Thus in great merriment was the time wholly spent, and then the Ladies prepared to dance : Old Sir John Cockle and Richard, incontinent, unto this practice, the king did advance.

Here with the Ladies much sport they did make, The Nobles with laughing did make their hearts ake.

Many thanks for their pains did the king give them, asking young Richard if he would [be] wed; "Among these Ladies free, tell me which liketh thee ?"

Quoth he, Jug Grumbol, with the Red Head : She's my love; shes my life; she will I wed; She hath sworn I shall have her maiden-head."

Then Sir John Cockle the king called unto him, and of merry Sherwood made him Over-seer; and gave him out of hand three hundred pound yearly.

"and now, take heed, you steale no more of my Deer!

And once a quarter let's here have your view;

And thus, Sir John Cockle, I bid you adieu !"

Printed by and for A. Milbourne in Green-Arbour Court in the Little Old Baily.

With sobbing grief my heart wil break

Asunder in my brest,

Before this story of great woe

I truely have exprest:

Therefore let all kind-hearted men,

and those that tender be,

Come beare a part of this my griefe, and joyntly say with me,

Woe worth the man, &c.

Not long agoe in Lincolne dwelt,
As I did understand,

A labouring man, from thence set forth to serve in Ireland:

And there in Princes' warres was slaine, As doth that Country know,

But left this widdow great with child as ever she could goe.

This woman having gone her time,
Her husband being dead,
Of two fine pretty Boyes at once
was sweetly brought to bed;
Whereat her wicked Landlord straight

Did ponder in his minde

How that their wants hee must relieve, and succour for them finde :

For, being borne upon his ground,
This was his vile conceit,—

That he the mother should maintaine,
and give the other meat;
Which to prevent, he hyed fast

unto this widdow poore,

And, on the day she went to Church, he turn'd her out of doore.

Her household goods he 'straynd upon. To satisfie the rent,

And left her scarce a ragge to weare,so wilfull was he bent.

Her pretty Babes, that sweetly slept
Upon her tender brest,

Were forced, by the Miser's rage,
by nights in streets to rest.

Quoth she "My husband, in your cause, In warres did lose his life;

And will you use thus cruelly
his harmlesse wedded wife?

O God! revenge a widdowes wrong!
That all the world may know

How you

have forst a Souldier's wife

a begging for to goe."

From Lincolne thus his widdow went,

But left her curse behind,

And begged all the Land about,

At

her maintenance to find.

many places where she came, She knew the whipping post, Constrained still, as beggars be, to taste on such like rost.

And, weary of such punishment,
Which she had suffered long,
She daily thought within her heart
shee had exceeding wrong:

And, comming neere to Norwich gates,
In griefes shee sate her downe,
Desiring God that never shee

might come in that same Towne ;

"For I had rather live," quoth shee,
"Within these pleasant fields,
And feed my children with such food
as woods and meddowes yeeld,
Before I will of rich men beg,

Or crave it at their doore,
Whose hearts, I know, are mercilesse

unto the needy poore."

The Second Part, to the Tune.

Her Boys, now grown to two yeeres old,

Did from their mother run

To gather eares of Barly Corne,

as they before had done.

But marke what heavy chance befell

Unto these pretty Elves :