"You must be father and mother both,

And uncle all in one;

God knows what will become of them,
When I am dead and gone."

With that bespake their mother dear,
"O brother kind," quoth she,

"You are the man must bring our babes To wealth or misery.

"And if you keep them carefully
Then God will you reward;
But if you otherwise should deal,
God will your deeds regard."
With lips as cold as any stone,

They kissed their children small: "God bless you both, my children dear;" With that the tears did fall.

These speeches then their brother spake
To this sick couple there,
"The keeping of your little ones,
Sweet sister, do not fear;
God never prosper me nor mine,
Nor aught else that I have,
If I do wrong your children dear,
When you are laid in grave.”

The parents being dead and gone,
The children home he takes,

And brings them straight into his house,
Where much of them he makes.

He had not kept these pretty babes

A twelvemonth and a day,

But, for their wealth, he did devise

To make them both away.

He bargained with two ruffians strong,

Which were of furious mood,

That they should take these children young, And slay them in a wood.

He told his wife an artful tale,

He would the children send
To be brought up in fair London,
With one that was his friend.

Away then went these pretty babes,
Rejoicing at that tide,
Rejoicing with a merry mind,
They should on cock-horse ride.
They prate and prattle pleasantly,
As they rode on the way,

To those that should their butchers be,
And work their lives decay:

So that the pretty speech they had,
Made Murder's heart relent;
And they that undertook 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 won't agree thereto,
So here they fall to strife;
With one another they did fight,
About the children's life:
And he that was of mildest mood,
Did slay the other there,
Within an unfrequented wood;

The babes did quake for fear!

He took the children by the hand,
Tears standing in their eye,

And bade them straightway follow him,
And look they did not cry:

And two long miles he led them on,

While they for food complain:

"Stay here," quoth he, "I'll bring you bread, When I come back again."

These pretty babes, with hand in hand,
Went wandering up and down,
But never more could see the man
Approaching from the town;
Their pretty lips with black-berries
Were all besmeared and dyed,
And, when they saw the darksome night,
They sat them down and cried.

Thus wandered these poor innocents,
Till death did end their grief;
In one another's arms they died,
As wanting due relief:

No burial this pretty pair
Of any man receives,
Till Robin-red-breast piously

Did cover them with leaves.

And now the heavy wrath of God

Upon their uncle fell;

Yea, fearful fiends did haunt his house,

His conscience felt an hell:

His barns were fired, his goods consumed,
His lands were barren made,

His cattle died within the field,

And nothing with him stayed.

And in a voyage to Portugal
Two of his sons did die;

And, to conclude, himself was brought
To want and misery:

He pawned and mortgaged all his land
Ere seven years came about,
And now at length his wicked act
Did by this means come out:

The fellow, that did take in hand
These children for to kill,
Was for a robbery judged to die,
Such was God's blessed will:
Who did confess the very truth
As here hath been displayed:
Their uncle having died in jail,
Where he for debt was laid.

You that executors be made,
And overseers eke

Of children that be fatherless,
And infants mild and meek;
Take you example by this thing,
And yield to each his right,
Lest God with such like misery
Your wicked minds requite.

ROBIN HOOD AND ALLEN-A-DALE

Come listen to me, you gallants so free, All you that love mirth for to hear, And I will tell you of a bold outlaw That lived in Nottinghamshire.

As Robin Hood in the forest stood,
All under the greenwood tree,

There was he aware of a brave young man,

As fine as fine might be.

The youngster was clad in scarlet red,

In scarlet fine and gay;

And he did frisk it over the plain,

And chanted a roundelay.

As Robin Hood next morning stood
Amongst the leaves so gay,

There did he espy the same young man
Come drooping along the way.

The scarlet he wore the day before
It was clean cast away;

And at every step he fetched a sigh,
"Alack! and well-a-day!"

Then stepped forth brave Little John,

And Midge, the miller's son;

Which made the young man bend his bow When as he see them come.

"Stand off! stand off!" the young man said, "What is your will with me?"

"You must come before our master straight, Under yon greenwood tree."

And when he came bold Robin before,
Robin asked him courteously,
"O, hast thou any money to spare,
For my merry men and me?”

"I have no money," the young man said,
"But five shillings and a ring;

And that I have kept these seven long years, To have at my wedding.