Virtually every conceivable subject was treated by ballad-singers: romance; sexual adventure and misadventure; political propaganda; news of wars, hangings, affairs at court; freaks of nature and other fantastical stories. Bishop Earle, in describing the character of the ballad-poet in 1628, writes, 'His frequentest works go out in single sheets, and are chanted from market to market to a vile tune, and a worse throat; whilst the poor country wench melts, like her butter, to hear them. And these are the stories of Some men of Tyburn, or A strange monster out of Germany.' - The Toronto Consort