A web-based edition of early seventeenth-century political poetry from manuscript sources. It brings into the public domain over 350 poems, many of which have never before been published.
Notes. This is the only known libel entirely devoted to the monopolist Sir Francis Michell. The poem’s form—an admonitory lament in the voice of a fallen sinner—was popular in contemporary ballad literature. Like many libels written in song or ballad form, it is possible that this was sung, though evidence of performance is impossible to trace.
“A lamentable newe Ballade expressing the Complaynte of Sir Frances Michell Knighte dwellinge in Pickthatche1 lately Justice of Peace. To a scurvey tune.”
You Justices & men of myghte
You Constables that walke by nyghte
And all you officers more lowe
But marke my sudden overthrowe
And then by mee Example make
5How you get goods, how bribes you take
For that has bine my discontente
And for like Acts you shall be shente2
Before this Parlamente I myghte
Have done all this, & yet no knighte3
10But they are nowe so busy growne
Alas ouer Faults must all be knowne
No place nor hower can preserve
theyer lives from them that ill deserve
and this my storey may asseuer yee
15If you bee badde theyle not endeuer yee
For though the kinge mee knyghthood gave
yet they presumed, to call me knave
and sayd that I deserved to dye
For begginge a monopolie
20Sir Giles Mompessone though hee were
a kinsman to the Marques neere4
was for this cause thrust out and chide
Sum say shall hange but god forbidd5
For if yee should bee trussed upp6
25I am certeyne I shall tast that Cupe
For I alas that discord bredde
I put this sute into his heade
when firste this course was scand & tried
and my faulte could not be denied
30with Lord have merceye on mee they
did to the Tower mee streighte convey7
On Foote I then adjudged was
alonge the streets with shame to passe8
moore favor they the Serjeants9 did
35For whilste I walkt, those Rascalls ridd
In this sorte as I walkte a longe
those people all, which I did wronge
Came laughing oute at my disgrace
and yet I must not hide my face
40A Fatt Alewife that had beefore
in full 7 yeares not stired to dooer
with kitchin curtses10 did mee Followe
as if like ale shee would mee swallowe
An Inkeeper that solde his haye
45the fine I call for for to paye11
with a pitchforke did at mee thruste
as if my harte hee would have burste
Twoe caryers nexte with yawlinge throtes
raylde at mee for the price of oats12
50and sayd aloude through my deceyte
Theyer horses travell withoute bayte13
When through those scornes at laste I came
unto the Tower with spite & shame
my Judgmente yet beehould was more
55And Fare worse followed then beefore
That place they esteemed to good
Both for my cause & for my blood
and unto Newgate I must goe
a stinkinge prisone, God doth knowe14
60A Baude in seethinge Lane15 mee spied
One that for 10 yeares space mee bribd16
that for herselfe & all her whoores
no warrant entred att her doores
Shee ruthfull woman oneley wept
65To see my fall such coyle17 was kept
with her and hers since I departed
Herselfe att leste had twise bene carted18
Not farre from her a younge whore stands
sighinge and wringinge of her hands
70Pickthatch (quoth shee) can nowe no more
bee a proteccon for a whoore19
But that which greives & vext mee worse
the nexte I sawe was a cutpurse
whome I as Hickes his Hall can tell20
75both saved from newgate & Bridewell21
And yet this Rouge amongeste the rest
did laugh att mee & make a jeste
and swore my worship tooke a Fee
to set his heeles at libertey
80The bauds and whoores of Turball22 all
cam laughinge by to see my fall
and followinge by mee 3 whoores tripte
whome I had caused to bee whipte
Another did a halter shake
85of hempe & Flaxe herselfe did make
when I in newe bridewell did putte
For juste ofence that rampant slutt
Nor is this end of all my payne
from worse I feare theyle not refrayne
90my cause alas is come to that
They meane to do the Lord knows what
Yet still I wish health to the Kinge
whoe gratious is in everey thinge
and ene on the howses highe & lowe23
95I pray to God his grace bestowe
For they are like if they goe on
to leave noe faulte unthaught uppon
and then Ime suer howere I bee
I shall have still more companey.
100Source. Bodleian MS Tanner 306, fols. 247r-248v
Mi1
1 Pickthatche: i.e. Pickt-Hatch, a resort of thieves and prostitutes in London; “picked-hatch” was also a contemporary term for a brothel. <back>
2 shente: disgraced; ruined. <back>
3 & yet no knighte: Michell was knighted in December 1620. <back>
4 Sir Giles...Marques neere: Mompesson, accused as a monopolist alongside Michell, was related by marriage to George Villiers, who was at this time Marquis of Buckingham. <back>
5 Sum say...forbidd: other evidence in the poem indicates that it was written after Mompesson’s flight from England, in March 1621; however, his whereabouts may well have been unclear to the poet. <back>
6 trussed upp: strung up; hanged. <back>
7 did to the Tower...convey: Michell was committed to the Tower in February 1621. <back>
8 On Foote...to passe: Michell travelled to the Tower on foot and bare-headed. <back>
9 Serjeants: judicial officers (escorting Michell). <back>
10 kitchin curtses: unclear; possibly read “kitchen curses”, but possibly “kitchen curtsies” (the latter to be taken ironically). <back>
11 An Inkeeper...to paye: Michell was accused of abusing his powers in administering the patent for alehouses, which involved the extortion of fines from alehouse-keepers; however, it is not clear whether he had a role in the separate patent for inns. <back>
12 price of oats: patents did not directly affect the price of oats; however, the costs of fines borne by innkeepers were inevitably passed on to customers (such as carriers), and the poem perhaps acknowledges this fact here. <back>
13 bayte: feed; refreshment. <back>
14 That place...God doth knowe: though initially committed to the Tower, Michell was subsequently moved, because the Tower was considered to be too good for him. Although the DNB states that he was moved to Finsbury jail, there is some evidence to support the claims of libellers that his destination was in fact Newgate, a prison from which he had previously received a salary, as a Middlesex Justice of the Peace, on condition of sending all his prisoners there. <back>
15 seethinge Lane: Seething Lane, near the corn market in Fenchurch Street. <back>
16 One...mee bribd: presumably a reference to Michell’s activities as Justice of the Peace for Middlesex. <back>
18 carted: i.e. carried in a cart through the streets; traditional punishment for a whore. <back>
19 Pickthatch...whoore: i.e. Pickt-Hatch, a resort of thieves and prostitutes in London, may now be exposed to the law (since its protector has been removed from power). <back>
20 as Hickes...tell: although the specific reference is unclear, the meaning is obvious (i.e. “I can see this as clearly as I can recognize Hicks’s hall”). <back>
21 newgate & Bridewell: prisons for common offenders. <back>
22 Turball: i.e. Turnball Street, perhaps the most disreputable street in London. <back>
23 the howses highe &...lowe: i.e. the high and low houses of parliament (the Lords and the Commons). <back>