel Creditors,
in prison have me cast.
Let pity therefore pierce your breast
and mercy move your mind,
And to release my misery
some shift dear father find,
My chiefest Chear is bread full brown
the boards my softest bed,
And flinty stones my pillow serve
to rest my troubled head.
[illustration]
MY Garments all are worn to rags,
my body starves with cold,
And créeping ve••mine eat my flesh,
most grievous to behold:
Dear father come therefore with spéed,
and rid me out of thrall,
And let me not in prison dye,
sith for your help I call.
The Good old man no sooner had
perus'd this written scrowl,
But trickling tears along his cheeks
most plentiously did rowl.
Alas my son, my son quoth he,
in whom I joyed most,
Thou shalt not long in prison be,
what ever it me cost.
Two hundred head of well fed beasts
he changed into Gold,
Four hundred quarters of Good corn,
for silver eke he sold,
But all the same could not suffice
this hanious fact to pay,
Till at the last constrained was
to sell his Land away.
Then was his Son released quite,
his debts discharged clean,
And he like as well to Live,
as he before had béen.
Then went his Loving Father home
who for to help his Son
Had sold his Living quite away,
and eke himself undone.
So that he Lived poor and bare
and in such extream need,
That many times he wanted food
his hungry corps to féed.
His son mean time in wealth did swim,
whose substance now was such,
That sure within the City then
few men were found so rich.
But as his Goods did still increase,
and Riches it did slide,
So more and more his hardned heart
did swell in hateful pride.
But it fell out upon a time,
when ten years woe was past,
Unto his Son he did repair
for some relief at last.
And being come unto his house
in very poor array,
It chanced so that with his Son
great store should dine that day:
The poor old man with hat in hand,
did then the Porter pray,
To shew his son that at the Gate
his Father there did stay.
Whereat this proud disdainful w••etch
with taunting spéeches said,
That long ago his Fathers bones
within the Grave was laid.
What Rascal then is that quoth he,
that staineth thus my state:
I charge thée Porter presenty
to drive him from my Gate.
Which answer when the old man heard
he was in mind dismaid,
He wept, he wail'd, he wrung his hands,
and thus at length he said,
O cursed wretch, and most unkind,
and worker of my woe,
Thou monster of humanity,
and eke thy fathers foe.
Have I been careful of thy case,
maintaining still thy state,
And dost thou now most doggedly
enforce me from thy Gate:
And have I wrong'd thy breathren all,
from thrall to set thee free,
And brought my self to beggars state,
and all to succour thée.
Wo worth the time that first of all
thy body I espy'd:
Which hath in hardness of thy heart
thy fathers face deny'd.
But now behold how God that time
did shew a wonder Great,
Even when his son and all his friends,
were setting down to meat.
For when the fairest pye was cut
a strange and dreadful case,
Most ugly Toads came crawling out
and leaped in his face:
Then did this wretch his fault confess,
and for his father sent,
And for his Great ingratitude
full sore he did repent.
All vertuous Children Learn by this
obedient hearts to show,
And honour still your parents dear,
for God commanded so:
And think how he did turn his meat
to poysonous Toads indéed,
Which did his fathers face deny
because he stood in néed.