The Norfolke Gentleman his last Will and testament And how he committed the keeping of his Children to his Brother, Who dealt most wicke ly by them: and how God plagued him for it.
To the Tune of Rog [...]ro.
[...] ond [...]r well you parents deare
[...] [...]ords that I shall write.
[...], story you shall heare,
[...] time hath brought to light.
[...] [...]man of good account,
[...] folke liu'd of late
wealth and riches did surmount
[...]en of his [...] state,
[...] he was and like to die,
[...] [...]hat he could haue,
[...] by him as make did lye,
[...]h possest one graue.
[...]betweene these two was lost,
[...] to other kinde,
[...] lid'd, in love they dide
[...] babes behinde.
[...] pretty Boy,
[...] [...]eares old,
[...] [...]ung then her,
[...] mould
[...] little sonne,
[...]
[...] [...]ould come
[...]
which might not be contrould:
But if there Children chance to die
ere they to age should come,
Their Vncle should possesse this wealth,
and so the Will did runne.
Now Brother said the dying man
looke to my Children deare,
Be good vnto my Boy and Girle,
no friends I els haue heare
To God and you I do [...] commend
my Children night and day,
A little time be sore wee haue
[...] within this world to stay.
You must be father and mother both,
and Vncle all in [...]ne,
God knowes what will become of them,
when wee are dead and gone,
With that be spake their mother deare
O Brother mine (quoth shee)
You are the man must bring my Babes,
[...]o wealth or misery.
If you doe keep them carefully,
then God will you reward,
If otherwise you seeme to deals
your deed God will regard,
With lips as cold as any day,
shee [...]st her Children small
God blesse ye doth my little lambes,
with that the tearis did fall.
These speeches then their brother spoke,
to this sicke couple there,
The keeping of your Children young▪
sweet sister doe not scare.
God never prosper minor mine,
or ought el'e that I have,
If I doe wrong your [...]hildren small,
when you are laid it grave.
Their Parents being dead and gone,
the children home hi takes.
And brings them ho [...]e vnto his house
and much of them he makes.
Hee had not kept these pretty Babes,
a [...]lue month and a day.
But for their wealthhe did deu [...],
to make them bothaway.
Hee bargain'd with two ruffians [...]de,
that were of furious mood,
That they should take the children young
and stay them in the Wood:
And told his wife and all the [...]st
he did the Children send,
To be brought up in faire Lond [...],
with one that was his friend.
The second part,
To the same tune.
A Way then went these pretty Babes
reioycing of that tids,
Ang smiling with a merry minde,
they should on cockhorse rive.
They prate and prattle pleasantly,
as they rode on their way,
To them that should their butchers bee
and worke their lines decay.
So that the pretty speech they had,
made murtherers hearts relent,
And that they tooke this beed to doe,
full fore they doe repent.
Yet one of them more hard of heart,
did vow to doe his charge,
Because the wretch that hired them
had paid them very large.
The other would not gree thereto,
so heare they fell at strise,
With one another they did fight,
about these Childrens life.
And he that was of mildest mood,
did kill the other there,
Within an unfrequented Wood,
while [...] Babes did quake for feare,
He tooke the Children by the hand.
when teares stood in their eye,
And bade them come and goe with him,
and looke they did not crie.
And two long miles he lead them thus
when they for bread complaine
Stay here (quoth he) Ile bring yon [...]ead
when I doe come againe.
Those pretty Babes with hand in hand
went wandering up and downe,
But never more they saw the man,
approching from the row [...]e.
Their pretty lips with blackberries
were all besmeat'd and dy'de,
And when they saw the dartsome night,
they sate them dewne and cry de.
Thus wandred these little B [...]bes
till death did end their griese,
In one anothers a [...]mas they di'de,
as Babes wanting reliefe,
No buriall these pretty Babes
of any man receives,
Till Robin Redbrest painasvlly,
did cover them with lea [...]es.
And now the heavy wrath of God,
vpon then Vncle sell:
Yeasearefull fiends did haunt his house,
his conference felt a hell.
His Barns wer fir [...]d his goods consum'd
his land was barren made.
His cattell di'd within the fields,
and nothing with him staid
And in the voyag of Portugall,
two of his sonnes did die,
And [...]o conclude himselfe was brought,
to extreame misery.
He pawnd and morgag [...] all his land
ere seuen yeres went about,
And now at length this wicked act,
did by this meanes come out.
The fellow which did take in hand
the Children for to kill,
was for a roberyin'd to death,
as was Gods blessed will.
Who did conses the very truth,
the which is here exprest,
Their Vncle died, while he for debt,
in prison long did rest.
All you that be Crecutors made,
and overséers eke,
Of children that be fatherlesse,
of infants milde and m [...]ke,
Take you example by the same,
and yield to each their rig [...],
Left God withsuch [...]
your wicked [...]n [...]
FI [...]
Printed [...]