The Berkshire Trgedy,
OR,
The WITTAM MILLER,
With an Account of his Murdering his Sweetheart, etc.
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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 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 untimely 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 WITTAM 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 perplext on every side,
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I could no comfort find
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So to make away this creature,
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a Thought came in my mind.
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About a month since Christmas last,
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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 owd her any spight.
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I told her, if shed walk with me
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aside 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 heavens 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 and barbarous sort,
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I put my love to death.
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And then I took her by the ha[ir]
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To cover this foul sin:
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And dragd her to the river side,
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then 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 stained 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 sopely 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 g 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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[B]ut Satan did me still persuade,
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I stifly should deny:
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Quoth he, there is no witness can
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against thee testify.
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Now when her mother did her 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 stifly did deny,
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this murder would come out,
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The very day befor, 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 Hindsey Ferry Town,
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S[o] I the second time was siezd,
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to Oxford brought with sp[ee]d,
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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 too perceivd the guilt,
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nor 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 cloath
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that night he did espy.
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The Judge be 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 in
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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 did it still 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 then he did me blame,
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saying, my Son, oh! why
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Has 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 must 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 st[a]y
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that I may now 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 lusts 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 thee pray,
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and Christ receive my soul
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