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He told his wife an artful tale,

He would the children send

To be brought up in faire Londòn,
With one that was his friend.

Away then went those pretty babes,
Rejoycing at that tide,

Rejoycing with a merry minde,

They should on cock-horse ride. They prate and prattle pleasantly,

As they rode on the waye,

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

So that the pretty speeche they had,
Made Murder's heart relent;

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85

90

And they that undertooke the deed,
Full sore did now repent.

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Staye here, quoth he, I'll bring you bread,

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Thus wandered these poor innocents,
Till deathe did end their grief,

In one anothers armes they dyed,

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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.

Then knew not I what to doe,

When I saw itt was in vaine

A lady soe coy to wooe,

Who gave me the asse soe plaine:

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.

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15

Ver. 13. faine. MS.

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