Exhibit Contents

More Bloody Versicles

The examples here represent the typical crime ballad. Frequently, the tales are told as a lament where the evil-doer recounts and mourns their misdeeds. Other ballads serve as a warning to the public, either to be wary of criminals or to avoid "desert(ing) virtue's way." Typographical errors and misspellings are common, most likely due to the cheap and fast work conditions under which broadsides were printed.