A wonderfull example of Gods justice, shewed upon Jasper
Conningham a Gentleman borne in Scotland, who was of opinion,
That there was neither God, nor Divell, nor Heaven, nor Hell.
To the tune of, O neighbour Robert.
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IT was a Scotchman,
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a Scotchman lewd of life,
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That long had lived
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unlawfull from his wife:
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His name was Jasper Conningham,
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as I doe understand,
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Whose dwelling was in Aberdine,
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a Towne in faire Scotland.
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He had a Sister
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which was both faire and bright,
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Worshipfully wedded,
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unto a worthy Knight:
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Godly, wise, and vertuous,
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in every things 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 paines did prove,
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With his faire Sister
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he greatly fals in love:
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He watches time, he woes her,
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and shewes to her his mind,
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And still he sayes 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 replies,
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The Lord forbid deare 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 soules in thrall.
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Is not great torments
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prepar'd for hatefull sin?
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Is not God as righteous
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as ever he hath beene?
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Is not he well prepared
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with quenchlesse 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 deare brother,
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repent and call for grace,
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Let not those motions
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within your heart take place:
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Consider unto judgement
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we shall one day be brought,
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To answer for the follies
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that in this life are wrought,
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Her brother hearing
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her goldly Christian talke,
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Within the Garden
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as they alone did walke:
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Blasphemously replyed,
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as shamless as he stood,
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Saying she had declared
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a tale of Robin Hood.
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You are deceived
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faire Sister then, said he,
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To talke of Heavens glory,
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or Hels plagues to me:
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These are devised Fables,
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to keepe poore fooles in feare,
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That were by wisemen written
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though no such there were.
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You speake of a reckoning
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and of a judgement day,
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And after life is ended,
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and flesh consum'd away:
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And of a God most justly,
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will plague all things amisse,
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And those that doe beleeve it
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are much deceiv'd I wis,
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Alas he said, my Sister,
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these things are nothing so,
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No God nor Divell is biding,
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in Heaven nor Hell I know:
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All toings are wrought by nature,
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the, Earth, the Ayre, and Skye,
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There is no joy nor sorrow,
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after that man doth dye.
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Therefore let me have pleasure,
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while here I doe remaine,
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I feare not Gods displeasure,
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nor Hels tormenting paine:
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No sooner had he spoken,
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this foule blasphemous thing,
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But that a heavy Judgement
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the Lord did on him 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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sprang 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 roar[']d and cry'd most grievous,
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but could not start away.
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The second part, to the same tune.
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THis fearefull 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 ayde,
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To plucke away her brother,
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which in the fire staid.
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But nought prevailed,
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for ought that they could doe,
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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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neere to the fiery flame,
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He taking hold upon them,
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to draw him out 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 armes hung dead behind him,
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great paines that he did prove:
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And now he bans and curses
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the day that he was borne,
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And wishes that his carcasse
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by Devils might be torne.
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Now feely I surely,
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quoth he, there is a God,
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That sore 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 lookes are death to me,
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Nothing but wrath and vengeance,
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about him I doe see.
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I have despis'd him,
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but can no whit repent,
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My heart is hardened,
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my mind cannot relent:
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No pitty nor compassion,
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no mercy is in store,
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For me vile wretched creature,
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despis[']d for evermore.
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I am in Hell tormented,
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and to endlesse paine,
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Looke how the Devill torments me,
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in stretching every vaine:
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Looke how they swim about me,
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O what Hel fiends are these?
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Woe worth the time that ever
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I did myselfe displease.
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I burne in flaming fire,
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yet doe no whit consume,
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My Conscience doth torment me;
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that did in sinne presume;
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Alas my loving Sister,
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now doe I know full well
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There is a God most righteous,
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and eke a Devill 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 his strings hung dangling
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below his chin starke dead:
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See how the Devills then he said,
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have pluckt mine eyes out quite,
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That alwayes were unworthy
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to view the Heavens light.
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Then from his mouth there fell
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his foule blasphemous tongue,
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In ugly manner,
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most pitteously it hung:
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And there away it rotted,
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in all the peoples sight,
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By Lice and filthy Vermine,
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he was consumed quite.
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With gastly groaning,
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and shriekes that sounded hye,
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Two houres 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 ceast,
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His carkasse stanke more filthily
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then 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 come to bury him,
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as true report doth tell,
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Untill he was consumed
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he lay above the ground,
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The doores about the Garden,
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therefore were locked round.
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Let all Blasphemers
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take warning by this thing,
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Lest that Gods vengeance
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they doe upon them bring:
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And Lord grant all Christians
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thy grace and holy feare,
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They may thinke on the punish,
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that Conningham had here.
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