3 Fay. When I feel a girl asleep, Jo. Ay, I thought where I should have you. Jo. Indeed, sir, I cannot handle my legs. We will pinch you black and blue, They all dance in a ring, and sing as followeth. Round about, round about, in a fine ring-a; Round about, round about, in a fine ring-a; We have danc'd round about in a fine ring-a; THE following is reprinted from a very scarce tract, published at London in 1613, with a rough but curious print on the title, illustrating one of the incidents here related. It is principally valuable for our purpose as showing the popular belief in the existence of fairies, and also for the mention of the Queen of Fairies falling in love with a mortal; but anything of the kind is so rarely met with, that its subject alone would sanction its introduction into this collection. The severall notorious and lewd Cousonages of John West and Alice West, falsely called the. King and Queene of Fayries, practised verie lately both in this citie and many places neere adjoyning: to the impoverishing of many simple people, as well men as women: who were arraigned and convicted for the same at the Sessions house in the Old Baily, the 14. of January, this present yeare, 1613. CHAP. I. The lewd cousonages of JOHN WEST and ALICE WEST, falsely called the King and Queene of Fayries. The hot sunne after the overflow of Nilus, engen dred not more straunge and ugly imperfect monsters in Egypt, then this age doth impostures in and about the citie of London: no cousonage is left unpractised, no cheat unattempted, no meanes to deceive unaffected, insomuch that the suburbs in some places may be compared to a schoole of cousonages, and a mart of unheard of abuses, of which every succeeding month begets sundrie of the newest and last edition, every one striving to exceed another in craft and subtlety. What straine of invention stretcht to the highest key of subornation, what almost incredible forgerie, without bound, limit, or dimension, what degree of jugling, counterfetting, what fraud or fallacies have not beene practised in that height of cunning, able, as it were, to foole the simplicity of the former times, to gull the present ages, and to give precedents to the succeeding seasons, scarce to be equald or paraleld ? The innocency of the first world strived to excell in vertue, but the poyson of this infected age strives to exceed in vice. Happy was that man, that in the nonage of the golden world could leave behinde him any presedent worthy to imitate, but they hold themselves in this dotage of the iron age most remarkable, that can put upon these times any imputation which deservedly can undergoe the scandall of reproofe. Why should else such new impostures be continually hatcht, of which the first and most innocent seasons were not so much guilty as to know how to entitle them? To these new abuses we had therefore need of Callepine to devise new names, for as there is no Latine, Greeke, or Hebrew word for Tobacco, but Tobacco, the reason is, it was an herbe not knowne by our granfathers, nor that customary habit which the world hath lately entertained it: so I may speake of these cousonages now in use, which till now not knowne, I know not how to stile them by any name borrowed from antiquitie, since such new fraudulencies have but of late daies beene put in execution, but onely by the generall names of cousonages, which shall comprehend the roote and manifold branches. I will not stand now to distinguish their severall kindes, which for their commonnesse are not worthie my remembrance: neyther is my purpose to trouble you with any long discourse of practises in another kinde, as to kneele downe to prayers in Pauls, and leave a handbasket carelesly by, with capons legs hanging out, which when a cheater hath cunningly come behinde the Orisant and stolne away, when he hath ransackt for poultrie, he hath found a child to call him father? Neyther being myselfe no gamester, is it my purpose to lay open the cosonages at cards, and cheating at dice, in which hee is held no compleat gallant, that is not most dishonestly expert. These and infinite others of the like nature I advisedly let passe, as connicatchings almost quite worne out of breath, and come to circumstances of riper, newer, and fresher invention, and, as I may truly say, now in fashion. CHAP. 2.—Alice West her first cousenage at Fulham. There were arraigned at Newgate this last Sessions, two notorious and infamous practisers of this new devised leger-demaine. One John West, and Alice his wife, who dwelt at Fulham, some foure miles from London; these understanding that one Thomas Moore of Hammersmith was well possest, sought by some strange fraudulent meanes to cheat him of such money and goods as they knew certainly hee had in his use and custodie and because they knew common cousonages had for the most part common discovery, and so consequently a common and ordinary punishment P denounced against offenders in that kinde, they therefore devised a new forme, in which for the strangenesse and varietie they could hardly be traced. This woman takes upon her to bee familiarly acquainted with the king and queene of fairies, two that had in their power the command of inestimable treasure; and growing inward with a maid servant that belonged to this Thomas Moore, communicates to her a strange revelation, how that the fayrie king and queene had appeard to her in a vision, saying they had a purpose to bestow great summes of gold upon this man and this woman, which by her meanes and directions, was undoubtedly to be compast: in which atchievement, there was nothing so necessary as secrecie, for if it were revealed to any save them three whom it did essentially concerne, they should not onely hazard their good fortune, but incurre the danger of the fayries, and so consequently be open to great mishapes, and fearefull disasters. This being by the maid acquainted to the simple man and his wife, after conjuration of secrecy, they were as greedily willing to receive the benefit, as fearefull loath to entertaine the punishment, and so their simplicitie begat an easier way to their jugling; which, she perceiving, prosecutes to her first devised purpose, and first entreats for money to performe the due rites of sacrifice to his great patron, the king of fayries. After them, she sends for more to furnish other ceremonies before forgot, still pretending that somthing or other was eyther neglected, or wanting to the attayning of so inestimable a masse. And the first rites that must be performed, was a great banquet, which must be prepared for the royall king and queene of fayries; then all the chamber must be hung with the richest linnen that they had in their possession, which according to their estate was very sufficient. The banker cost a prettie summe of money, |