Till Robin-red-breast piously

Did cover them with leaves.

And now the heavy wrathe of God

Upon their uncle fell;

180

Yea, fearfull fiends did haunt his house,

His conscience felt an hell:

His barnes were fir'd, his goodes consum'd,

His landes were barren made,

His cattle dyed within the field,
And nothing with him stayd.

And in a voyage to Portugal

135

And now at length this wicked act
Did by this meanes come out:

The fellowe, that did take in hand
These children for to kill,
Was for a robbery judg'd to dye,

145

Such was God's blessed will: Who did confess the very truth, As here hath been display'd: Their uncle having dyed in gaol, Where he for debt was layd.

150

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 miserye

Your wicked minds requite.

155

XIX.

A LOVER OF LATE.

Printed, with a few slight corrections, from the Editor's folio MS.

A LOVER of late was I,

For Cupid would have it soe,
The boy that hath never an eye,
As every man doth know:

I sighed and sobbed, and cryed, alas!

For her that laught, and called me ass.

5

Yet would I her asse freelye bee,

Soe shee would helpe, and beare with mee.

An' I were as faire as shee,

Or shee were as kind as I,

What payre cold have made, as wee,

Soe prettye a sympathye:

I was as kind as shee was faire,

But for all this wee cold not paire.

Ver. 13. faine. MS.

15

Paire with her that will for mee,
With her I will never paire ;
That cunningly can be coy,
For being a little faire.

The asse Ile leave to her disdaine;
And now I am myselfe againe.

20

XX.

THE KING AND MILLER OF MANSFIELD.

It has been a favourite subject with our English ballad-makers to represent our kings conversing, either by accident or design, with the meanest of their subjects. Of the former kind, besides this song of the King and the Miller, we have King Henry and the Soldier; King James I. and the Tinker; King William III. and the Forester, &c. Of the latter sort, are King Alfred and the Shepherd; King Edward IV. and the Tanner; King Henry VIII. and the Cobler, &c.A few of the best of these are admitted into this collection. Both the author of the following ballad, and others who have written on the same plan, seem to have copied a very ancient poem, intitled JOHN THE REEVE, which is built on an adventure of the same kind, that happened between King Edward Longshanks and one of his Reeves or Bailiffs. This is a piece of great antiquity, being written before the time of Edward IV. and for its genuine humour, diverting incidents, and faithful picture of rustic manners, is infinitely superior to all that have been since written in imitation of it. The Editor has a copy in his ancient folio MS. but its length rendered it improper for this volume, it consisting of more than 900 lines. It contains also some corruptions, and the Editor chooses to defer its publication, in hopes that some time or other he shall be able to remove them.

The following is printed, with corrections, from the Editor's folio MS. collated with an old black-letter copy in the Pepys collection intitled, "A pleasant ballad of King Henry II. and the Miller of Mansfield, &c."