6
These pretty babes, with hand in hand,
Went wanderiug up and down,
But never more they saw the man
Approaching from the town.
There pretty lips with blackberries
Were all besmear'd and dyed;
And when they saw the darksome night,
They sate them down and cried.
Thus wander'd these two pretty babes
Till death' did end their grief-
In one anothers arms they died,
As babes wanting relief.
No burial these pretty babes
Of any man receives,
Till Robin-red-breast, painfully,
Did cover them with leaves.
And now the heavy wrath of God
Upon their uncle fell
Yea, fearful fiends did haunt his house,
His conseience felt an hell:
His barns were fired, his goods consum'd,
His lands were barren made,
His cattle died within the field,
And nothing with him stay'd.
And in the voyage to Portugal
Two of his sons did - die;
And to conclude, himself was brought
To extreme misery:
He pawn'd and mortgag'd all his land