George Lumley

“ This Mother Shipton lived till she was of an extraordinary age, and though she was generally believed to be a witch, yet all persons whatever, that either saw or heard of her, had her in esteem, and her memory is to this day much honoured by those of her own country.
“A stone was erected near Clifton, about a mile from the city of York, from which the following is taken:—
Here lyes she who never ly’d,
Whose skill often has been try’d. ”

“ Abbot, for you are not so much disguised but the fox may be seen through the sheep’s skin; it is not those clothes makes a lay person, no more than a long gown makes a man a lawyer; come, take a stool and sit down, for you shall not goe away unsatisfied of what you desire.” The prophecy, however, with which she favoured him had less reference to his own particular case than to that of his order and Cardinal Wolsey ”

“ When she heard that King Henry the Eighth should be king, and Cardinall Wolsey should be at Yorke, she said that Cardinall Wolsey should never come to Yorke, which the King and the Cardinall hearing, being angry, sent the Duke of Suffolk and the L. Darcy to her, who came with their men disguised to the King’s house, near Yorke; where leaving their men, they went to Mr. Besley in Yorke, and desired him to goe with them to Mother Shipton’s house, where when they came they knocked at the doore, she said, Come in, Mr. ”

“ Then they will let them in, and they will hang up the maior, sheriffs, and aldermen, and they will goe into Crouch church, there will three knights goe in, and but one come out againe, and hee will cause proclamation to be made, that any may take house, bower, or tower, for twelve yeares, and while the world endureth ther shall never be warfare againe, nor any more king or queenes; but the kingdom shall be governed by three Lords, and then Yorke shall be London. ”

“ Then shall he in the north that one woman shall say unto another: Mother, I have seene a man to-day, and for one man there shall be a thousand women. A ship shall come sayling up the Thames till it come against London, and the mr. ”