The Norfolk Gentleman his last Will and testament And how he committed the keeping of his Children to his Brother, Who dealt most wick lie by them: and how God plagued him for it.  
To the Tune of Rog●ro.  

 
●● onder well you parents dear  
●●●●●ords that I shall write.  
〈◊〉, story you shall hear,  
●● time hath brought to light.  
●●man of good account,  
● folk lived of late  
wealth and riches did surmount  
●●en of his ● state,  
● he was and like to die,  
●●hat he could have,  
● by him as make did lie,  
●●h possessed one grave.  
●betweene these two was lost,  
〈◊〉 to other kind,  
〈◊〉 lided, in love they died  
〈…〉 babes behind.  
〈…〉 pretty Boy,  
〈…〉 ●eares old,  
〈…〉 ●ung then her,  
〈…〉 mould  
〈…〉 little son,  
 
〈…〉 ●ould come  
which might not be controlled:  
But if there Children chance to die  
ere they to age should come,  
Their Uncle should possess this wealth,  
and so the Will did run.  
Now Brother said the dying man  
look to my Children dear,  
Be good unto my Boy and Girl,  
no friends I else have hear  
To God and you I do ● commend  
my Children night and day,  
A little time be sore we have  
● within this world to stay.  
You must be father and mother both,  
and Uncle all in ●ne,  
God knows what will become of them,  
when we are dead and gone,  
With that be spoke their mother dear  
O Brother mine (quoth she)  
You are the man must bring my Babes,  
●o wealth or misery.  
If you do keep them carefully,  
than God will you reward,  
If otherwise you seem to deals  
your deed God will regard,  
With lips as cold as any day,  
she ●●st her Children small  
God bless ye doth my little lambs,  
with that the tearis did fall.  
These speeches than their brother spoke,  
to this sick couple there,  
The keeping of your Children young▪  
sweet sister do not scare.  
God never prosper minor mine,  
or aught el'e that I have,  
If I do wrong your children small,  
when you are laid it grave.  
Their Parents being dead and gone,  
the children home high takes.  
And brings them ho●e unto his house  
and much of them he makes.  
He had not kept these pretty Babes,  
a ●●●lue month and a day.  
But for their wealthhe did deu●●,  
to make them bothaway.  
He bargained with two ruffians ●●de,  
that were of furious mood,  
That they should take the children young  
and stay them in the Wood:  
And told his wife and all the ●st  
he did the Children send,  
To be brought up in fair Lond●,  
with one that was his friend.   

The second part,  
To the same tune.  
 
A Way than went these pretty Babes  
rejoicing of that tids,  
Ang smiling with a merry mind,  
they should on cockhorse rive.  
They prate and prattle pleasantly,  
as they road on their way,  
To them that should their butchers be  
and work their lines decay.  
So that the pretty speech they had,  
made murderers hearts relent,  
And that they took this bead to do,  
full fore they do repent.  
Yet one of them more hard of heart,  
did vow to do his charge,  
Because the wretch that hired them  
had paid them very large.  
The other would not 'gree thereto,  
so hear they fell at strife,  
With one another they did fight,  
about these children's life.  
And he that was of mildest mood,  
did kill the other there,  
Within an unfrequented Wood,  
while ● Babes did quake for fear,  
He took the Children by the hand.  
when tears stood in their eye,  
And bade them come and go with him,  
and look they did not cry.  
And two long miles he lead them thus  
when they for bread complain  
Stay here (quoth he) I'll bring yond ●ead  
when I do come again.  
Those pretty Babes with hand in hand  
went wandering up and down,  
But never more they saw the man,  
approaching from the row●e.  
Their pretty lips with blackberries  
were all besmeated and died,  
And when they saw the dartsome night,  
they sat them dewne and cry de.  
Thus wandered these little Babe's  
till death did end their grief,  
In one another's a●mas they died,  
as Babes wanting relief,  
No burial these pretty Babes  
of any man receives,  
Till Robin redbreast painasully,  
did cover them with lea●es.  
And now the heavy wrath of God,  
upon then Uncle sell:  
Yeasearefull fiends did haunt his house,  
his conference felt a hell.  
His Barns were fired his goods consumed  
his land was barren made.  
His cattle died within the fields,  
and nothing with him stayed  
And in the voyag of Portugal,  
two of his sons did die,  
And ●o conclude himself was brought,  
to extreme misery.  
He pawned and mortgage all his land  
ere seven years went about,  
And now at length this wicked act,  
did by this means come out.  
The fellow which did take in hand  
the Children for to kill,  
was for a roberyined to death,  
as was Gods blessed will.  
Who did conses the very truth,  
the which is here expressed,  
Their Uncle died, while he for debt,  
in prison long did rest.  
All you that be Crecutors made,  
and overséers eke,  
Of children that be fatherless,  
of infants mild and m●ke,  
Take you example by the same,  
and yield to each their rig●●,  
Left God withsuch 〈◊〉  
your wicked●n 〈…〉  
FI●●●●    

Printed 〈…〉