A record in rithme being An Essay towards the Reformation of the Law, offer'd to the Consideration of the Committee appointed for that purpose ... VVritten by some men of Law, at a time when they had little else to doe [by Alexander Brome] |
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 | A record in rithme |  |
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RECORD IN RITHME,
BEING An Essay towards the Reformation of the Law, offer'd to the Consideration of the Committee appointed for that purpose. VVritten by some men of Law, at a time when they had little else to doe.
London, ss.
Be it remembred now that formerly,
To witt last Term o'th' holy Trinitie,
Before the Keepers of the liberty
Of England, by the full authority
Of the long Parliament, at Westminster,
Priscilla Morecrave widow came, by her
Atturney M. B. and preferrs,
I'th Court of upper bench, a bill of hers,
Against one Roger Pricklove, who doth lye
A prisoner in the Marshalls Custody
Et cetera, and 'tis upon a plea
Of trespass on the Case, Pledges there be
To prosecute the suit, to witt John Doe
And Richard Roe. And the said bill also
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In legal manner, London, Scilicet.
Declaration.
Priscilla Morecrave Widow doth complainof Roger Pricklove, who doth now remain,
Prisoner to th'Marshall of the Marshalsie,
Of the said Keepers of the Liberty,
Of England by authority and power,
Of Parliament, i'th' bench superiour,
Before the same Keepers themselves that bee,
For that (to wit) whereas the aforesaid shee
Priscilla Morecrave, is a person just,
Honest, and faithful, one that never durst
Give the least cause for to be thought unchast,
But hath lived ever modest, and was grac't,
With godly education, and demurely,
Behav'd her self; and all her life most purely,
Hath with the Zealous & precize consorted
And free from all uncleanesse was reported,
VVho never was amongst the well affected,
Stain'd with a Crime, or in the least suspected,
But with the pious people of this Nation,
Hath had good fame, credit, and reputation;
By which good reputation, she hath gain'd
Not only love, and favour, but obtain'd
A plentiful estate, by which most freely
She manag'd her Affairs; And that Ralph Seely
One of the Assembly late at Westminster,
A godly-Gospel-preaching-Minister,
VVas earnest suiter in the way of Mariage,
To have her for his yoak fellow; his cariage,
And his most Saint like loving humble speeches,
Had her consent to all that he beseeches.
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To wed him by the Act of Parliament.
Three times the Contract publish't, then their trust is
That all shall be compleated by the Justice.
But this said Roger all aforesaid knowing,
Maliciously intending her undoeing,
To blast her reputation, and dishonour
Her unstain'd Chastity; to cast upon Her
Infamons obloquy, to disrepute Her,
And to deprive her of her foresaid Suiter;
By breaking of the mariage was intended;
To leave her to the world lost, and unfriended,
In month September, day of the same Eleven,
One Thousand six hundred fiftie seven,
Of our Lords year, as by our computation,
Our Common-wealth reckons from th'incarnation,
At London in the parish of St. Mary
Bow, in the ward of Cheap, he then contrary
To truth most falsly and maliciously
In hearing of right worthy Company,
And honorable persons, Noble Lords,
Did speak these false, and most reproachful words;
To and of her the Plantiff; that's to say,
You are a pockie whore, and at this day
You have three Bastards living, which do dwell,
Two in Pick-hatch, and one in Clarkenwell.
By reason of which false malicious speaking
Of the said Roger, to her great-heart-breaking;
The godly-gospel minister, her Suiter,
Forbears his former suit, and for the future,
Did make profession he would never take her,
To be his Consort, but did quite forsake her;
And all her friends with whom she had repute,
Do now esteem her for a Prostitute;
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One thousand and five hundred pounds, beside.
And thereupon she doth her suit produce,
In the Upper Bench because of this abuse.
Imparlance.
And now until this day, that is to say,
On Munday three weeks after Michaels day
In this same Term, which very day untill
Roger had leave t'emparle unto that Bill,
And then to answer it; before the same
Keepers, as well the said Priscilla came,
I'th Court of Upper Bench, at Westminster
By that Attourney nam'd before, for her
As the aforesaid Roger who doth come
By his Attourney, A. B.
And doth defend the force and injurie,
VVhen, where et cetera. And saith that shee,
The said Priscilla, ought not maintain, nor
Have therupon her Suit against him, for
Protesting, not acknowledging, that shee
Is half so honest as shee'ld seem to bee,
Nor is her body, or her life so clear,
Nor so unspotted, as shee would appear;
Nor is shee of so chast a reputation,
As is pretended by her Declaration.
Protesting also that the said Ralph Seely
(Though oft together did both hee and shee lye)
Nere ment to Marry her, but all his power
Of love was quench'd in lesse than half an hour.
Besides hee'd quite undoe her, if he had,
His learning was so small his life so bad.
On Munday three weeks after Michaels day
In this same Term, which very day untill
Roger had leave t'emparle unto that Bill,
And then to answer it; before the same
Keepers, as well the said Priscilla came,
I'th Court of Upper Bench, at Westminster
By that Attourney nam'd before, for her
As the aforesaid Roger who doth come
By his Attourney, A. B.
And doth defend the force and injurie,
VVhen, where et cetera. And saith that shee,
The said Priscilla, ought not maintain, nor
Have therupon her Suit against him, for
Protesting, not acknowledging, that shee
Is half so honest as shee'ld seem to bee,
Nor is her body, or her life so clear,
Nor so unspotted, as shee would appear;
Nor is shee of so chast a reputation,
As is pretended by her Declaration.
Protesting also that the said Ralph Seely
(Though oft together did both hee and shee lye)
Nere ment to Marry her, but all his power
Of love was quench'd in lesse than half an hour.
Besides hee'd quite undoe her, if he had,
His learning was so small his life so bad.
For Plea he saith that at the time, wherein
Shee does suppose these slandrous words t'have bin
Spoke by th'aforesaid Roger, shee the sayd
Priscilla was nor Widow, Wife, nor Mayd,
And though shee pass'd for an unbroken virgin,
Shee catch'd th'aforesaid Presbyter in her gyn;
And with his wall cy'd Saintship plaid the sinner,
Who b'ing inspir'd by a Thanksgiving dinner,
Did carnally her body know, to wit
The crime of Fornication did commit;
In the same Ward, and Parish, to his Honour,
He at on clap got 3 great Boys upon her.
All which for privacy were put to feeding,
At Bridewell and Pickbatch, to learn good breeding.
And she in recompence clap'd him so sore,
With Anglice French-POX, it made him rote,
And put his Genitalls in such a pickle,
That all his Parish women did article,
And out him of his Benefices twain,
And into Scotland made him trot again.
Wherefore (as lawfull 'twas) on this occasion,
He spake the words layd in the Declaration.
And this he Justifies, and judgment crave,
If she this suit ought to maintain or have.
Shee does suppose these slandrous words t'have bin
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Priscilla was nor Widow, Wife, nor Mayd,
And though shee pass'd for an unbroken virgin,
Shee catch'd th'aforesaid Presbyter in her gyn;
And with his wall cy'd Saintship plaid the sinner,
Who b'ing inspir'd by a Thanksgiving dinner,
Did carnally her body know, to wit
The crime of Fornication did commit;
In the same Ward, and Parish, to his Honour,
He at on clap got 3 great Boys upon her.
All which for privacy were put to feeding,
At Bridewell and Pickbatch, to learn good breeding.
And she in recompence clap'd him so sore,
With Anglice French-POX, it made him rote,
And put his Genitalls in such a pickle,
That all his Parish women did article,
And out him of his Benefices twain,
And into Scotland made him trot again.
Wherefore (as lawfull 'twas) on this occasion,
He spake the words layd in the Declaration.
And this he Justifies, and judgment crave,
If she this suit ought to maintain or have.
Replication.
And she the said Priscilla doth maintain herSaid Action, against all thats said to stain her,
And saith this Court nor will nor can forejudge her
For ought that's pleaded by the foresaid Roger
But though by his said Plea, shee's forc'd to tarry,
Her suit against him, yet she ought to carry;
Protesting therefore she's not such a liver,
Nor of such Fame, as the said Plea doth give her
Out for to be, but that she hath not vary'd,
One jott in life from what she hath declared.
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That of the Kirke he was a Godly Father.
And of as pure and chast a conversation,
As any Presbyter within the Nation.
And free from any lustfull act committing,
With her, or any other deed unfitting.
For Replication saith, she was not knowing,
Of the said Ralph but 3 years last foregoing.
During which time, and till the said words spoke were,
By the said Roger (that almost have broke her)
She liv'd a Matrons life, chast, grave, and thrifty,
And came unto the Age of three and fifty;
And the said Ralph all the said time, by reason
Of his much preaching in and out of season,
And of his fasting long, and longer praying,
And from his peoples not their duties paying,
In the same Ward and Parish, grew so weakly,
That of his life he did despair weekly:
Which weaknesse had so very much out worn-him,
That in his bed he was not able turn him;
Till that a learned Doctor of the Colledge
Who of his sicknesse had full perfect knowledge,
For gaining of his health did much exhort him,
To wedde an honest Matron to Comfort him.
Which the said Ralph well liking, and well knowing
The honour to the said Priscilla owing,
And thinking that delayes might greatly Worse him,
With Zeal, did Court her for a wife to nurse him:
And She in pity to his weak Condition,
Did condescend to be his shee Physician,
And for their joynt desires better carrying,
A day by both appointed was for marrying.
But on the suddain off the same was broken
By the said Roger's words aforesaid spoken;
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Could not the said Priscilla for a Cure,
But of relief his expectations failing,
And his long sicknesse more and more prevailing,
In Month October, day thereof that first is,
In the Lords year that formerly exprest is,
At the said Ward, the said Ralph much in trouble,
Did dye, to's losse, possess'd of living double:
And left the said Priscilla to bemoan her,
For that no other man would after own her;
And that she truly doth reply and don't lye,
She prayes may be inquired by the Country.
Rejoynder.
And the aforesaid Roger saith the PleaBy her the said Priscilla formerly
Put in and pleaded by her Replication,
In the aforesaid manner, form, and fashion,
And the whole matter that's contained there
Are not sufficient in the law, for her
The said Priscilla, to maintain her foresaid
Suit against him, and there need be no more said:
Nor by the lawes of England is it fit,
That he should make answer unto it,
This he to averre is ready. Whereupon
For want of better replication
In this behalf, he doth a judgment pray,
And that she from having her action may
Be barr'd, for this against him; And for
The causes why he doth in Law demurre
Upon that replication, he the said
Roger according to the Statute made,
And in such case provided, doth declare
And shew to'th Court of Upper Bench that's here,
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Said Replication insufficient is,
Negative, pregnant, and uncertain, nude,
Double, wants forme, and does not conclude
Rightly, according to the legal way.
Joyning in demurrer
And she the said Priscilla here doth sayThat the said Plea which by reply has bin
Pleaded by her, and what's contain'd therein,
In point of Law, good, and sufficient be,
Her suit against him to maintain, And she
That Plea and matter, pleaded as above,
Is ready here both to maintain and prove,
As this Court shall consider, and think fit,
And 'cause he does not answer it, nor yet
Deny that Replication any way,
The said Priscilla (as before) doth pray
Judgment, and dammages, to be judg'd to her,
For all this injury which he did do her.
But cause this Court here not advised is
Of giving judgment of the premises,
A day's giv'n to both parties to appear
I'th Upper Bench, before the Keepers here
At Westminster, till Munday after eight
Dayes of St. Hillary, for the receipt,
And hearing of their Judgment upon it,
For that the Court is not advis'd as yet.
FINIS.
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