Page:Mother Shipton investigated.djvu/28

 In very early times Mother Shipton figured in comedy. An old book in the British Museum Library has the following title page:—

The comedy bears a resemblance here and there to Head's narrative. The scene is laid partly in "Nasebrough Grove in Yorkshire;" the heroine and prophetess is Agatha Shipton; no daughter Ursula appears in it at all. On page 15 a village crier is made to announce "O Yes, if any man or woman, in City, Town or Country can tell me tydings of Agatha Shipton, the daughter of Solomon Shipton Ditch digger lately deceased, let them bring word to the Cryer of the village, and they shall be well rewarded for their pains."

Agatha marries the devil, as in other versions of the story, but cheats him at the last:—