A Wonderful Example of Gods Justice shewed upon one Jasper Conningham
A Gentleman born in Scotland, who was of Opinion, that there was neither GOD, nor Devil.
To the Tune of, O Neighbour Robert.
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IT was a Scotch-man,
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a Scotch-man, lewd of life,
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That long had lived
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unlawful from his Wife:
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His name was Jasper Conningham
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as I did understand,
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Whose dwelling was at Aberdeen,
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a Town in fair Scotland.
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He had a Sister
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which was both fair and bright,
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Worshipfully Weded,
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unto a worthy Knight.
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Godly, wise, and vertuous,
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in every thing was she,
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A fairer comely Lady
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in Scotland could not be.
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Her wicked Brother
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such inward pains did prove,
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That with his Fair Sister
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he greatly was in love:
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He watches time and wooes her,
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he shews to her his mind,
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And still he says sweet Sister,
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be not to me unkind.
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This comely Lady
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in mild and gentle wise,
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Unto her brother
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thus modestly replyes:
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The Lord forbid, dear Brother,
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I should consent at all,
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To such a damned action,
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to bring our Souls in thrall.
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Are not great torments
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prepard for hateful sin?
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Is not God as Righteous
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as ever he hath been?
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Is not Hell prepared,
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with quenchless flames of fire,
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To give such wicked persons
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their due deserved hire,
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Wherefore dear Brother,
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repent and call for Grace,
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Let not these motions
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within your heart take place:
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Consider how to judgment
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we shall be one day brought,
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To answer for our Follies,
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which in our lives we w[r]ought.
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Her Brother hearing
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her Godly Christian talk,
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Within the Garden
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as they alone did walk;
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Blasphemously replyed,
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as shameless as he stood,
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Saying she had declard
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a Tale of Robin Hood.
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You are deceived,
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fair Sister, then said he,
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To talk of Heavens Glory,
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or Hells plagues unto me:
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These are devised Fables,
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to keep poor Souls in fear,
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That were by wise men written,
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though no such things there were.
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You speak of reckoning,
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and of a judgment-day,
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And after life is ended,
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and flesh consumd away;
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And of a God most justly,
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will plague all things amiss,
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And those that do believe it,
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are much deceivd I wis.
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Alas, said he, my Sister,
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these things are nothing so;
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No God, nor Devil is biding,
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in Heaven nor Hell I know:
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All things are wrought by Nature
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the Earth; the Air, the Sky,
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There is no joy nor sorrow,
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after that men do dye.
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Therefore let me have pleasure,
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while here I do remain,
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I fear not Gods disple[a]sure,
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nor Hells tormenting pain:
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No sooner had he spoken
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this foul blasphemous thing,
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But that a heavy judgment
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upon him God did bring.
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For in the Garden,
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whereas he did abide,
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Suddenly a Fire
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sprung up on every side;
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Which round about inclosed
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this damned wretch that day,
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Who roard and cryd most grievous
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but could not start away.
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THis fearful fire,
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up to his knees did rise,
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Burning blew like Brimstone,
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in most outragious wise:
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The Lady which beheld it,
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ran crying in for aid,
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To pluck away her Brother,
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which in the fire staid.
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But nought prevailed,
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for all that they could do,
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Long Staves, and also Pitchforks,
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they reached him unto;
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Because they durst not venture
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near to the fiery flame,
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He taking hold upon them,
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to draw him out of the same.
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But not a finger
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nor hand that he could move,
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His Arms hung dead behind him,
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great pains that he did prove;
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And now he bands and curses
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that day that he was born,
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And wishes that his Carcass
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by Devils might be torn.
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Now I feel surely,
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quoth he, there is a God,
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That sorely doth plague me
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with his strong Iron Rod:
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O hide me from his presence,
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his looks are death to me,
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Nothing but wrath and vengeance
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about him do I see.
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I have despised him,
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but can no whit repent,
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My heart is hardned,
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my mind cannot relent,
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No pitty nor compassion,
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nor mercy is in store,
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For me vile wretched creature,
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despisd for evermore.
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I am in Hell tormented,
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and to endless pain,
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Look how the Devils torment me
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in stretching every vein:
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Look how they swarm about me,
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O what hell fiends are these,
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Woe worth the time that ever
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I did the Lord displease.
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I burn in flaming fire,
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yet do no whit consume,
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My conscience doth torment me,
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that did in sin presume:
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Alas! my loving sister,
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now do I know full well,
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There is a God most righteous
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and eke a Devil in hell.
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And with these speeches
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his Eyes fell from his head,
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And by strings hung dangling
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below his Chin stark dead:
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See how the Devils, then he said,
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hath pluckt my eyes out quite,
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That always was unworthy
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to view the heavenly light.
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Then from his mouth there fell
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his foul blasphemous tongue,
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In very ugly manner,
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most piteously it hung;
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And there away he rotted,
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in all the Peoples sight,
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By Lice and filthy Vermine,
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it was consumed quite.
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With gastly groaning
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and shrieks that sounded high,
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Two hours after
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this Cursed Man did lye;
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And there at length he dyed,
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and then the fire ceasd;
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His Carcass stunk more filthy
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than any Carrion Beast.
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No man was able
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for to endure the smell,
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Nor yet to come to bury him,
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as true Report doth tell;
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Until he was consumed
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he lay above the ground,
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The doors about the Garden,
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therefore was locked round.
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Let all Blasphemers
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take warning by this thing;
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Least that Gods Vengeance
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they do upon them bring:
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And Lord grant all Christians
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thy holy Grace and fear,
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They may think on the punishment
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that Conningham had here.
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