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<DATE>2008-09-02</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>tcpstaff</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B080848.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B04547">
<STC T="W">N569</STC>
<BIBNO T="oclc">47012544</BIBNO>
<VID>174514</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="ballad">
<PB REF="1"><!-- PDF PAGE 12 -->
<HEAD>A New BALLAD Of the Three Merry Butchers,</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>And Ten High-way Men, how three Butchers went to pay Five Hundred Pounds away, and hearing a woman crying in the VVood, went to Relieve her and was there &s;et upon by the&s;e Ten High-way Men; and how only &s;tout <HI>Iohn&s;on</HI> fought with them all; who killed Eight of the Ten; and at la&s;t was killed by the woman he went to &s;ave in the wood.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<OPENER>To an Excellent New Tune.</OPENER>
<P>Licen&s;ed according to Order.</P>
<P><FIGURE>
</FIGURE></P>
<P><FIGURE>
</FIGURE></P>
<LG>
<L><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> tell you of a Story of lovely Butchers three,</L>
<L>There's <HI>Wil&s;on, Gib&s;on, John&s;on,</HI> mark well what I &s;hall &s;ay,</L>
<L>For they took Five Hundred Pounds, Sir, to pay it all away,</L>
<L>For they took Five Hundred Pounds, Sir, to pay it all away.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>As they rid on the Road Sir, and as &s;oft as they could trig,</L>
<L>Strike up your hearts, &s;ays <HI>John&s;on,</HI> we'll have a merry jigg,</L>
<L>With a high ding ding, with a ho ding ding, with a high ding</L>
<L>ding dee, and God ble&s;s on good people from evil Company.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>As they rid on the Road Sir, as fa&s;t as they could hie,</L>
<L>Stri<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">e up your hearts, &s;ays <HI>John&s;on</HI> for I hear a woman cry,</L>
<L>With that he &s;teps into the wood &amp; looks him&s;elf all round,</L>
<L>And there he &s;py'd a woman with her hair bound to the ground</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>O woman, O woman, qd.<HI>John&s;on,</HI> ha&s;t thou no evil company?</L>
<L>O no, O no, &s;ays the woman, and alas how can that be,</L>
<L>For there came ten &s;waggering blades by, and thus abu&s;ed me</L>
<L>For there came ten &s;waggering blades by, and thus abu&s;ed me</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L><HI>John&s;on</HI> being of a valient heart, &amp; bore a valient mind,</L>
<L>He wrapt his Cloak abouu her for to keep her from the wind:</L>
<L><HI>With a high ding ding, with a ho ding ding, with a high ding</HI></L>
<L><HI>ding dee, and God ble&s;s all good people from evil company.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Strike up your hearts &s;ays <HI>John&s;on,</HI> for its dark all in the Skie,</L>
<L>She put her finger in her Ear and &s;he gave a skreeking crie,</L>
<L>VVith that there came ten &s;waggering blades with their wea|pons ready drawn;</L>
<L>And they boldly came to <HI>John&s;on,</HI> and bolder bid him &s;tand.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>I will not fight, &s;ays <HI>Wil&s;on,</HI> for I had rather die;</L>
<L>Or I, to &s;ight, &s;ays <HI>Gib&s;on,</HI> for I had rathe flie,</L>
<L>Come on, come on, &s;ays <HI>John&s;on,</HI> and fight a man &s;o free,</L>
<L>Or &s;tand you &s;till behind my back and I'll win the Victory.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Then <HI>John&s;ons</HI> pi&s;tols they flew off till five of them were &s;lain</L>
<L>And then he drew his Hanger with all his might and main,</L>
<L><HI>And plaid it about &s;o manfully till three more he had &s;lain,</HI></L>
<L><HI>And plaid it about &s;o, &amp;c.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Come on, come on (&s;ays the other two) and let us make away,</L>
<L>For if we do not hold him too't our lives he takes away.</L>
<L>O no O no (quoth the woman) and alas how can that be,</L>
<L>For if you do not hold him too't then hanged you &s;hall be.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L><HI>John&s;on</HI> fighting the&s;e two Thieves before, the woman he did not mind,</L>
<L>And fighting the&s;e two Thieves before, &s;he knockt him down behind,</L>
<L>O woman, O woman, quoth <HI>John&s;on</HI> alas what have you done,</L>
<L>You have kill'd the brave&s;t Butcher that ever <HI>England</HI> won.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Iu&s;t as &s;he had killed him there came one Riding by,</L>
<L>And &s;aw the deed that &s;he had done, and &s;eiz'd her pre&s;ently,</L>
<L>She was Condemn'd for to be Hang'd in Iron Chains &s;o &s;trong,</L>
<L>At the place where &s;he did <HI>John&s;on</HI> that great and mighty wrong.</L>
</LG>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<P><HI>Printed for</HI> I. Bi&s;&s;el <HI>at the Bible and Harp in</HI> We&s;t-Smithfield</P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
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