"God never prosper me nor mine, Nor aught else that I have, If I do wrong your children deare, When you are layd in grave."
[Illustration: THEIR PARENTS BEING DEAD & GONE, THE CHILDREN HOME HE TAKES.]
The parents being dead and gone, The children home he takes, And bringes them straite unto his house, Where much of them he makes.
He had not kept these pretty babes A twelvemonth and a daye, But, for their wealth, he did devise To make them both awaye.
He bargain'd with two ruffians strong, Which were of furious mood, That they should take the children young, And slaye them in a wood.
He told his wife an artful tale, He would the children send To be brought up in faire London, With one that was his friend.
Away then went those pretty babes, Rejoycing at that tide, Rejoycing with a merry minde, They should on cock-horse ride.
[Illustration: AWAY THEN WENT THE PRETTY BABES REJOYCING AT THAT TIDE]
They prate and prattle pleasantly As they rode on the waye, To those that should their butchers be, And work their lives' decaye:
So that the pretty speeche they had, Made murderers' heart relent: And they that undertooke the deed, Full sore did now repent.
Yet one of them, more hard of heart, Did vow to do his charge, Because the wretch, that hired him, Had paid him very large.
The other would not agree thereto, So here they fell to strife; With one another they did fight, About the children's life:
And he that was of mildest mood, Did slaye the other there, Within an unfrequented wood, Where babes did quake for feare!
[Illustration: AND HE THAT WAS OF MILDEST MOOD DID SLAYE THE OTHER THERE]
He took the children by the hand, While teares stood in their eye, And bade them come and go with him, And look they did not crye:
And two long miles he ledd them on, While they for food complaine: "Stay here," quoth he, "I'll bring ye bread, When I come back againe."
These prettye babes, with hand in hand, Went wandering up and downe;
But never more they sawe the man Approaching from the town.
Their prettye lippes with blackberries Were all besmear'd and dyed; And when they sawe the darksome night, They sat them downe and cryed.
Thus wandered these two prettye babes, Till death did end their grief; In one another's armes they dyed, As babes wanting relief.