<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
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<DATE>2009-01-06</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>tcpstaff</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B081112.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B00464">
<STC T="S">18644.3</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99884364</BIBNO>
<VID>183067</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="ballad">
<PB N="284" REF="1" MS="y"><!-- PDF PAGE 7 -->
<HEAD>The Norfolke Gentleman his la&s;t VVill and Te&s;tament: And how hee committed the keeping of his Children to his owne brother, who dealt mo&s;t wickedly with them: and how God plagued him for it.</HEAD>
<OPENER>To the tune of Rogero.</OPENER>
<P><FIGURE>
</FIGURE></P>
<LG>
<L>NOw ponder well you parents deare,</L>
<L>the words which I &s;hall write,</L>
<L>A dolefull &s;tory you &s;hall heare,</L>
<L>which time hath brought to light.</L>
<L>A Gentleman of good account,</L>
<L>in Norfolke liu'd of late,</L>
<L>Who&s;e wealth and riches did &s;urmount</L>
<L>mo&s;t men of his e&s;tate,</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Sore &s;icke he was and like to die,</L>
<L>no helpe that he could haue,</L>
<L>His wife by him as &s;icke did lie,</L>
<L>and both po&s;&s;e&s;t one graue.</L>
<L>No loue betw&eacute;ene the&s;e two was lo&s;t,</L>
<L>each was to other kinde,</L>
<L>In loue they liued, in loue they dide,</L>
<L>and left two Babes behinde.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The one a fine and pretty Boy,</L>
<L>not pa&s;&s;ing thr&eacute;e yeares old.</L>
<L>The next a Girlemore young than h&eacute;e,</L>
<L>and made of beauties mold.</L>
<L>This Father left his little &s;onne,</L>
<L>as well it doth appeare,</L>
<L>When h&eacute;e to perfect age &s;hould come,</L>
<L>thr&eacute;e hundred pounds a yeare.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And to his little daughter Iane,</L>
<L>thr&eacute;e hundred pounds in Gold,</L>
<L>To be paid downe at mariage day,</L>
<L>which might not be contrould;</L>
<L>But if the&s;e Children chance to die,</L>
<L>ere they to age &s;hould come,</L>
<L>Their Vncle &s;hould po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e this wealth,</L>
<L>and &s;o the Will did runne.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Now Brother &s;aid the dying man,</L>
<L>looke to my Children deare,</L>
<L>Be good unto my Boy and Girle,</L>
<L>no friends I el&s;e haue here.</L>
<L>To God and you I doe commend</L>
<L>my Children night and day,</L>
<L>A little time be &s;ure w&eacute;e haue</L>
<L>within this world to &s;tay.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>You mu&s;t be father and mother both,</L>
<L>and Vncle all in one,</L>
<L>God knowes what will become of them,</L>
<L>when w&eacute;e are dead and gone.</L>
<L>With that be&s;pake their mother deare,</L>
<L>O brother mine (quoth &s;h&eacute;e)</L>
<L>You are the man mu&s;t bring my Babes,</L>
<L>to wealth or mi&s;ery.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>If you do k&eacute;epe them carefully,</L>
<L>then God will you reward,</L>
<L>If otherwi&s;e you &s;&eacute;eme to deale,</L>
<L>your d&eacute;ede God will regard,</L>
<L>With lips as cold as any clay,</L>
<L>&s;h&eacute;e ki&s;t her Children &s;mall,</L>
<L>God ble&s;&s;e you both my little lambes,</L>
<L>with that the teares did fall.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The&s;e &s;p&eacute;eches then their brother &s;poke</L>
<L>to this &s;ick couple there,</L>
<L>The k&eacute;eping of your Children young,</L>
<L>&s;w&eacute;et &s;i&s;ter do not feare;</L>
<L>God neuer pro&s;per m&eacute;e nor mine,</L>
<L>or ought el&s;e that I haue,</L>
<L>If I do wrong your Children &s;mall,</L>
<L>when you are laid in graue.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Their Parents being dead and gone,</L>
<L>the children home h&eacute;e takes,</L>
<L>And brings them home unto his hou&s;e,</L>
<L>and much of them h&eacute;e makes.</L>
<L>H&eacute;e had not kept the&s;e pretty Babes,</L>
<L>a tweluemonth and a day:</L>
<L>But for their wealth h&eacute;e did deui&s;e,</L>
<L>to make them both away.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>H&eacute;e bargain'd with two Ruffians rude,</L>
<L>that were of furious mood,</L>
<L>That they &s;hould take the children young</L>
<L>and &s;lay them in the Wood:</L>
<L>And told his Wife and all the re&s;t,</L>
<L>he did the Children &s;end,</L>
<L>To be brought up in faire London,</L>
<L>with one that was his friend.</L>
</LG>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="part">
<PB N="285" REF="1"><!-- PDF PAGE 7 -->
<HEAD>The &s;econd part,</HEAD>
<OPENER>To the &s;ame tune.</OPENER>
<P><FIGURE>
</FIGURE></P>
<LG>
<L>AWay then went the&s;e pretty Babes,</L>
<L>reioycing of that tide,</L>
<L>And &s;miling with a merry minde,</L>
<L>they &s;hould on cockhor&s;e ride.</L>
<L>They prate and prattle plea&s;antly,</L>
<L>as they rode on their way,</L>
<L>To them that &s;hould their butchers b&eacute;e,</L>
<L>and worke their lives dee<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">y.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>So that the pretty &s;p&eacute;ech they had,</L>
<L>made murtherers hearts relent,</L>
<L>And that they tooke this d&eacute;ede to doe,</L>
<L>full &s;ore they did repent:</L>
<L>Yet one of them more hard of heart.</L>
<L>did vow to doe his charge,</L>
<L>Becau&s;e the wretch that hired them,</L>
<L>had paid them very large.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The other would not gr&eacute;e thereto,</L>
<L>&s;o here they fell at &s;trife,</L>
<L>With one another they did fight,</L>
<L>about the&s;e Childrens life</L>
<L>And he that was of milde&s;t mood,</L>
<L>did kill the other there,</L>
<L>Within an vnfrequented Wood,</L>
<L>whiles Babes did quake for feare.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>He tooke the children by the hand,</L>
<L>when teares &s;tood in their eye,</L>
<L>And bade them come and goe with him,</L>
<L>and looke they did not cry.</L>
<L>And two long miles hee led them thus,</L>
<L>when they for bread complaine,</L>
<L>Stay here (quoth he) Ile bring you bread</L>
<L>when I doe come againe.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Tho&s;e pretty Babes with hand in hand,</L>
<L>went wandering vp and downe,</L>
<L>But neuer more they &s;aw the man,</L>
<L>approaching from the towne.</L>
<L>Their pretty lips with black-berries,</L>
<L>were all be &s;mear'd and dy'd,</L>
<L>And when they &s;aw the dark&s;ome night,</L>
<L>they &s;ate them downe and cry'd.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Thus wandred the&s;e two little Babes</L>
<L>till death did end their greife.</L>
<L>In one anothers armes they dy'd,</L>
<L>as Babes wanting reliefe.</L>
<L>No buriall the&s;e pretty Babes</L>
<L>of any man receiues,</L>
<L>Till Robin Redbre&s;t painefully,</L>
<L>did couer them with leaues,</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And now the heauy wrath of God,</L>
<L>vpon their Vncle fell:</L>
<L>Yea fearefull fiends did haunt his hou&s;e</L>
<L>his con&s;cience felt an hell.</L>
<L>His barns were fir'd, his goods con&s;um'd,</L>
<L>his land was barren made,</L>
<L>His cattle dy'd within the fields,</L>
<L>and nothing with him &s;taid,</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And in the voyage of Portugall,</L>
<L>two of his &s;onnes did die,</L>
<L>And to conclude, him&s;elfe was brought,</L>
<L>to extreame mi&s;ery.</L>
<L>He pawn'd and morgag'd all his land,</L>
<L>ere &s;eaven yeares went about.</L>
<L>And now at length this wicked act,</L>
<L>did by this meanes come out.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The fellow which did take in hand,</L>
<L>the Children for to kill,</L>
<L>Was for a robery iudg'd to death,</L>
<L>as was Gods ble&s;&s;ed will,</L>
<L>Who did confe&s;&s;e the very truth,</L>
<L>the which is here expre&s;t,</L>
<L>Their Vncle died, while he for debt,</L>
<L>in pri&s;on long did re&s;t.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Al you that be Executors made,</L>
<L>and ouer&s;&eacute;eers eke,</L>
<L>Of children that be fatherle&s;&s;e,</L>
<L>of Infants mild and m&eacute;eke,</L>
<L>Take you example by the &s;ame,</L>
<L>and y&eacute;eld to each their right,</L>
<L>Le&s;t God with &s;uch like mi&s;ery,</L>
<L>your wicked minde require,</L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<P>Printed for I. W.</P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
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