Save a thief from the gallows, and hee'l [sic] hang thee if he can. Or, The mercifull father, and the mercilesse sonne, the tune is, Fortune my foe. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription B06035 of text R183246 in the English Short Title Catalog (Wing S772B). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 8 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-IV TIFF page image. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2018 B06035 Wing S772B ESTC R183246 47012637 ocm 47012637 174602 2240900968

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 Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. B06035) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 174602) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English Books, 1641-1700 ; 2692:26) Save a thief from the gallows, and hee'l [sic] hang thee if he can. Or, The mercifull father, and the mercilesse sonne, the tune is, Fortune my foe. 1 sheet ([1] p.) : ill. Printed for F.C., T.V., and W. Gilbertson, [London] : [between 1688 and 1692] Right half-sheet contains: The confession and repentance of George Sanders, gentleman, late of Sugh, in the county of Hereford, who killed his own uncle, and accused his own father for the murder, but by Gods providence being discovered he dyed for the same where he wrote this song with his own hand. Caption title: His repentance in prison. To the same tune. Reproduction of original in: University of Glasgow. Library. eng Sanders, George, -- of Sugh -- Poetry. Ballads, English -- 17th century. Broadsides -- England -- 17th century. eebo Save a thief from the gallows, and hee'l hang thee if he can. Or, The mercifull father, and the mercilesse sonne, the tune is, Fortune my foe. Sanders, George, of Sugh 1658 1 1238 5 0 0 0 0 0 40.39 D The rate of 40.39 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the D category of texts with between 35 and 100 defects per 10,000 words. 2008-10 Assigned for keying and markup 2008-12 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2009-03 Sampled and proofread 2009-03 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2009-09 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion
Save a Thief from the Gallows , and hee 'l hang thee if he can . Or , The Mercifull Father , and the Mercilesse Sonne , The tune is , Fortune my Foe .

YOu disobedient Children mark my fall . And by my timelesse end take warning all . Against my own dear Father I have done A déed , the like did never gracelesse Son . In blooming years I was entic'd to sin . E'r I perceiv'd what danger lay therein . And so from day to day untill this hour To leave the same as yet I had no power . My Mother dead , my Father cockered me , As men will do when Motherlesse wée be , And nothing then for me he thought too dear . Which brought me thus unto a gracelesse fear . And when as I to elder years did grow , By wicked courses got I timely woe . Each vain delight belonging to Young-men , Deceived me and wrought my ruine then . The deadly sins that are in number seven Without more grace have lost my joyes in Heaven From first to last of these most cursed crimes , Have made me now a wonder of these times . For wanting means to nourish my delight , I went the wrong , and left the wayes of right . Which to maintain , my Father growing poor Forgetting God I daily rob'd for more . Thrée times he sav'd me from the Gallow trée , Thrée times he cast himself in debt for me , Three times he set me up in good estate , In hope to kéep me from untimely fate . By me the Proverb is fulfilled here , Who saves a thief from gallows finds it dear . For saving me I sought his dear life's woe , My gentle Fathers timelesse overthrow . For wanting means still to relieve my néed , Put me in mind to do a wofull déed , And séek his blood the high-way unto sin . Who wanting grace , I soon grew perfect in . My Fathers brother of good living known , Being dead , as next of kin they were mine own the which I wrought with these accursed hands , To be the Heir of all my Vncles Lands . With mind prepar'd for murder thus I went , Vnto the field where he did much frequent , where méeting him , with my own Fathers knife Which I hav stolen , I took away his life . And laid it down all bloody by his side , That all might sée my Vncle there-with dy'd . And challeng'd it my Fathers knife to be , When people came the murdered corps to sée . O Homicide ! O cursed viprous brood , Like Cain , to séek thy Fathers dearest blood , My own dear Father being thus betray'd , I his own Child the Evidence was made . So judg'd to death for that he never did , The Lord in mercy did the same forbid , For as he was to Execution led A world of torments in my bosome bred . To sée him stand upon the Gallow trée , From which before good man he saved me , I could not chuse but tell what I had done , And so confesse my self a wicked son .
The Confession and Repentance of George Sanders , Gentleman , l●te of Sugh , in the Coun●y of Hertford , who killed his own Uncle , and accused his own Father for the murder , but by Gods providence being discovered he dy●d for the same where he wrote this Song with his own hand .

Lord bring my Soule out of Prison . Psal. 142. . / .

GOds judgements now are rightly séen said I Dear Father I have slain him let me dye , O let me dye , and set my Father free , Or else like Judas damned shall I be . Whereat the people in that very place , There praised God that gave me so much grace , To quit my Father from that crying sin , Where I with red-blood streams am drowned in . My Father sav'd , and I to Prison s●nt , Where I remain with many a sad lament , Which when you see , you cannot chuse but say Repentance comes before my dying day .
His Repentance in Prison . To the same tune . MOngst Lyons fell in Daniels Den am I In lowest prison cast with Jeremy , Fed with Elias by the Ravens fel , And plac'd with Judas in the maw of hell . Naked with Esau fearfull do I walk , Dumb with old Zachary silent do I talk , Afflictions bred with Micha is my food , And with the Prophets drink I sorrows flood . As poor as Job even now so poor am I , Despis'd with Lazarus in great misery , Banisht with David from my native land , Cast up with Ionas on the Ninivites sand . Made blind with Toby by the Swallows dung , And with poor Ioseph cast in prison strong , I weep with Mary who had lost her Master , And run with Peter who should run the faster , I sinned have , for sin God curst the ground , I sinned have for sin the world was drown'd : I sinned have , sin Sodom set on fire : Also for sin did Egypt feel Gods ire . I sinned have , for sin did Adam die : I sinned have , sin caused David● cry : I sinned have and for sin Satan fell From an high Angel to a Devil in Hell . Did David weep , and shall I not then cry ? Did Mary weep , and shall mine eyes be dry : Did Esau weep , and shall not I weep more ? Did Peter weep such tears ? let me have store . Did Mary weep for loss of Master dear ? Did Martha weep with sorrow toucht full near ? Spring eyes with tears to wash his sacred feet , That for my sin did shed his blood most sweet . Lark-like I fly unto the living spring , Desiring pardon of my heavenly King , Past worldly hope now like the thief on tree , I onely fix my faith and hope on thee . Look back on me as thou didst unto Peter , Speak to my soul , as to the thief most sweeter , O spy me out with Zache on the tree , And with sweet Bartholomew call me Lord to thee . O let me now with holy Abraham spy , A saving Ram that Isaac may not die . O let me live for to sound forth thy praise , That I may shew thy mercy in my days . Make me a sparrow in thy house , O King . That swallow-like I may sit there and sing : O let me in thy Temple keep a door , That I may praise thy name for evermore .
George Sanders .

Printed for F.C. T.V. and W. Gilbertson .