The true reporte of the forme and shape of a monstrous childe, borne at Muche Horkesleye a village three myles from Colchester, in the countye of Essex, the .xxi. daye of Apryll in this yeare. 1562.

¶ The true reporte of the forme and shape of a monstrous childe , borne at Muche Horkesleye , a village three myles from Colchester , in the Countye of Essex , the .xxi. daye of Apryll in this yeare . 1562. O , prayse ye God and blesse his name His mightye hande hath wrought the same .

THis monstrous world that monsters bredes as rife As men tofore it bred by natiue kinde By birthes that shewe corrupted natures strife Declares what sinnes beset the secrete minde . I meane not this as though deformed shape Were alwayes linkd with fraughted minde with vice But that in nature god such draughtes doth shape Resemblyng sinnes that so bin had in price , So grossest faultes brast out in bodyes forme And monster caused of want or to much store Of matter , shewes the sea of sinne : whose storme Oreflowes and whelmes vertues barren shore . Faultye alike in ebbe and eke in flowd , Like distaunt both from meane , both like extremnes . Yet greatst excesse the want of meane doth shrowde And want of meane excesse from vertues meanes . So contraryest extreames consent in sinne Which to be wray to blindest eyes by syght Beholde a calfe hath clapt about his chinne His chauderne reft whence nature placed it right . And ●u●●d driues doutfull seers to proue by speache Them selues not calues , and makes the fashion stale . In him behold by excesse from meane our breache And midds excesse yet want of natures shape . To shewe our misse beholde a guiltlesse babe Reft of his limmes ( for such is vertues want ) Him selfe and parentes both infamous made With sinful byrth : and yet a worldlyng scant . Feares midwyfes route : bewrayeng his parentes fault In want of honestye and excesse of sinne . Made lawfull by all lawes of man , yet halt Of limmes by God , scapd not the shamefull marke Of bastard sonne in bastard shape descryed . Better farre better vngyuen were his lyfe Than geuen so . For nature iust enuyed Her gyft to hym : and cropd wyth mayming knyfe His limmes , to wreake her spyte on parentes sinne ▪ Which , if she spare vnwares so many scapes As wycked world to breede wil neuer sinne Theyr liues declare theyr maims saued from their shapes Scorchd in theyr mindes ( o cruel priuye mayme That festreth styll , o vnrecured sore ) Where thothers quiting wyth theyr bodyes shame Theyr parentes guilt , oft linger not theyr lyues In lothed shapes but naked flye to skyes . As this may do whose forme tofore thine eyes Through want thou seest , a monstrous vglye shape Whom frendly world to sinne doth terme a scape .

ON Tuysday being the .xxi. day of Apryll , in this yeare of our Lorde God a thousand fyue hundred thre score and two , there was borne a man childe of this maymed forme at Muche Horkesley in Essex , a village about thre myles from Colchester , betwene a naturall father and a naturall mother hauing neyther hande , foote , legge , nor arme , but on the left syde it hath a Stumpe growynge out of the shoulder , and the ende thereof is rounde , and not so long as it should go to the elbowe , and on the ryghte syde no mencion of any thing where any arme should be , but a litel stumpe of one ynche in length , also on the left buttocke there is a stumpe comming out of the length of the thygh almost to the knee , and round at the ende , and groweth something ouerthwart towardes the place where the ryght legge should be , and where the ryghte legge should be , there is no mencion of anye legge or stumpe . Also it hath a Codde and stones but no yearde , but a lytell hole for the water to issue out . Finallye it hath by estimation no tounge , by reason whereof it sucketh not , but is succoured wyth liquide substaunce put into the mouth by droppes , and nowe begynneth to feede wyth pappe beyng very well fauoured , and of good and cheareful face .

¶ The aforesayde Anthony Smyth of Much Horkesley husbandman and his wyfe , were both maryed to others before , and haue had dyuers chyldren , but this deformed childe is the fyrst that the sayd Anthony and his wyfe had betwene them two , it is a man chylde . This chylde was begot out of matrimony , but borne in matrimonye . And at the makynge hereof was liuing , and like to continue .