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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Declaration.
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 | A record in rithme |  |
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.
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