<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2009-08-05</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Mona Logarbo</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B081020.pdcc.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B04509">
<STC T="W">N1237A</STC>
<BIBNO T="oclc">47012555</BIBNO>
<VID>174523</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="ballad">
<PB REF="1"><!-- PDF PAGE 5 -->
<HEAD>The <HI>Norfolk</HI> Gentleman's la&s;t Will and Te&s;tament.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub"><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="damage" EXTENT="1 word"> <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="damage" EXTENT="1 letter">ommitted the Keeping of his Children to his own Brother, who dealt mo&s;t wickedly with them; and how God plagued him for it.</HEAD>
<OPENER>To the tune of <HI>Rogero.</HI></OPENER>
<P><FIGURE>
</FIGURE></P>
<LG>
<L>NOw ponder well, you Parents dear,</L>
<L>the&s;e Words which I &s;hall write,</L>
<L><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 word"> dolful Story you &s;hall hear,</L>
<L><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">n time brought forth to light:</L>
<L>Gentleman of good account,</L>
<L>in <HI>Norfolk</HI> dwelt of late,</L>
<L>who&s;e Wealth and Riches did formount,</L>
<L>mo&s;t Men of his E&s;tate.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Sore &s;ick he was, and like to dye,</L>
<L>no help that he could have,</L>
<L>His Wife by him as &s;ick did lye,</L>
<L>and both po&s;&s;e&s;s one Grave:</L>
<L>No love between the&s;e two was lo&s;t,</L>
<L>each was to other kind,</L>
<L>In love they liv'd, in love they dy'd,</L>
<L>and left two Babes behind.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The one a fine and pretty Boy,</L>
<L>not pa&s;&s;ing thr&eacute;e Years old,</L>
<L>The other a Girl more young then he,</L>
<L>and made in Beauty's Mould:</L>
<L><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="2 letters">e Father left his little Son,</L>
<L>as plainly doth appear,</L>
<L><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">hen he to perfect Age &s;hould come,</L>
<L>thr&eacute;e hundred Pounds a year.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And to his little Daughter <HI>Jane,</HI></L>
<L>five hundred Pound in Gold,</L>
<L>To be paid down on Marriage day,</L>
<L>which might not be controul'd</L>
<L>But if the Children chance to dye,</L>
<L>e'er they to Age &s;hould come,</L>
<L>Their Vnckle &s;hould po&s;&s;e&s;s their Wealth</L>
<L>for &s;o the will did run.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Now Brother &s;aid the dying Man</L>
<L>look to my Children dear,</L>
<L>Be good unto my Boy and Girl,</L>
<L>no Friends el&s;e I have here:</L>
<L>To God and you I do commend</L>
<L>my Children night and day,</L>
<L>A little while be &s;ure we had:</L>
<L>within this World to &s;tay.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>You mu&s;t be Father Mother both,</L>
<L>and Vnckle all in one,</L>
<L>God knows what will become of them,</L>
<L>when I am dead and gone,</L>
<L>With that be&s;poke their Mother dear,</L>
<L>O Brother kind, quoth &s;he</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;ep <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">hem carefully,</L>
<L>then God will you reward,</L>
<L>If otherwi&s;e you &s;eem to deal,</L>
<L>God will your Deeds regard,</L>
<L>With lips as cold as any &s;tone</L>
<L>&s;he ki&s;&s; the Children &s;mall.</L>
<L>God ble&s;s you both my Children dear,</L>
<L>with that the tears did fall.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The&s;e Sp&eacute;eches then their Brother &s;poke,</L>
<L>to &s;ick Couple their,</L>
<L>The k&eacute;eping of your Children dear,</L>
<L>&s;w&eacute;et Si&s;ter, do not fear:</L>
<L>God never pro&s;per Me nor Mine,</L>
<L>nor ought el&s;e that I have,</L>
<L>If I do wrong your Children dear,</L>
<L>when you are laid in Grave.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Their Parents b&eacute;en dead and gone,</L>
<L>the Children home he takes,</L>
<L>And brings them home unto his Hou&s;e,</L>
<L>and much of them he makes.</L>
<L>He had not kept the&s;e pretty Babes,</L>
<L>a Twelve-month and a Day,</L>
<L>But for their wealth he did devi&s;e</L>
<L>to make them both a way.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>He bargined with two Ruffians rude,</L>
<L>which were of furious <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">ood,</L>
<L>That they &s;hould take the Children young</L>
<L>and &s;lay them in a Wood:</L>
<L>And told his Wife, and all he had,</L>
<L>he did the Children &s;end</L>
<L>To be brought up in f<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">ir <HI>London,</HI></L>
<L>with one that was his Friend,</L>
</LG>
<P><FIGURE>
</FIGURE></P>
<LG>
<L>Away then went the&s;e prety Babes,</L>
<L>rejoyceing at that ride:</L>
<L>Rejoyceing with a merry mind,</L>
<L>they &s;hould on Cock-hor&s;e ride</L>
<L>They prate and prattle plea&s;antly,</L>
<L>as they rode on the way,</L>
<L>To tho&s;e that &s;hould their Butchers be,</L>
<L>and work their Lives decay.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>So that the prety &s;p&eacute;ech they had,</L>
<L>made Murthers hearts relent,</L>
<L>And they that took the D&eacute;ed to do,</L>
<L>full &s;ore they did repent:</L>
<L>Yet one of them more hard of heart,</L>
<L>did vow to do his Charge,</L>
<L>Becau&s;e the Wretch that hired him,</L>
<L>had paid him very large.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The other would not agr&eacute;e thereto,</L>
<L>&s;o here they fell at Strife;</L>
<L>With one another they did Fight,</L>
<L>about the Childrens Life:</L>
<L>And he that was of milde&s;t mood,</L>
<L>did Slay the other their,</L>
<L>Within an unfrequented Wood,</L>
<L>where Babes did quake for fear.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>He took the Children by the hand,</L>
<L>when tears &s;tood in their eyes;</L>
<L>And bad them come and go with him,</L>
<L>and look they did not cry:</L>
<L>And two long Miles he led them thus,</L>
<L>while they for Bread complain,</L>
<L>Stay here, quoth he, i'll bring ye Bread,</L>
<L>when I do come again.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The&s;e pretty Babes with hand in hand,</L>
<L>went wandering up and down,</L>
<L>But never more they &s;aw the Man,</L>
<L>approaching from the Town:</L>
<L>Their pretty Lips with Black-berries,</L>
<L>were all be&s;mear'd and dy'd,</L>
<L>And w<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">e<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> they &s;aw the dark&s;om Night,</L>
<L>they <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> them down and cry'd.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Thus wandred the&s;e two pretty Babes,</L>
<L>till Death did end their Grief,</L>
<L>In one another Armes they dy'd,</L>
<L>as Babes wanting Relief:</L>
<L>No Burial the&s;e pretty Babes</L>
<L>of any Man receive,</L>
<L>Till <HI>Robin-red-bre&s;t</HI> painfully,</L>
<L>did cover them with Leaves.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And now the heavy wrath of God,</L>
<L>upon their Vnckle fell,</L>
<L>Yea, fearfull Feinds did hunt his Hou&s;e,</L>
<L>His Con&s;cience fellt a Hell:</L>
<L>His Barns were fir'd, his Goods con&s;um'd,</L>
<L>his Lands were barren made,</L>
<L>His Cattel dy'd within the Field,</L>
<L>and nothing with him &s;taid,</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And in the Voyage of <HI>Portugal,</HI></L>
<L>two of his Sons did dye;</L>
<L>And to conclude, him&s;elf was brought</L>
<L>unto much Mi&s;ery:</L>
<L>He pawn'd and Morgag'd all his Land,</L>
<L>e'er &s;even <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ears came about;</L>
<L>And now at length this wicked Act,</L>
<L>did by this means come out:</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Fellow that did take in hand,</L>
<L>the&s;e Children for to kill;</L>
<L>Was for a Robbery iudg'd to dye,</L>
<L>as was God's ble&s;&s;ed Will.</L>
<L>Who did confe&s;s the very Truth,</L>
<L>the which is here expre&s;t,</L>
<L>Their Vnckl dy'd while he for Debt,</L>
<L>did long in Pri&s;on re&s;t,</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>All you that be Executors made,</L>
<L>and Over&s;eeos eke,</L>
<L>Of Childeren that be Fatherle&s;s,</L>
<L>and Infants mild and meek,</L>
<L>Take you Example by this thing,</L>
<L>and yeild to each his Right,</L>
<L>Lea&s;t God with &s;uch like Mi&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">ry,</L>
<L>your wicked minds requite.</L>
</LG>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
