not knowing what was become of her for days together; but when she was in
her greatest scare after her, she saw her oftentimes drop suddenly
through the roof of the house. Going out, upon her return she many times
found her child stretched out to a prodigious length, taller than the
tallest living, and at other times as much shortened. The poor woman’s
work for the major part, was only to rectify what these spirits
disordered about her house. The chairs and stools would frequently march
up stairs and down, and they usually played at bowls with the trenches
and dishes: sometimes at dinner the meat would be removed before she
could touch a bit; which things, as they much troubled the nurse, so they
gave great satisfaction to Mother Shipton, as it appeared by her
monstrous smiles. Now and then, to pacify her nurse, when she saw her
much vexed, she would say, “Be contented; there is nothing here that will
harm you.”
To be short, the nurse was so continually terrified by these apparitions,
that she resolved to complain to the parish; and, having made known the
truth of what had passed, in commiseration to the almost distracted
woman, they removed Mother Shipton to another place, where she was put to
school, being of an age fit for it.
By this time Mother Shipton was grown a lusty girl, and as she was left
to the care of the parish, so the parish took care that she should have
the common sort of learning, that is to say, reading and writing,
bestowed upon her. Coming to school her mistress began to instruct her
as other children, beginning with three or four letters at first; but to
the amazement and astonishment of her mistress, she exactly pronounced
every letter in the alphabet without teaching; her mistress then showed
her a primer, which she read at first sight as well as any in the school,
and so on with every book that was shown her.
As this produced wonder in her schoolmistress, so it caused hatred and
envy in her comrades; some flouted her for her monstrous long nose,
others endeavoured to beat her, and all strove to harm her; but she
valued them not, revenging herself on every one of them that intended her
harm. Some were pinched, and yet no hand seen that did it; others struck
speechless when they were about to say their lessons, not being able to
utter a word; none escaped from being served one scurvy trick or other.
This so enraged the parents of these children, looking on Mother Shipton
as the sole cause thereof, that she was discharged from the school, and
so left to the wide world. The singularities of Mother Shipton now began
to be talked of everywhere; she was often seen, when alone, to laugh
heartily; at other times to talk to herself; uttering very strange
riddles, which occasioned some of the more sober sort to converse with
her, receiving such strange things from her, as required a long study to
find out the meaning.
Never a day passed, wherein she related not something very remarkable,
and that required the most serious consideration. And now it was that
people flocked far and near (her fame was so great), to be resolved of
their doubts, all returning wonderfully satisfied in the explanations she
gave to their questions.
And now Mother Shipton, beginning to grow famous in the world for her
notable judgment in things to come, there resorted to her house a number
of people of all sorts, both old and young, rich and poor, especially
young maidens, who have always a great desire to know when they shall be
married, as also, what manner of husbands they shall have, to which she
gave such satisfactory answers, both for the person and time, that no
sooner could a young maid get into her teens, but she would presently
trot to Mother Shipton’s, to be resolved of her doubt. Now though she
was not mercenary herself, but refused great gifts when proffered unto
her; yet did she keep a young wench, who, rather than fail, if they
forgot to open their purse to her, would remember to open her mouth to
them, and tell them, that neither Dame Shipton nor she could be
maintained with thanks, but that the belly required meat to feed it; and
that it was money that made the mare to go. One day, there came a
certain young heir thither, whose father was sick, to be resolved by her
whether he should live or die; but Mother Shipton could by no means be
wrought upon to tell him anything; whereupon he proffered the maid great
store of money, if she could by any means persuade the dame to fulfil his
request; the wench, greedy of money, promised him fair; that if he would
come the next morning, he would be certain to be resolved; in the
meantime, she importuned her dame with the most cunning rhetoric that she
could invent; but she was deaf to all entreaties, and would by no means
be induced thereto, whereupon the wench resolved with herself, rather
than lose the money, to give him an answer of her own invention; when the
next morning came she performed her part in these words:—
“The grave provided hath a room:
Prepare for death, thy hour is come.”
The young gentleman having received this answer, went away very joyful,
hoping presently to reap the golden crop which his father had sown, and
to be in an instant possessor of all his vast estate; but the sequel
proved quite contrary; for by the time he came home, great hopes of
amendment appeared in his father, who each day grew better and better, so
that in a short time he became perfectly well. This unexpected recovery
of the old man struck such a damp into the young heir, that he presently
took to his bed, fell extremely ill, and in a short time grew so much
worse that all the symptoms of a dying man appeared in him; the old man
having no more children, was very desirous of his life; and to know
whether he should recover, he sent to Mother Shipton, who, knowing by her
art what her maid had done, severely chid her for the same, threatening
to turn her out of her service. In the meantime the messenger was come
to her house, who having delivered his errand returned back with this
answer:—
“For other’s death who do gape out,
Their own, unlook’d for, comes about.”
The old man having received this answer, was much troubled, thinking his
own death predicted thereby, not imagining what his son had done: but he
was soon quieted of that suspicion, for within two days the young man
died; when a servant (who knew the circumstance) informed him of the
truth of the whole matter.
At divers other times, when persons of quality came to visit her, she
delivered the following prophecies:
“Before the Ouse Bridge and Trinity Church meets, they shall build it in
the day and it shall fall in the night, until they get the highest stone
of Trinity Church the lowest stone of Ouse Bridge.”
This came to pass; for Trinity steeple in York was blown down with a
tempest, and Ouse Bridge broken down with a flood, and what they did in
the day time in repairing the bridge fell down in the night, till at last
they laid the highest stone of the steeple for the foundation of the
Bridge.
“A time shall happen when a ship shall come sailing up the Thames, till
it comes against London, and the master of the ship will ask the captain
why he weeps, since he has made so good a voyage. And he will say, and
what a good city this was, none in the world comparable to it, and now
there’s scarce a house left, that can let us drink for our money.”
These last words were sadly verified after the dreadful fire of London in
1666, when there was not a house left along the Thames side from the
Tower to the Temple.
About this time, some differences arising betwixt King Henry VIII. and
the French king, great preparations for war were made in England, the
drums beating in every county to summon voluntary valour to express
itself in defence of their king and country. Many heroic spirits who
made honour their aim, not dreading dangers, now came forward, and
indeed, so many appeared under Mars’ banner, that he who was furnished
with limbs and an estate, and declined the service, was called a coward.
There was then living in the North a young heir, who was newly come to
his estate; one whose tongue was all fire, and his heart all ice; who
would kill thousands by his words, but durst not venture to do anything
in deeds; this gallant being by some of his equals pricked on to make his
appearance in the field of Mars, and not to lie sleeping at home, when
fame summoned him forth to action, knew not what to do in this case;
loath was he to lose his loved life; and yet the aspersion of a coward,
even to a coward himself, is of all things most odious; he therefore
promised that none should be more willing than he to spend his blood in
the quarrel of that country from whence he received his dear life; but
yet he resolved within himself not to set one step forward in that path
of danger till he had first consulted with Mother Shipton, concerning
what success he should have in his journey; if it was bad, he resolved by
a feigned sickness to evade it; thinking it no good policy for a man to
part with that life in an instant, which with great cost and care had
been many years in bringing up.
Hereupon he hastened to our Northern Prophetess, acquainted her with his
condition, and very earnestly desired of her (as she to whom nothing was
hid) that she would unfold to him whether good or bad fortune should be
his attendant in this his expedition. Mother Shipton, though she
perceived his sheepish courage to be very unanswerable to that of a
soldier, yet foreknowing what would come to pass, returned him the
following answer: which without more ado, fully satisfied him to proceed,
and performed what he had promised.
“When the English Lion shall set his paw on the Gallic shore, then shall
the Lilies begin to drop for fear. There shall be much weeping and
wailing amongst the ladies of that country: because the princely Eagle
shall join with the Lion, to tread down all that shall oppose them; and
though many sagittaries shall appear in defence of the Lilies, yet shall
they not prevail; because the dull animal of the North shall be put to
confusion; and though it be his will, yet shall cause great shame unto
them. Now shall the mitred Peacock first begin to plume, whose train
shall make a great show in the world for a time, but shall afterwards
vanish away, and his honour come to nothing; which shall take its end at
Kingston.”
Explanation.
By the “English Lion” was meant the King of England; and by setting his
“paw on the Gallic shore,” the landing of his army in France; by the
“Lily beginning to drop for fear,” was signified the great trouble and
perplexity of the French, the Lilies being the arms of France; the
“weeping and wailing amongst the ladies of that country,” denotes the
miseries and destruction incident to war; by the “princely Eagle joining
with the Lion, and treading down all that shall oppose them,” is meant
the German Emperor (whose arms were the Eagle) who joined in amity with
King Henry, and served him in his wars; by the “sagittaries that appeared
in defence of the Lilies,” were meant the French cavalry, the chief
strength of France, consisting of horsemen, who appeared like
sagittaries, that is to say, half men and half horses; and whereas it was
said, “yet they should not prevail,” it fell out so accordingly; for
notwithstanding all the opposition of the French armies, King Henry
proceeded on vigorously, conquering and taking several towns of
importance. But to come to that which most nearly concerns the matter,
viz., the success of our young heir in his expedition, which was hinted
forth unto him in these words: “Because the dull animal of the North
shall put them to confusion, and though it be against his will, yet shall
cause great shame unto them;” by the dull animal of the North was meant
this fresh-water soldier, who, according to the Prophecy, put the
Frenchmen to confusion and great shame; for passing the seas with King
Henry, being mounted on a stately horse, as both armies confronted each
other, he being at the head of the battle, just before the charge,
somebody striking his horse, he carried him upon the enemy with such
violence, as put their front in some disorder, which being perceived by
our men, they presently so seconded him that the French ran away, leaving
the English a glorious victory, purchased with little cost.
By this means was Mother Shipton’s predictions fulfilled, to the disgrace
of the French, and great praise to the young gallant; for the rest of the
Prophecy the interpretation runs thus:—
By the “mitred Peacock,” was intended Cardinal Wolsey, signified by that
bird, because of his great pride, who, being but a poor butcher’s son of
Ipswich, in Suffolk, grew to such a height, that he thought himself
superior to the chief nobles of the land, living in such splendour as not
to be paralleled; according to the new Prophecy, “whose train shall make
a great show in the world;” and whereas it is said, “the peacock should
then begin to plume,” so it was, that when King Henry had taken the city
of Tournay, in France, he made Wolsey bishop thereof, who soon after rose
to the highest degree of honour a subject could be capable of, which
afterwards (as the Prophecy says) “vanished away, and his great honour
came to nothing.” And lastly, whereas it said, he should “have his end
at Kingston.” The cardinal being told of this prophecy, would never pass
through the town of Kingston, though lying directly in the road from his
own house to the court; but afterwards being arrested for high treason,
by the Earl of Northumberland, and Sir Anthony Kingston, the Lieutenant
of the Tower, sent unto him, his very name (remembering the prophecy)
struck such a terror to his heart that he soon after expired.
Mother Shipton had now got a name far and near for a cunning woman, or a
woman of foresight, that her words were counted oracles, nor was she
visited only by private persons, but advised with by people of the
greatest quality. Among which number at that time was Cardinal Wolsey;
when it was reported that he intended to live at York, she publicly said,
“He should never come thither,” which, coming to his ears, and being
offended, he caused three lords to go to her, who came disguised to
Dringhouses, near York, where leaving their men, they took a guide to
Mother Shipton’s, and knocking at the door, she called from within, “Come
in, Mr. Besley (the guide), and these noble lords with you,” which
surprised them, that she should know them; for when they came in she
called each of them by their names, and treated them with ale and cakes;
whereupon, said one of the lords, “If you knew our errand you would not
make so much of us; you said the cardinal should never see York.” “No,”
said she, “I said he might see York but never come at it.” “Well,” said
the lords, “when he does come thou shalt be burnt.” Then, taking off her
linen handkerchief from her head, she said, “If this burns,” and
immediately flung it into the fire, but it did not burn; and after it had
laid in the flames a quarter of an hour, she took it out again not so
much as singed. One of the lords then asked her what she thought of him.
“My lord, the time will come when your lordship will be as low as I am,
and that is low indeed,” which proved true, for shortly after he was
beheaded.
Nor was her speech of the cardinal less verified; for coming to Cawood,
he went to the top of the tower and asked where York was, which being
shown him, he inquired how far it was thither. For, quoth he, “There was
a witch said I should never see York.” “Nay,” said one present, “your
eminence is misinformed; she said, you might see it, but never come at
it.” Then he vowed to burn her when he came there, which was but eight
miles distant; but, behold, he was immediately sent for back by the king,
and never returned.
Mother Shipton’s prediction coming thus effectually to pass, spread her
fame far wider than it was; insomuch that many who before looked upon her
as a crack-brained woman, now began to admire her, and to esteem her
words as oracles. And as the nature of English people is rather to
desire to know what is to come, than to seek to rectify aught that is
done amiss, so the greatest part of her visitants came only to be
acquainted with what she knew would come to pass; of which number was the
Abbot of Beverley, who fearing the downfall of religious houses, and a
change of the religion then professed, putting on counterfeit clothes,
came to Mother Shipton’s, and knocking at the door, she being within,
called to him, and said: “Come in, Mr. Abbot, for you are not so much
disguised but the fox may be seen through the sheep’s skin. Come take a
stool and sit down, for you shall not go away unsatisfied of what you
desire,” and thereupon she began to utter forth her Prophecies in this
sort:—
“When the cow doth wive the bull,
Then, oh! priest, beware thy skull!
And when the lower shrubs do fall,
The great trees quickly follow shall.
The mitred Peacock’s lofty pride
Shall to his master be a guide.
And one great court to pass shall bring
What was ne’er done by any king.
The poor shall grieve to see that day,
And who did feast, must fast and pray.
Fate so decreed their overthrow,
Riches brought pride, and pride brought woe.”
These prophecies were thus explained: by the “Cow,” was made King Henry,
by reason of the Earldom of Richmond, which was his inheritance; and the
“Bull,” betokened Anne Boleyn, whom the king took to wife in the room of
Queen Catherine; her father gave the black bull’s head in his cognizance;
and when the king had married Queen Anne, then was fulfilled the second
line of the prophecy, viz., “Then, oh! priest, beware thy skull!” for
what a number of priests, religious and secular, lost their heads, for
offending against the laws, made to bring this matter to pass.
Cardinal Wolsey (who was intended by the “mitred Peacock”), in the height
of his pride and vastness of his undertakings, intending to erect two
colleges, one at Ipswich, where he was born, the other at Oxford, where
he was bred; and finding himself unable to endow them at his own charge,
he obtained licence of Pope Clement VII. to suppress forty small
monasteries in England, and to lay their old lands to his new
foundations, which was done accordingly, and the poor people that lived
in them were turned out of doors. Many of the clergy were very much
against this action of Wolsey, especially John Fisher, Bishop of
Rochester, alleging for the same an apologue of Æsop, that “the iron head
of the axe craved a handle of the wood of oaks, only to cut off the
boughs of the trees: but when it was a complete axe it felled all the
wood;” applying it, that the suppressing of those smaller houses would
prove destructive to all the rest, which came to pass accordingly; for
King Henry, seeing the cardinal’s power to extend so far as to suppress
these lower shrubs, he thought his prerogative might stretch so far as to
fell down the great trees; and soon after dissolved the priory of Christ
Church, near Aldgate, in London (now known by the name of Duke’s Place),
the richest in lands and ornaments of the priories in London or
Middlesex; which was a forerunner of the dissolution of the rest; and
that not long after came to pass.
By the “Great Court,” is meant the Parliament, the supremest court of
England; which, in the twenty-seventh year of King Henry’s reign, to
support the king’s states, and supply his wants, conferred on the crown
all religious houses which were not able clearly to expend above two
hundred pounds a year; the great ones not long after following the same
fortune of the smaller, which was not done (though attempted) by any king
before.
By the dissolution of these houses, many thousands were driven to seek
their fortunes in the wide world, and became utterly exposed to want;
when monkish profession was without possession, many a young man proved
an old beggar, and many forced to fast for want of victuals, who formerly
had it provided for them to their hands.
The great riches and pride of the monks and friars, was, no doubt, the
main cause of their overthrow; for whatsoever was the pretence,
questionless profit was the rope which pulled these religious houses
down.
All those things coming to pass before the abbot died, caused him to have
a great esteem of Mother Shipton, and to value her prophecies more than
ordinary conjectures; though at first he could not tell what to make of
her ambiguous lines, which, like the oracles delivered at Delphos, rather
brought one into a labyrinth of confused conjectures than satisfied the
expectation, until by the clue of time, the riddles were manifest; and
that which at first seemed so hard, now appeared to the understanding as
easy; however, he at present kindly thanked Mother Shipton, and liberally
rewarded her maid, much admiring that she could be so clear-sighted as to
see through his counterfeit dress; resolving afterwards to be more
informed by her concerning future events, he at that time took his solemn
leave of her, and returned home.
Not long had the abbot been at home, but his abbey was visited by some
instrument employed by the Lord Cromwell for that purpose. He who knew
what was intended by this compliment thought it not safe to strive
against the stream, and therefore quietly surrendered his monastery into
the king’s hands. And now perceiving Mother Shipton’s prophecies plainly
fulfilled in the downfall of those houses, which were judged to be
impregnable against all the assaults of malice and time, considering the
strange revolution of so short a space, he was very desirous to be more
fully informed of the future. In this resolution he repairs again to
Mother Shipton, whom he now accosts more familiarly than he did before,
making himself plainly known unto her; telling her that as what she had
formerly spoken he had found to be true in the event, so his judgment
persuaded him she was not ignorant of those things which were in the
future to ensue; and therefore desired she would not be nice in imparting
her foreknowledge to him; for which great favour, though it were more
than his deserts could command, yet should there never in him be wanting
a grateful tongue to acknowledge, and a grateful heart to be thankful
unto her, for so great a favour.
“Mr. Abbot,” said she, “leave off complimenting, as it is more fit for
courtiers and lovers, and not agreeable to an old woman, who will neither
flatter nor be flattered by any; and for what you came about, I shall not
be squeamish to fulfil your request; let me therefore desire you to lend
me your attention;” and thereupon, after some short pause, she thus
began—
“A prince that never shall be born,
Shall make the shaved heads forlorn,
Then shall commons rise in arms,
And woman’s malice cause much harms.”
These lines being prophecies of the actions in King Edward’s reign, for
the reader’s benefit we will unfold the meaning of them by themselves,
that we may not too much burden his memory; but by variety add a pleasure
to the reading of them.
By the “Prince that never shall be born,” is meant King Edward VI., of
whom all reports agree that he was not naturally delivered into the
world, but that his mother’s body was opened for his birth, that she died
of the operation the fourth day following: and by “shaved heads,” is
understood the monks, friars, etc., who are said to become “forlorn;” the
Reformation beginning with the commencement of King Edward’s reign.
King Edward set out certain injunctions for the reformation of religion;
as the commissioners passed to divers places for the establishing of
them, much scorn was passed upon them, and the farther they went from
London, as the people were more uncivil, so did they the more rise into
insolence and contempt; for in Cornwall, the commons flocked together,
having killed one of the commissioners, and although justice was done
upon the offenders (the principal of them being executed in several
places), yet could not their boldness be beaten down by that severity,
but that the mischief spread farther. In Wiltshire and Somersetshire,
where the people, supposing that a Commonwealth could not stand without
commons, beat down enclosures, and laid parks and fields bare. The like
commotions followed in Suffolk, Hampshire, Kent, Gloucestershire,
Warwickshire, and Rutlandshire, but the greatest of all was in
Devonshire, and Norfolk.
“A virtuous lady then shall die,
For being raised up too high;
Her death shall cause another’s joy,
Who shall the kingdom much annoy.
Mitres shall rise, mitres come down,
And streams of blood shall Smithfield drown.
England shall join in league with Spain,
Which some to hinder strive in vain,
The Lioness from life retires,
And pontifical priest expires.”
The Lady Jane Gray, assuming the title of Queen upon her, for her offence
lost her head. This Lady Jane was a woman of most rare and incomparable
perfections; for besides her excellent beauty, she was the mirror of her
time for religion and education, in the knowledge of the liberal sciences
and skill in languages; and far exceeded all of her sex and years.