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Can you be ſo cruel ſhe to him did ſay.
My innocent life thus to take away
What harm my dear jewel have I done to thee
The fault it was thine in deluding of me.
Vile ſtrumpet how dare you preſume for to prat,
So yield to my ſword for I long will not wait
Then down to her knees the fair creature did fall.
And to him for mercy did heartly caill.
But finding that with him ſhe could not prevail,
O heave’ns ſhe cry’d all fleſh is but frail
Pardon my ſins which are many ſhe cry’s
Now creature, I’m ready for your ſacrifice.
She open’d her breaſt which was whiter then ſnow
He pierced her heart till the blood it did flow
Her body he threw in a river was near;
So this died the beauty of fair Oxfoordſhire
Home he returned and when he came there
He wandered about like a man in diſpair,
No reſt night nor day he ever could find,
The beautiful ſhepherdeſs ſo ran in his mind.
Within four days after he took to his bed,
The doctor he gave him over as ſaid
When he found his dying hour was come,
He ſent for her father and told what he’d done
Then in cruel ſorrow he yeilded his breath
Her father he ſaid I‘m unhappieſt on earth
Then he fought for the body of his daughter Erie
Which in ſumptouusſort they burried there
