8
He was forc’d to make that promise only,
In the desart Isle, lest he with hunger should die.
With a grim look the old man did appear,
Which made the court tremble and fill’d them with ⟨fear⟩,
Crying, What shall we do; sure he is not a man,
He will have our darling, do all that we can,
He said, It was promis’d, and I’ll have my due,
There’s one babe for me, and another for you,
I will have your first-born, come give him to me,
At which all the family wept bitterly.
The babe’s mother cry’d, I’m griev'd to the ⟨heart⟩,
To think that I with such a dear infant must ⟨part⟩,
To one that should carry him, Lord knows where,
And perhaps in pieces my darling will tear.
With that she embrac’d him and down the tears ⟨fell⟩,
And then having kiss’d him, she bade him ⟨farewell⟩,
Saying, It is for the sake of my husband that I
Do part with my first-born, tho’ for him I die.
So then this grim Ghost to her husband did say,
Sir, do you remember, in Turkey one day,
You saw a dead man’s corpse lying on the ground,
And to have it buried you gave fifty pound
Sir, I am the spirit of that dead body,
I saved your life for that great love to me;
You may keep your babe, so God bless you all,
Then away it vanished out of the hall!
Being gone, the old Prince & his Princess ⟨likewise⟩,
The ⟨babe's⟩ tender parents with tears in their eyes,
With joy they embraced ⟨their⟩ darling their Son,
Saying Child, had’st thou left us we had been undone,
Now, I'll leave the court full of joy and mirth,
To love one another while God gives them breath,
And now by ⟨this⟩ Factor, we may see indeed;
