

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<item xmlns="http://omeka.org/schemas/omeka-xml/v5" itemId="1217" public="1" featured="0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://omeka.org/schemas/omeka-xml/v5 http://omeka.org/schemas/omeka-xml/v5/omeka-xml-5-0.xsd" uri="https://omeka.cloud.unimelb.edu.au/execution-ballads/items/show/1217?output=omeka-xml" accessDate="2026-05-18T20:11:54+10:00">
  <fileContainer>
    <file fileId="720">
      <src>https://omeka.cloud.unimelb.edu.au/execution-ballads/files/original/f742e0e25eacece69a76f1c868618935.jpg</src>
      <authentication>61dae2ea200fe9939221d07bb694dbc7</authentication>
    </file>
  </fileContainer>
  <collection collectionId="3">
    <elementSetContainer>
      <elementSet elementSetId="1">
        <name>Dublin Core</name>
        <description>The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.</description>
        <elementContainer>
          <element elementId="50">
            <name>Title</name>
            <description>A name given to the resource</description>
            <elementTextContainer>
              <elementText elementTextId="1970">
                <text>English Execution Ballads</text>
              </elementText>
            </elementTextContainer>
          </element>
        </elementContainer>
      </elementSet>
    </elementSetContainer>
  </collection>
  <itemType itemTypeId="33">
    <name>Execution Ballad</name>
    <description/>
    <elementContainer>
      <element elementId="75">
        <name>Set to tune of...</name>
        <description>Melody to which ballad is set.</description>
        <elementTextContainer>
          <elementText elementTextId="7772">
            <text>Doctor Faustus (&lt;a href="https://omeka.cloud.unimelb.edu.au/execution-ballads/items/show/1134"&gt;Fortune My Foe&lt;/a&gt;)</text>
          </elementText>
        </elementTextContainer>
      </element>
      <element elementId="56">
        <name>Synopsis</name>
        <description>Account of events that are the subject of the ballad</description>
        <elementTextContainer>
          <elementText elementTextId="7773">
            <text>Three old women are convicted of witchcraft in Exeter. It is claimed that they poisoned livestock and children, and bewitched people.</text>
          </elementText>
        </elementTextContainer>
      </element>
      <element elementId="5">
        <name>Transcription</name>
        <description>Transcription of ballad lyrics</description>
        <elementTextContainer>
          <elementText elementTextId="7774">
            <text>NOw listen to my Song good People all,&#13;
And I shall tell what lately did befall,&#13;
At Exeter, a place in Devonshire,&#13;
The like whereof of late you nere did hear.&#13;
&#13;
At the last Assizes held at Exeter,&#13;
Three Aged Women that Imprisoned were&#13;
For Witches, and that many had destroyd;&#13;
Were thither brought in order to be tryd.&#13;
&#13;
For Witchcraft, that Old Wicked Sin,&#13;
Which they for long time had continued in:&#13;
And joynd with Satan, to destroy the good,&#13;
Hurt Innocents, and shed their harmless blood.&#13;
&#13;
But now it most apparent does appear,&#13;
That they will now for such their deeds pay dear:&#13;
For Satan having lulld their Souls asleep,&#13;
Refuses Company with them to keep.&#13;
&#13;
A known deceiver he long time has been,&#13;
To help Poor Mortals into dangerous Sin;&#13;
Thereby to cut them off, that so they may,&#13;
Be plungd in Hell, and there be made his Prey.&#13;
&#13;
So these Malicious Women at the last,&#13;
Having done mischiefs, were by Justice cast:&#13;
For it appeard they Children had destroyd,&#13;
Lamed Cattel, and the Aged much annoyd.&#13;
&#13;
Having Familiars always at their beck,&#13;
Their Wicked Rage on Mortals for to wreck:&#13;
It being provd they used Wicked Charms,&#13;
To Murther Men, and bring about sad harms.&#13;
&#13;
And that they had about their Bodys strange&#13;
And Proper Tokens of their Wicked Change:&#13;
As Pledges that to have their cruel will,&#13;
Their Souls they gave unto the Prince of Hell.&#13;
&#13;
The Country round where they did live came in,&#13;
And all at once their sad complaints begin:&#13;
One lost a Child, the other lost a Kine,&#13;
This his brave Horses, that his hopeful Swine.&#13;
&#13;
One had his Wife bewitched, the other his Friend,&#13;
Because in some things they the Witch offend:&#13;
For which they labour under cruel pain,&#13;
In vain seek remedy, but none can gain.&#13;
&#13;
But Roar in cruel sort, and loudly cry,&#13;
Destroy the Witch, and end our misery:&#13;
Some used Charms by Mountabanks set down,&#13;
Those cheating Quacks, that swarm in every Town.&#13;
&#13;
But alls in vain, no rest at all they find,&#13;
For why? all Witches to cruelty are enclind:&#13;
And do delight to hear sad dying groans,&#13;
And such laments, as woud pierce Marble Stones.&#13;
&#13;
But now the Hand of Heaven has found them out,&#13;
And they to Justice must pay Lives, past doubt:&#13;
One of these Wicked Wretches did confess,&#13;
She Four Score Years of Age was, and no less.&#13;
&#13;
And that she had deserved long before,&#13;
To be sent packing to the Stigian shore:&#13;
For the great mischiefs she so oft had done,&#13;
And wondered that her Life so long had run.&#13;
&#13;
She said the Devil came with her along,&#13;
Through Crouds of People, and bid her be strong:&#13;
And she no hand should have, but like a Lyer,&#13;
At the Prison Door he fled, and nere came nigh her.&#13;
&#13;
The rest aloud, cravd Mercy for their Sins,&#13;
Or else the great deceiver her Soul gains;&#13;
For they had been lewd Livers many a day,&#13;
And therefore did desire that all would Pray&#13;
&#13;
To God, to Pardon them, while thus they lie&#13;
Condemned for their Wicked Deeds to Die:&#13;
Which may each Christian do, that they may find&#13;
Rest for their Souls, though Wicked once inclind.&#13;
&#13;
FINIS.</text>
          </elementText>
        </elementTextContainer>
      </element>
      <element elementId="74">
        <name>Method of Punishment</name>
        <description>Method of punishment described in the ballad.</description>
        <elementTextContainer>
          <elementText elementTextId="7775">
            <text>hanging</text>
          </elementText>
        </elementTextContainer>
      </element>
      <element elementId="62">
        <name>Crime(s)</name>
        <description>Crime or crimes for which the person in the ballad is convicted.</description>
        <elementTextContainer>
          <elementText elementTextId="7776">
            <text>witchcraft</text>
          </elementText>
        </elementTextContainer>
      </element>
      <element elementId="63">
        <name>Gender</name>
        <description>Gender of the person being executed.</description>
        <elementTextContainer>
          <elementText elementTextId="7777">
            <text>female</text>
          </elementText>
        </elementTextContainer>
      </element>
      <element elementId="55">
        <name>Date</name>
        <description>Date of ballad</description>
        <elementTextContainer>
          <elementText elementTextId="7778">
            <text>1682</text>
          </elementText>
        </elementTextContainer>
      </element>
      <element elementId="65">
        <name>Execution Location</name>
        <description>Location the condemned was executed.</description>
        <elementTextContainer>
          <elementText elementTextId="7779">
            <text>Exeter</text>
          </elementText>
        </elementTextContainer>
      </element>
      <element elementId="93">
        <name>Subtitle</name>
        <description/>
        <elementTextContainer>
          <elementText elementTextId="7995">
            <text>Or, the Tryals and Condemnation of three Notorious Witches, who were Tryed the last Assizes, holden at the Castle of Exeter, in the County of Devon: where they received Sentance for Death, for bewitchng several Persons, destroying Ships at Sea, and Cattel by Land, &amp;c. </text>
          </elementText>
        </elementTextContainer>
      </element>
      <element elementId="83">
        <name>Image / Audio Credit</name>
        <description/>
        <elementTextContainer>
          <elementText elementTextId="7996">
            <text>British Library - Roxburghe, &lt;span&gt;C.20.f.8.531, &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://ebba.english.ucsb.edu/ballad/31034/citation" target="_blank"&gt;EBBA 31034&lt;/a&gt;</text>
          </elementText>
        </elementTextContainer>
      </element>
      <element elementId="89">
        <name>Digital Object</name>
        <description/>
        <elementTextContainer>
          <elementText elementTextId="7997">
            <text>&lt;iframe src="https://omeka.cloud.unimelb.edu.au/execution-ballads/files/fullsize/f742e0e25eacece69a76f1c868618935.jpg" frameborder="0" scrolling="yes" width="600" height="400"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;</text>
          </elementText>
        </elementTextContainer>
      </element>
    </elementContainer>
  </itemType>
  <elementSetContainer>
    <elementSet elementSetId="1">
      <name>Dublin Core</name>
      <description>The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.</description>
      <elementContainer>
        <element elementId="50">
          <name>Title</name>
          <description>A name given to the resource</description>
          <elementTextContainer>
            <elementText elementTextId="7771">
              <text>Witchcraft discovered and punished. </text>
            </elementText>
          </elementTextContainer>
        </element>
      </elementContainer>
    </elementSet>
  </elementSetContainer>
  <tagContainer>
    <tag tagId="295">
      <name>English</name>
    </tag>
    <tag tagId="49">
      <name>Female</name>
    </tag>
    <tag tagId="46">
      <name>hanging</name>
    </tag>
    <tag tagId="86">
      <name>witchcraft</name>
    </tag>
  </tagContainer>
</item>
