Our master to accompts
Hath just occasion found;
And I am caught behind the hand
Above two hundred pound:

And now his wrath to 'scape,
My love, I fly to thee,
Hoping some time I may remaine
In safety here with thee.

With that she knit her brows,
And looking all aquoy,1
Quoth she, What should I have to do
With any prentice boy?

And seeing you have purloyn'd
Your master's goods away,
The case is bad, and therefore here
You shall no longer stay.

Why, dear, thou know'st, I said,
How all which I could get,
gave it, and did spend it all
Upon thee every whit.

I

Quoth she, Thou art a knave,
To charge me in this sort,
Being a woman of credit fair,
And known of good report:
Therefore I tell thee flat,

Be packing with good speed;
I do defie thee from my heart,
And scorn thy filthy deed.
Is this the friendship that
You did to me protest?
Is this the great affection which
You so to me exprest?

Now fie on subtle shrews!
The best is, I may speed
To get a lodging any where
For money in my need.

False woman, now farewell,

Whilst twenty pound doth last, My anchor in some other haven With freedom I will cast.

1 Aquoy-shyly.

When she perceiv'd by this,

I had store of money there:

Stay, George, quoth she, thou art too quick : Why, man, I did but jeer:

Dost think for all my speech,

That I would let thee go?

Faith no, said she, my love to thee
I wiss is more than so.

You scorne a prentice boy,
I heard you just now swear,
Wherefore I will not trouble you.-
Nay, George, hark in thine ear;

Thou shalt not go to-night,

What chance soe're befall:
But man we'll have a bed for thee,
O else the devil take all.

So I by wiles bewitcht,

And snar'd with fancy still,
Had then no power to 'get' away,
Or to withstand her will.

For wine on wine I call'd,
And cheer upon good cheer;
And nothing in the world I thought
For Sarah's love too dear.

Whilst in her company,

I had such merriment;
All, all too little I did think,
That I upon her spent.

A fig for care and thought!
When all my gold is gone,
In faith, my girl, we will have more,
Whoever I light upon.

My father's rich, why then
Should I want store of gold?
Nay with a father sure, quoth she,
A son may well make bold.

I've a sister richly wed,

I'll rob her ere I'll want.

Nay then, quoth Sarah, they may

Consider of your scant.

well

Nay, I an uncle have;
At Ludlow he doth dwell:
He is a grazier, which in wealth
Doth all the rest excell.

Ere I will live in lack,

And have no coyn for thee:
I'll rob his house, and murder him.
Why should you not? quoth she:

Was I a man, ere I

Would live in poor estate;
On father, friends, and all my kin,
I would my talons grate.

For without money, George,
A man is but a beast:

But bringing money, thou shalt be
Always my welcome guest.

For shouldst thou be pursued
With twenty hues and cryes,
And with a warrant searched for
With Argus' hundred eyes,

Yet here thou shalt be safe;
Such privy ways there be,

That if they sought an hundred years,
They could not find out thee.

And so carousing both

Their pleasures to content:

George Barnwell had in little space

His money wholly spent.

Which done, to Ludlow straight
He did provide to go,
To rob his wealthy uncle there;
His minion would it so.

And once he thought to take

His father by the way,

But that he fear'd his master had
Took order for his stay.'

i. e. for stopping, and apprehending him at his father's.

M M

Unto his uncle then

He rode with might and main, Who with a welcome and good cheer Did Barnwell entertain.

One fortnight's space he stayed,

Until it chanced so,

His uncle with his cattle did
Unto a market go.

His kinsman rode with him,
Where he did see right plain,
Great store of money he had took :
When coming home again,

Sudden within a wood,

He struck his uncle down,
And beat his brains out of his head;
So sore he crackt his crown.

Then seizing fourscore pound,
To London straight he hyed,
And unto Sarah Millwood all
The cruell fact descryed.1
Tush, 'tis no matter, George,
So we the money have
To have good cheer in jolly sort,
And deck us fine and brave.
Thus lived in filthy sort,

Until their store was gone :
When means to get them any more,
I wis, poor George had none.
Therefore in railing sort,

She thrust him out of door: Which is the just reward of those Who spend upon a whore.

O! do me not disgrace

In this my need, quoth he. She call'd him thief and murderer, With all the spight might be :

To the constable she sent,

To have him apprehended; And shewed how far, in each degree, He had the laws offended.

1 Descryed-described.

THE STEDFAST SHEPHERD.

When Barnwell saw her drift,
To sea he got straightway;
Where fear and sting of conscience
Continually on him

Unto the lord mayor then,

He did a letter write;

In which his own and Sarah's fault
He did at large recite.

Whereby she seized was

And then to Ludlow sent:

Where she was judg'd, condemn'd, and hang'd, For murder incontinent.

There dyed this gallant quean,1
Such was her greatest gains:
For murder in Polonia

Was Barnwell hang'd in chains.

Lo! here's the end of youth,
That after harlots haunt;
Who in the spoil of other men
About the streets do flaunt.

THE STEDFAST SHEPHERD.

BY GEORGE WITHER.

HENCE away, thou Syren, leave me,

Pish! unclaspe these wanton armes ; Sugred words can ne'er deceive me,

(Though thou prove a thousand charmes). Fie, fie, forbeare;

No common snare

Can ever my

affection chaine :

Thy painted baits,

And poore deceits,

Are all bestowed on me in vaine.

1 Quean-base woman.