The Babes in the Wood (1800)/The babes in the wood

The Babes in the Woods.

NOW ponder well ye parents dear,
the words that I ſhall write,
A doleful ſtory you ſhall hear,
was lately brought to light.
A gentleman of good report,
in Norfolk liv'd of late,
Whoſe wealth and honour did ſurmount,
moſt men of his eſtate.
Sore ſick he was and like to die.
and he no help could have.
His worthy wife by him lay ſick,
they both poſſeeſ,'d one grave,
Betwixt them two no love was loſt,
each was to other kind,
In love they liv'd, in love they died,
and left two babes behind,
The one he was a pretty boy,
not paſſing three year old,
The other a girl, younger than he,
and made in beauty's mould.
The father left his little ſon,
as it doth well appear,
When he to perfect aye ſhould come,
three hundred pounds a year,
And to his little daughter Jean,
two hundred pounds in gold,
To be told down on marriage day,
no way to be control'd.
And if the children chanc'd to die,
'ere they to age ſhould come,
The uncle ſhould poſſeſs their wealth,
and ſo the will did run,
Now brother, ſaid the dying man,
look to my children dear,
Be kind unto my boy and girl,
no friends I elſe have here.
To God and you I recommend,
my children night and day,
For little ſpace before we have,
within this world to ſtay.
You muſt be father and mother too,
and uncle all in one,
God knows what will become of them,
when I am dead and gone.
O then beſpake the mother dear,
my brother kind quoth ſhe,
You are the man muſt bring my babes,
to wealth or miſery,
If you do keep them carefully,
then God will you reward,
If otherwiſe you ſtrive to do,
God will your deeds regard,
With lips as cold as any ſtone.
ſhe kiſs'd theſe children ſmall.
God bleſs you both my children dear,
and ſo the tears did fall.
Thoſe ſpeeches that the uncle made,
to that ſick couple there,
The keeping of your children ſmall,
dear ſiſter do not fear,
God never proſper me nor mine,
nor ought elſe that I have,
If I do wrong your children dear,
when you are laid in grave.
Their parents being dead and gone,
the children he did take
With him into his dwelling houſe,
and much of them did make.
He had not kept theſe children ſmall,
a twelvemonth and a day,
But for their money he devis'd,
to make them both away.
He bargain'd with two ruffians,
who were of furious mood,
For to take the children ſmall,
and kill them in a wood.
He told his wife and children all,
he would the children ſend,
To be brought up in fair London,
with one that was a friend.

PART II.

THESE pretty babes away they went,
rejoicing at the tide,
And ſinging with a merry mood,
that they were going to ride,
They ſpake and prattled pleaſantly,
as they rode on the way,
To them that ſhould their butchers be
and work their live's decay.
The ſpeech that these ſweet babes made,
caus'd their murd'rer hearts relent,
That they hae ta'en the deed in hand,
full ſore they did repeat.
But one of them was hard of heart,
and vow'd to do his charge.
Becauſe the wretch that hir'd them both,
had paid them very large.
So then into the foreſt thick,
theſe two men fell at ſtrife,
With one another they did fight,
about the children's life.
And he that was of mildeſt mood,
did kill the other there,
Within the unfrequented wood.
the babes did quack for fear.
He took the children by the hand,
and led them by the way,
Hold your tongue my children dear,
be ſure you do not cry.
Two miles he led them forth till they,
for bread did ſore complain.
Stay here, quoth be, I'll bring you bread,
when I come back again.
Then hand in hand theſe pretty babes,
went wandering up and down,
But they could never ſee the man,
approaching from the town.
Their pretty lips with blackberries,
were altogether dy'd,
And when the darkſome night care on
they both ſat down and cry'd.
Thus wandered theſe pretty babes,
till death did end their grief
In one another's arms they dy'd,
as babes wanting relief
No burial theſe children did
of any man receive,
Till robin red-breaſt carefully
did cover them o'er with leaves.
And now the heavy wrath of God,
upon the uncle fell,
For fearful fiends did haunt his houſe,
his conſcience burnt in hell.
His barns were burnt, his goods conſum'd
his lands were barren made,
His cattle all died in the field,
and nothing with him ſtaid;
And in a voyage to Portugal,
two of his ſons did die,
Then to conclude, himſelf was brought
into much miſery.
He pawn'd and mortgaged his goods,
'ere ſeven years came about,
And at the very time, then did
this cruel act come out.
The fellow that did take in hand,
the children ſweet to kill,
For robbery was condemn'd to die,
as was God's bleſſed will
He did confeſs the very truth,
the which is here expreſt,
The uncle died, when he for debt,
in priſon long did laſt.
All you who be executors,
and overſeers eke,
Of children that be fatherleſs,
and infants mild and meek,
See that you keep them carefully,
both by night and day,
For God that dwells in heaven ſo high,
he will your deeds repay.