English literature -- Early modern, 1500-1700; English wit and humor; Great Britain -- Civilization -- 17th century -- Literary collections
George had a Daughter of the age of tenne yeeres, a Girle of a pretty
forme, but of an excellent wit: and she had _George_ so tutored all
night, that although himselfe was the Author of it, yet had hee beene
transformed into his Daughters shape, he could not have done it with
more conceit. _George_ at that time dwelt at the Banke Side from
whence this she-sinnow,[F. 203] early in the morning, with her haire
dichevalled, wringing her hands, and making such pittifull moane with
shrikes and teares, and beating of her brest, that made the people in
a maze: some stood wondring at the Childe; others plucked her to know
the occasion; but none could stay her by any meanes, but on shee kept
her journey, crying, O, her Father, her good Father, her deare Father,
over the Bridge, thorow Cheapside, and so to the Old Bailey, where the
Gentleman sojourned, there sitting her selfe downe, a hundred people
gaping upon her, there she begins to cry out, Woe to that place, that
her Father ever saw it: she was a Cast-away, her Mother was undone:
till with the noise, one of the Gentlemans men comming downe, looked
on her, and knew her to be _George Peeles_ Daughter: hee presently
runnes up, and tels his Master, who commanded his man to bring her up.
The Gentleman was in a cold sweat, fearing that George had, for the
wrong that he did him the day before, some way undone himselfe. When
the Girle came up, he demanded the cause why she so lamented, and
called upon her Father? _George_ his flesh and blood, after a million
of sighs, cried out upon him, he had made her Father, her good Father,
drowne himselfe. Which words once uttered, she fell into a Counterfeit
swoone, whom the Gentleman soon recovered. This newes went to his
heart, and he, being a man of a very milde condition, cheered up the
Girle, made his men to go buy her new cloathes from top to toe, said
he would be a Father to her, gave her five pounds, bid her go home
and carry it to her mother, and in the evening he would visit her. At
this, by little and little she began to be quiet: desiring him to come
and see her Mother. He tels her, he will not faile, bids her goe home
quietly. So downe stayres goes she peartly,[F. 204] and the wondring
people that staid at doore, to heare the manner of her griefe, had
of her nought but knavish answers, and home went she directly. The
Gentleman was so crossed in mind, and disturbed in thought at this
unhappy accident, that his soule could not be in quiet, till he had
beene with this wofull widdow, as hee thought, and presently went to
Blacke Fryers, tooke a payre of Oares, and went directly to _George
Peeles_ house, where hee found his wife plucking of Larkes, my crying
Crocadile turning of the Spit, and _George_ pinn'd up in a blanket, at
his translation. The Gentleman, more glad at the unlookt for life of
_George_, than the losse of his money, tooke part in the good cheere
_George_ had to dinner, wondred at the cunning of the Wench, and
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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