Page:The Babes in the Wood.djvu/9

Rh XVI. Thus wandered these poor innocents &emsp;Till death did end their grief, In one another's arms they died, &emsp;As wanting due relief: No burial this pretty pair &emsp;Of any man receives, Till Robin Redbreast piously &emsp;Did cover them with leaves.

XVII. And now the heavy wrath of God &emsp;Upon their uncle fell; Yea, fearful fiends did haunt his house, &emsp;His conscience felt an hell: His barns were fired, his goods consumed, &emsp;His lands were barren made, His cattle died within tho field, &emsp;And nothing with him stayed.

XVIII. And in the voyage to Portugal &emsp;Two of his sons did die; And to conclude, himself was brought &emsp;To want and misery. He pawned and mortgaged all his land &emsp;Ere seven years came about; And now at length this wicked act &emsp;Did by this means come out:

XIX. The fellow that did take in hand &emsp;These children for to kill, Was for a robbery judged to die, &emsp;Such was God's blessed will. Who did confess the very truth, &emsp;As here hath been displayed: Their uncle having died in jail, &emsp;Where he for debt was laid.