In very early times Mother Shipton figured in comedy. An old book in the British Museum Library has the following title page:—
"The Life of Mother Shipton. A new Comedy. As it was Acted Nineteen days together with great Applause. Folia Ampla Sybillæ Virg. Written by T. T.—London, Printed by and for Peter Lillicrap, and are to be sold by T. Passinger" [Title-page torn here] "the three Bibles on London Bridge." [Then in writing is added the date 1610, but the real date is about 1660.]
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:—
