The BERKSHIRE Tragedy,
OR THE
WITTAM MILLER,
With an Account of his Murdering his Sweetheart.
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YOUNG men and maidens all give ear,
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Unto what I shall now relate;
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O mark you well, and you shall hear,
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Of my unhappy fate:
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Near unto famous Oxford town,
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I first did draw my breath,
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Oh! that I had been cast away,
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In an un[t]imely birth.
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My tender parents brought me up,
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Provided for me well.
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And in the town of Witt[a]m then,
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They placd me in a mill.
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By chance upon an Oxford lass,
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I cast a wanton eye,
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And promisd I would marry her,
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If she would with me lie
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But to the world I do declare,
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With sorrow, grief and woe,
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This folly brought us in a snare,
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And wrought our overthrow.
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For the damsel came to me, and said,
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By you I am with child:
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I hope, dear John, youll marry me,
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For you have me defild.
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Soon after that, her mother came,
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As you shall understand,
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And oftentimes did me persuade,
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To wed her out of hand.
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And thus perplexd on every side,
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I could no comfort find,
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So for to make away with her,
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A thought came in my mind.
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About a month from Christmas then,
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Oh! cursed be the day,
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The devil then did me persuade,
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To take her life away.
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I calld her from her sisters door,
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At eight oclock at night,
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Poor creature she did little dream,
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I ow'd her any spite.
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I told her, if shed walk with me,
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A side a little way,
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We both together would agree,
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About our wedding day.
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Thus I deluded her again,
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Into a private place,
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Then took a stick out of the hedge,
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And struck her in the face.
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But she fell on her bended knee,
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And did for mercy cry,
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For heaven sake dont murder me,
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I am not fit to die.
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But I on her no pity took,
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But wounded her full sore,
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Until her Life away I took,
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Which I can neer restore.
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With many grievous shrieks and cries,
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She did resign her breath,
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And in inhuman barbarous sort,
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I put my love to death.
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And then I took her by the hair,
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To cover this foul sin,
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And draggd her to the river side,
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And threw her Body in.
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Thus in the blood of innocence,
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My hands were deeply dyd,
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And shined in her purple gore,
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That should have been my bride.
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Then home unto my mill I ran,
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But sorely was amazd,
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My man he thought I had mischief done,
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And strangely on me gazd.
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Oh! whats the matter then said he,
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You look as pale as death,
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What makes you shake and tremble so,
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As though you had lost your breath.
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How came you by that blood upon,
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Your trembling hands and cloaths?
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I presently to him replyd,
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By bleeding at the nose.
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I wishfully upon him lookd,
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But little to him said,
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But snatchd the candle from his hand,
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And went unto my bed.
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Where I lay trembling all the night,
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For I could take no rest,
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And perfect flames of hell did flash,
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Within my guilty face.
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Next day the damsel being missd,
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And no where to be found;
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Then I was apprehended soon,
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And to the Assizes bound.
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Her sister did against me swear,
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She reason had no doubt,
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That I had made away with her,
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Because I calld her out.
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But Satan did me still perswade,
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I stiffly should deny,
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Quoth he, there is no witness can,
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Against thee testif[y].
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Now when her mother she did cry,
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I scoffingly did say,
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On purpose then to frighten me,
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She sent her child away.
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I publishd in the post boy then,
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My wickedness to blind,
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Five Guineas any one should have,
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That could her body find.
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But Heaven had a watchful eye,
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And brought it so about,
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That though I stiffly did deny,
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This murder would come out.
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The very day before the assize,
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Her body it was found,
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Floating before her Fathers door,
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At Henly Ferry Town.
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So I the second time was seizd,
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To Oxford brought with speed,
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And there examined again,
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About the bloody deed.
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Now the coroner and jury both,
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Together did agree,
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That this damsel was made away,
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And murdered by me.
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The justice he perceivd the guilt,
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No longer would take bail:
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But the next morning I was sent,
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Away to Reading Goal.
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When I was brought before the judge,
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My man did testify,
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That blood upon my hands and cloaths,
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That night he did espy.
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The judge he told the jury then,
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The circumstance is plain,
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Look on the prisoner at the bar,
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He hath this creature slain.
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About the murder at the first,
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The jury did divide,
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But when they brought their verdict,
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All of them guilty cryd.
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The jailor took and bound me strait,
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As soon as I was cast;
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And then within the prison strong,
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He there did lay me fast.
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With fetters strong then I was bound,
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And shin bolted was I,
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Yet I the murder would not own,
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But still did it deny.
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My father did on me prevail,
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My kindred all likewise,
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To own the murder which I did,
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To them with watery eyes.
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My father he then did me blame,
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Saying, my son, oh ! why,
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Have you thus brought yourself to shame,
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And all your family;
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Father, I own the crime I did,
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I guilty am indeed,
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Which cruel fact I now confess,
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Doth make my heart to bleed.
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The worst of deaths I do deserve,
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My crime it is so base,
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For I, no mercy shewd to her,
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Most wretched is my case.
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Lord grant me grace while I do stay,
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That I may now repent,
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Before I from this wicked world,
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Most shamefully am sent.
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Young men take warning by my fall,
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All filthy lust defy;
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By giving way to wickedness,
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Alas! this day I die.
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Lord wash my hateful Sins away,
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Which have been manifold,
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Have mercy on me I thee pray,
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And Christ receive my soul.
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