Freemason's song/The False Lover

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THE FALSE LOVER.

My parents rear'd me tenderly, endeavouring for me ſtill,
And in the town of Wagan they bound me to a mill,
Where there I ſpied a Wexford girl, that had a black rolling eye.
And I offered to marry her if ſhe would with me lie.

In six months after this this maid grew big with child,
Marry me, dear Johnny, as you did me beguile;
I promiſed to marry her, as ſhe was big with child:
But little did this fair maid know her life I would beguile.

I took her from her siſter's door, at 8 o’clock at night,
But little did this fair maid know at her I bore a ſpite;
I invited her to take a walk to the fields a little way,
That we might conclude a while and appoint a wedding day.

But as we were diſcoursing Satan did me ſur- round,
I pull’d a ſtick out of the hedge and knock'd this fair maid down,
Down on her bended knees ſhe fell, and for mercy ſhe did cry,
I’m innocent, don’t murder me, for I’m not pre- par’d to die.

He took her by the yellow hair, and dragged her along,
And threw her into a river that ran both deep and ſtrong,
All in the blood of innocence his hands and clothes were dy’d.
He was ſtain'd with the purple gore of his in- tended bride.

Then returning to his mother’s door, at 12 o’- clock at night;
But little did his mother think how he had ſpent the night,
Come tell to me, dear Johnny, what dy'd your hands and clothes?
The anſwer that he made her was, bleeding at the noſe.

He called for a candle to light himſelf to bed,
And all the whole night over the damſel lay dead,
And all that whole night over peace nor reſt he could not find,

For the burning flame of torment before his breaſt did ſhine.

(illegible text)three days after this fair maid ſhe was miſ'd,
He was taken up on ſuspicion, and into jail was caſt,
Her siſter ſwore away his life, without either fear or doubt,
Her siſter ſwore away his life, because he call’d her out.

(illegible text)six weeks after that this fair maid ſhe was found,
(illegible text)ming floating to ber brother's door, that liv'd in Wexford town.