OF all the seuen deadly sinnes, there is none so common in this flourishing Realme of England, as is the gréeuous sin of Covetousnesse, for it is the roote of all iniquitie, the puddle of perdition, and the alluring bayt of hell, and that minde which is once drowned in the depth of that sin, is sold to eternall damnation, vnlesse the mercy of God raise him vp from that filthie and deuouring gulphe: for there is no sin committed vnder the cope of hea­uen, but one braunch of Couetousnesse is therein compre­hended. As Vsury, what is it but the desire of gold, and hur­ding vp of wealth? What is Whoredome and Lecherie, but lust and desire of the flesh? What is Drunkennesse but Couetousnesse of wine? And what is Pride, Enuy, Fury, Theft, Murther, but the desires of the wicked minde? yea euery vice is cloaked vnder the winges of Couetousnesse. The théefe and robber both by sea and land, ventureth the hazarding of his life for couetousnesse of wealth: yea all creatures which beare life, in some sort cou [...]t after vnlaw­full things. Lucifer that once was an Angel of brightnesse, through his pride coueted to sitte in the bright celestiall throne of God, for which he was cast from heauen, and [Page 4]made an Angell of darkenesse. Wée may reade how Ieza­bell for coueting poore Nabothes Vineyard, for the which, by the iust iudgements of God shée was deuoured of filthy Dogges. Therefore the sinne of Couetousnesse is so ha [...] ­nous before the face of heauen, that God in his tenth com­maundement strickly doeth charge vs to forsake all vn­lawfull couetousnesse, by these wordes; Thou shalt not couet thy neighbors house, thou shalt not couet thy neigh­bors wife, nor his seruaunt, nor his mayde, nor his oxe, nor his asse, nor anie thing that is his. Which precept, if men woulde aduisedly and carefully looke into, and with their true endeuoures séeke to followe it, we should not haue in this our Realme of Englande, and especial­ly in this famous Cittie of London, so many badde and notorious members yearely cut off by the Quéenes maie­sties Lawes as wée continually haue. Which spectacle, wée haue once euerie moneth to see and beholde, to the great heartes griefe of all her maiesties louing subiectes: but yet men are gracelesse and wilfully minded, and will not be warned, nor take example by the downfal of others: some are so idlely brought vp, that they can nor will en­dure no labour; and some are so haughtie and proud min­ded, that they scorne to bende their neckes to the yoake of others, and liue honestly, in taking paines for their li­uings, but studie and deuise night and day how they may frawdulently and deceitfully better their estates by the sweate of other mens browes, for now a dayes, theft, co­sonage, robberies, and vnlawfull practises are so common, that not onely men, but women and children, striue with studying and busie braines, how to compasse and bring to passe many cunning sleites and pollicies, to deceiue the world. As by an example here following, is truly descri­bed by a woman, the mirror and mappe of all cosonage and deceit, whereat all modest women may blush, and euerie true meaning man may smile at the folly of the worlde.

Pardon my penne, you modest Dames and graue Ma­trons, [Page 5]it shall no way impaire your honourable Sexe, but truly imblazen to the worlde, the cousoning deuises of a shamelesse woman, whose name and conuersation hereaf­ter followeth.

This is to let you vnderstand, that in the moneth of Ia­nuary last past, in the famous Cittie of London, one Iudeth Philips the wife of Iohn Philips, by occupation a Cun-ma­ker, now dwelling in Crown Alley in Bishops gate stréet, was brought before her Matesties Justices of peace at the Sessions house in olde Baily, and there was indited vpon cosonage, where shée confessed the truth of all her practi­ses, before the honourable Lords of the bench. But know gentle Reader, before I vndertake to explaine the truth of all her practises done here in London, I will first in most ample manner, set foorth to the view of the worlde, a no­table villany committed by this cunning and fine witted woman, in the village of Vpsborne in Hampshire, in distaunce seuen myles or thereaboutes from VVinche­ster.

This Iudeth Philips before times hauing another hus­band named Pope, being an honest poore man of a good con­uersation and well beloued amongst his neighbours, but this his wife not contented with his poore estate of liuing, vppon a certaine time tooke an occasion to goe away from him, and purposed to séeke some other course for mainte­nance of her liuing, so trauelling along the West parts of Englande, it was her chaunce to remaine for a certaine space in the parish of Vpsbrne, a Towne seituate and be­ing in Hampeshire, and there practised many cousoning sleites and deuises to deceiue the simpler sort of people in the Countrey: Onely shée betooke her selfe to the profes­sion of a cunning woman, a Fortune teller, and those which shée knew did abounde in wealth, shée daily sought meanes to bring into a fooles paradice, and by one deuice or [Page 6]other, cozen them of some store of Crownes. Not far from this Towne, there was dwelling a wealthy churle, (whose name I here omit) that was somewhat fantasticall and gi­uen to beléeue euery tale he heard, which Churles wealth whetted so the desire of this woman, that she deuised a sub­till practise to haue a share out of his Cofers. First to bring her purpose to effect, she enquired secretly of his neighbors of what condition and conuersation this myzer and his wife were of, and in what state the maner of his liuing lay, like­wise she vnderstood, that this Churle was in sute of lawe about a péece of ground, with one sir William Kingsman, a worshipfull Knight in Hamshire, which being done, this Iudeth Philips one euening very late went into the backe side of this mans house, where vnder a hollow holly frée she buried an angell of gold, and sixe pence in white mony, and then returned home to her lodging againe for y ^e night: But the next day after, she walked by the Churles house, and it fortuned that his wife sat at her doore to take the fresh aire, and so when this cunning witted woman sawe her time, stood still, and lookt very wishly vpon her, which made the Churles wife to maruell much, that a strange woman whom she neuer saw before, should looke vpon her so sted­fastly, which caused her to demaund wherefore she lookt so earnestly in her face? O mistresse said this Iudeth Philips, you are the fortunates woman I saw this many a day, for in your browes I sée good fortune sit, haue you not (said she) a hollow holly trée standing near vnto your house, with cer­taine wéedes growing about the roote? we haue (answered the mizers wife) and what of that? O mistresse said this wo­man then, if I might speake with your husband, and if hée be like you in the face, you will come to be excéeding rich, for vnder that hollow trée there is great store of treasure hid, come in (then said she) and thou shalt see my husband: but when this woman came into the place where her hus­band was, she likewise lookt him strangely in the face, and told him that she knew by certaine signes in his forehead, [Page 7]that he was in sute of lawe with some great man of that country, and how he should preuaile in his sute. Also she told him, if he would be at some charge, she would bring him to great summes of gold and siluer, that was hidden about his grounds, to whom the man being some what couetous said; If I might first sée something of thy skill, I will be at any charge thou wilt, but first tell me what thou art, and from whence thou cammest? I am said this Iudeth, an English woman borne, but come new from the Pope, and knowe more of his mind then any woman in the world: to confirm her words for truth, she tooke her oath vpon the Bible how that she came from the Pope: which was true, for her hus­bands name as then was Pope, which being done, she tooks him by the hand and led him to the roote of the hollow trée, where she caused him to dig till he found some gold, which was the angell and the sixe pence, which the night before she closely hid, this brought the couetous Churle into such a conceit, that he promised to giue her whatsoeuer she desi­red, so that her promise might be performed: then she de­maunded of him for her paines, fouretéene pounds, where­at he grumbled to lose so great a gub at one time, yet at last the hope of the treasure hidden vnder the trée made him to consent, and so with spéede gaue this woman fouretéene poundes in ready gold and siluer. Then said this woman, now must I haue the largest chamber in your house behūg with the finest linnen you can get, so that nothing about your chamber but white linnen cloth be séen, then must you set fiue candelsticks in fiue seuerall places in your Cham­ber, and vnder euery candelsticke you must put an angel of gold, all which was done as she required: and likewise said she, you must also get a saddle and a bridle with two new girths thereunto; all which the couetous churle performed in hope to attaine to great wealth: then this Iudeth cau­sed him and his wife to go into the yard, where she set the saddle on his back, and theron girteth it fast with two new girths, and also put a bridle vpon his head, all which being [Page 8]done, she gat vppon his backe in the saddle, and so rid him thrée times betwixt the chamber & the holly trée, then said this cosoning queane, you must lye thrée houres one by an other groueling on your bellies vnder this trée, & stir not I charge you, vntill I come backe againe, for I must go into the Chamber to méete the Quéene of Fairies and welcome her to that holy and vnspotted place, so this churle and his wife were left quaking in the colde, casting many a long looke for the comming of this woman, but she in the meane time tooke downe all the fine linnen clothes from the wals of the chamber and wrapt them vp close in a bundle, and all the gold from vnder the candelsticks, and put them into her purse, then putting her selfe into a faire white smock, some­what disguised, with a thing on her head all white, and a stick in her hand, she appeared vnto him and his wife, vsing some valliance, as old wiues say, spirits with night spelles do, she vanished away, and againe entered the chamber where her packe laie ready, and so roundly went away, lea­uing the churle and his wife in their cold lodging, but whē the poore foole sawe the time expired, and his exspected wo­man did not return, he got him vp and cast off his saddle and bridle, being halfe dead with colde, retired into the chamber where he supposed to haue found this cunning woman tal­king with the Quéene of Fairies, but when he entered his chamber, and saw both his linnen and his gold conuaide a­way, fel into such a perplexity of mind, as though he had bin distraight of his wits: one while gréeuing for the losse of his fouretéene pounds, another while, for the abuse of his good name, likewise for the penance and disgrace she put him and his wife vnto, the base and rediculous maner of his sadling, his cold lodging and weary time spent vnder the trée, to his vtter infamy and shame. And lastly, the losse of his pure and fine linnen, but yet he dissembled his griefe in such order, that his neighbors had no suspition therof, so in all haste, hée take horse, and road to VVinchester, being in distance sea­uen miles from the towne where he dwelt, and there certi­fied [Page 9]a kinsman of his, of all the actions before happened: to betwixt this Churle and his kinsman, they made hew and try after her, by which this deceitfull woman was taken, and conueyed to prison, where she remained vntil the great Assises came: and for the same was arraigned before the right honorable my Lord Anderson, the Lord chief Iustice of the Common place vnder her Maiestie by his Office, be­fore whom, she confessed her selfe guiltie of all these afore­said practises, and there receiued such deserued punishment as the law would permit. But this shamelesse woman-re­garding neither her publike disgrace, nor the punishments of heauen inflicted vpon all such gracelesse liuers, putting off the garment of shamefastnesse, and forgetting her selfe to haue done any such thing, drownde her selfe in the sea of all vices, and the gulphe of all outragious mischiefes: for she after this, growing carelesse of her good name, fell into company of two certaine bad minded men, of the same con­dition and quallitie she was on, whose names I here omit: but the one of them was in his former time, by trade a silk­weauer, but leauing that [...]o [...]st course of liuing, betooke himselfe to a very wicked disposition, as to build the state of his liuing vpon cosonage, and to blind the eies of the world, goes in the habit of a Lawier all in black, like a ciuill Gen­tleman. The other fine witted companion, in the attire of a Country Gentleman, I will not say, he dwels at Borden in Kent, nor his wife is the owner of a fewe Chery-trées, the onely staie and maintenance of both their liuings, but to be plaine, these two Caterpillers P. and V. like Wolues in shéepes cloathing, feedes vpon the blouds of many innocent lambes, who knowing a woman, her husband being dead, and she left a rich widow, and in the way of marriage, wold neuer cease pondering in their craftie brains, till they were throughly acquainted with her, and so by one sly deuise or other, ouerreach her for som part of hir substance, they made her beléeue, they could help her to a husband of mightie re­nenewes and great wealth, where at last she found them [Page 10]but Caterpillers to liue vpon her labors. As for example, the notable péece of villany committed betwixt these two counterfeit gentlemen P. and V. and this cosoning woman Iudith Philips, of a Trype wife, lately dwelling on the back side of S. Nicholas shambles in London, as it was truly noted at the arraignment of the said Iudith Philips, the 14. of February last past, 1594. at the Se [...]ions house in the old Baily, before my Lord Anderson, and others of her Ma­iesties Iustices, and likewise word by word, as the said Iu­dith confest it her selfe in the prison of Newgate, where she now remaineth.

THere was of late dwelling in London on the back side of the shambles, a very rich and wealthy man of good conuersation, who dying, left his w [...]fe in such good estate of liuing, as fewe of the trade of selling Trypes, might well compate with her. This woman as it was well knowne a­mongst her neighbors, had many su [...]ors in the way of mar­riage, and many of sufficient liuings, which womans name for her wealth, was bruted through euery part of the citie, so that it came [...]t [...]st to the eares of these two cosoning com­panions, P. and V. who studied day and night how they might come acquainted with this rich trype wife, so that at last, this practise they deuised.

This P. being a very comely man of personage, and of a Gentleman like qualitie, went as a suter among the rest, vnto this widow, wherby he learned the condition and qua­litie of the woman; and what large proffers she had in the way of marriage, likewise he vnderstood how that a weal­thy Cittizen dwelling vpon London Bridge, had receiued from her in pledge of loue, a Ring with fiue Diamonds in it, being in value worth fiue poundes, which Ring vppon some disagréement, she receiued againe: also this P. vnder­stood, that one maister Grace a gentleman, dwelling in Es­sex, was her deare friend, and one that was her councellor in all her actions, and how that she would not do any thing without his consent, and how that sometimes he ledged in the widowes house, which things being well considered off betwixt these two fine witted fellowes, whose heads being neuer barraine, deuised a present pollicie to deceiue this couetous Trype wife. First they made priuy to their prac­tises this Iudeth Philips before named, & told her the state, condition, and qualitie of this widow, and made her the In­strument of their intended drist, who was as sub [...] in per­formance therof, as they were craftie in deuising, then they made a counterfeit Letter from maister Grace, being as then in Essex, and sent as it were from him to this widow of London, by this Iudeth Philips, wherin was conteined, how that she was a wise woman, and could tel fortunes, and re­quested her to welcome her to her house, and to make much of her, for she might stand her in great stead, which Letter being in good maner contriued, as best befitting their pur­poses, caused this Iudeth Philippes to be attired in a ruslet gown like a country woman, and to bear this Letter home to the widowes house behind the shambles, where she was no sooner come, & the Letter read, but was bid welcome for M Graces sake, but especially for the secret quallities the which her friend did commend her in: but now when this dissembling minion espied her time, she requested to see the widowes hand, which she vouchsafe to do; O mistresse (then [Page 13]said this woman) I sée by the Art of Palmistrie in your hand, and by mine owne skill, that you are borne to good fortune, likewise I know you haue had many rich proffers in the way of marriage: I haue had said the widow indeed, Knights fellowes come vnto me. Then said this deceifull woman againe, a Citizen dwelling vpon London Bridge, hath bin an earnest suter vnto you, and hath receiued a ring with fiue Diamonds in pledge of loue, but the Ring you haue againe. And so there was another Gentleman loued you well, which once would haue kissed you, and vsed you harshly, by that token in striuing with him, your hatsell in­to the Sowse Tub. At which words, said the Trype wife, I thinke you know all things. I know some what replied this woman again, haue you not mistresse about your house a great rumbling when you are in bed? Sometimes sayd the widow we haue: By that said this woman again, your husband in his life hid about your house great store of trea­sure, for which cause there are sprites now that haunt your house: when indéed the noise which she heard, was no other but this P. and V. that late in the nights would lember against her doore [...], [...]nd likewise in the mornings. But mi­stresse if you wil be [...]t some charge, I wil shew you where this gold and filt [...]r is hid. I will good woman, be at any charge thou wilt with reason, so I may gaine therby. Then sayd this cos [...]ning D [...]nie, you must set fiue Candelstickes, and fiue candels burning in them, in fiue corners of your house, then must you car [...]stly pray in euery cerner a cer­taine space, which was performed with all all spéed. Thus is Gods word made a cloake for all such diuilish practises, onely to blinde the eyes of the simple and well meaning people. But God surely in diuers places of the scriptures saith; That whosoeuer beleeueth in Witches and Sorce­rers, beléeue in the Diuel: but yet God doth suffer the Di­uel and his Angelles to spread abroad the worlde, to tempt those that be weake in faith, and like Wolues in sheepes cloathing, séeke to deuour vs.

But now to our purpose again: This craftie creature cal­ling the Trype wife from her prayers, asked her what shee saw, and what she heard? to whom she answered, that shée heard nothing. Then said this minion againe, you must fetch as much Cold, Rings, Iewels, and Chaines, to the value of one hundreth poundes, and put them into a purse, all which was done: then shée tooke the purse with the gold and wound about it a bottome of woollen yarne, which be­ing done, she requested the widow to goe a while from hir, so in the meane space, like a craftie queane shée conueyed the gold into her pocket, and tooke another bottom of yarne with two stones in it, in the same likenesse the ether was off, and gaue it the woman againe, as though it had bin the very same: to whom she said, I pray you mistresse lock this vp very sure, and looke not into it vntill I come againe, for I must goe and conuerse with a wise man that is acquain­ted with the Quéen of Fairies, but I request you, that you will send him by me, a fat Turkey, and a couple of Capons, onely to get his friendship in the matter, and no doubt but we shall finde the hid treasure very shortly: which woman, through couetousnesse of this money, went presently and bought a Turky, & two fat Capons, and sent them with this cosoning cheater by her mayd seruant, into Holb [...]rn, but be­ing come neare vnto the place whither she intended to goe, tooke them from the mayd, & so sent her back againe. Thus this daintie witted Dame, hauing cosoned the trype wife, of all her gold, Iewels, & Chaines, returned ioyfully vnto the lodgings of her two schoolemaisters, P. and V. who see­ing her come, asked her presently if she had sped? I haue an­swered she, in som sort for here is a hundred pound to make vs merry with, the which they diuided into soure parts: she receiued two for her paines, and they betwixt them the o­ther two, and afterwards made merry with the widowes Turkey, and her couple of Capons, and so went with fiftie poundes home to her husband Iohu Philips, dwelling in Crowne Alley in Bishoppes gate streete: who noting her [Page 15]long absence, and diuers starts she made from him, asked where she had bene, and how she came by that money? to whom shée gaue many hard words and bad answeres, in­somuch that in his anger he strooke hir, but yet by no means he could do, the craftie queane wold reueale where she had it. But now to returne to the widowes mayd again, who comming out of Holborne home so her mistresse, tolde her that she suspected the queane had cosoned her, with that shée went presently and vnwound the bottome of yarne, wher­in shée founde nothing but two stones: the which being done, shee went to one of her neighbours and discourst to him all the maner of her cosoning, but he lyke a wise man, counselled her not to make hue and cry, but watch a time vntill she came againe, and then to apprehend her. Not ma­ny dayes after this, these three aforesayd cosoning compani­ons, met againe togither, and consulted how they might get a another bootie of this trype wife, which was platted downe in this manner. First this Iudeth Philips should repaire vnto the widow againe, and tell her that she came from the Quéene of Fairits, and how that shée gaue her in charge (if shée woulde attaine the hidden treasure) to set twelue Candelstickes in diuerse places of her house, and vnder euery Candelsticke both golde and siluer, and to set all her plate rounde about the Candles, whereby this sub­till headed woman might the easier deceiue her of it: but comming to the widowes house againe, shée was bidden welcome as before, and requested to come in, but in the meane time, thy Constable was sent for, and shée appre­hended and so carried to Newgate. Likewise for the same fact, her husband was arraigned before the be [...]ch but found not guiltie, and so quit by the Iewrie: but the lawe fin­ding her guiltie therin, was returned so Newgate, where the did remaine till the Sessions following for iudgement: thē that time being c [...]me, her iudgement was, to be whip­ped through the citie. Thus haue you heard y ^e notable prac­tises committed by this woman and her associates. And [...]o doubt but there are mo such wicked members in this land. [Page 16] [...] of England [...], then do you shew your [...] to God, [...] vnto your Countrey, and f [...]ruice vnto your [...]eue: For whose long and quiet raig [...], let all true subiects daily pray. Amen.