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Chapter Second.
THE MOTHER SHIPTON OF ROMANCE—RICHARD HEAD'S BOOK—HOW URSULA SHIPTON'S MOTHER MARRIED THE DEVIL—FORMULA TO BE REPEATED BY THOSE WHO WISH TO ALLY THEMSELVES TO THE EVIL ONE—THE BIRTH OF MOTHER SHIPTON—HER WONDERFUL NOSE—HER BABYHOOD AND SCHOOLDAYS—HER ALLEGED PROPHECIES AND HER DEATH.
The miraculous incidents in the life of Mother Shipton, as published in various almanacs and pamphlets during the last 200 years, are, for the most part, culled from a book written by Richard Head. The earliest extant edition of this work is dated 1684, and to it his initials only are attached. Another edition dated 1687 has his name appended to the preface. The first of these editions is in the British Museum Library, and the following is a copy of its title page:—
The
Life and Death
of
Mother Shipton.
Being not only a true Account of her Strange BIRTH,
