A pleasant new Ballad to sing both Euen and Morne, Of the bloody murther of Sir Iohn Barley-corne.
To the tune of, Shall I lie beyond thee.
AS I went through the North Country
I heard a merry gréeting:
A pleasant toy, and full of ioy,
two noble men were méeting.
And as they walked for to to sport,
vpon a Summers day,
Then with another nobleman
they went to make a fray,
Whose name was sir Iohn Barly corne,
he dwelt downe in a dale:
Who had a kinsman dwelt him nigh,
they cal'd him Thomas Goodale.
Another named Richard Béere,
was ready at that time:
Another worthy Knight was there,
cal'd sir William White Wine.
Some of them fought in a Iacke,
some of them in a Can:
But the chiefest in a blacke pot,
like a worthy noble man.
Sir Iohn Barlycorne fought in a Boule,
who woune the victorie:
And made them all to fume and sweare,
that Barlycorne should die.
Some said kill him, some said drowne,
others wisht to hang him hie:
For as many as follow Barly-corne,
shall surely beggers die.
Then with a plough they plowed him vp
and thus they did deuise,
To burie him quicke within the earth,
and swore he should no rise.
With harrowes strong they combed him
and burst clods on his head:
A ioyfull banquet then was made,
when Barly-corne was dead.
He rested still within the earth,
till raine from skies did fall,
Then he grew vp in branches gréene,
which sore amaz'd them all,
And so grew vp till Mid-sommer,
which made them all afeard;
For he was sprouted vp on hie,
and got a goodly beard.
Then he grew till S.
Iames tide,
his countenance was wan,
For he was grewne vnto his strength.
and thus became a man.
With hookes and fickles kéene,
into the field they hide,
They cut his legs off by the knées,
and made him wounds full wide.
Thus bloodily they cut him downe
from place where he did stand,
And like a thiefe for treachery,
they bound him in a band.
So then they tooke him vp againe,
according to his kind:
And packt him vp in seuerall stackes,
to wither with the wind.
And with a pitch-forke that was sharpe,
they rent him to the heart,
And like a thiefe for treason vile,
they bound him in a cart.
And tending him with weapons strong,
vnto the towne they hie,
And straight they mowed him in a mow
and there they let him lie.
Then he lay groning by the wals,
till all his wounds were sore,
At length they tooke him vp againe,
and cast him on the floore.
They byred two with holly clubs,
to beat on him at once,
They thwacked so on Barly-corne,
that flesh fell from the bones.
And then they tooke him vp againe,
to fulfill womens minde
They dusted and they sifted him,
till he was almost blind.
And then they knit him in a sacke,
which grieued him full sore:
They stéep'd him in a Fat, God wot,
for thrée dayes space and more.
Then they tooke him vp againe,
and laid him for to drie,
They cast him on a chamber floore,
and swore that he should die
They rubbed and they stirred
[...],
and still they did him turne,
The Malt-man swore that
[...]e
[...]
his body he would bu
[...]ne.
They spightfully tooke him vp
[...]
and threw him on a
[...]:
So dried him there with fire
[...],
and thus they wrought their
[...]
Then they brought him to the
[...] ▪
an there they burst his b
[...]
The Miller swore to murther
[...]
betwixt a paire o
[...]
[...]nes.
Then they tooke him vp againe,
and seru'd him worse then the
For with hot scalding liquor
[...]
they washt him in a fat.
But not content with this G
[...]
that did him mickle harme,
With threatning words they
[...]
to beat him into harme.
And lying in this dang
[...] déep,
for feare that he should
[...]
They tooke him straight out
[...]
and tu
[...]n'd him in a barrell,
And then they set a tap to him,
euen thus his death begun
They drew out euery dram of
[...]
whilst any drop would
[...]un.
Some brought tacks vpon
[...]
some brought
[...]ill and b
[...]w,
And euery man his weapon
[...]
Barly-corne to ouerthrow.
When sir Iohn Good-ale hear
[...]
[...]
he came with mickle might,
And there he tooke their tongu
[...]
their legs or else their sight.
And thus sir Iohn in each respe
[...]
so paid them all their
[...]i
[...]e,
That some lay sléeping by the
[...]
some tumbling in the
[...]ire.
Some lay groning by the wai
[...],
some in the stréets downe right,
The best of them did scarcely
[...]
what they had done
[...]re
[...].
All you good wiue-that brew
[...]
God turne from you all
[...]:
But if you put too much water
[...],
the deuill put out your ey
[...].
FINIS.
Printed at London for H. G
A new Ballad for you to looke [...] deale with [...].
MĀs Mault he is a Gentleman,
And hath béene since the world began,
I neuer knew yet any man
that could match with master Mault sir,
I neuer knew any match Mault be once,
The Miller with his grinding stones.
He laid them so close that he crusht his bones,
you
[...]euer knew the like sir.
Mault, Mault, thou art a flowre.
Then
[...]t beloued in euery bowre,
Thou canst not be missing one halfe hour.
you neuer saw the like &c.
For laying of his stones so close,
Mault gaue the Miller a copper nose,
Saying thou and I will neuer be foes,
but vnto thée I sticke sir.
Mault gaue the Miller such a blow,
That from is horse he fell full low,
He taught him his master Mault for to know,
you neuer saw the like sir.
Our hostesse maid she was to blame,
She stole master Mault away from her dame,
And in her belly she did the same,
you neuer saw the like sir.
So when the Mault did worke in her head,
Twice a day she would be sped,
At night she could not goe to bid,
nor scarce stand on her feet sir.
Then came in the master Smith,
And said that Mault he was a theefe.
But Mault gaue him such a dash in the téeth:
you neuer saw the like sir,
For when his Iron was hot and red,
He had such an ache all in his head,
The Smith was faine to get him to bed,
for then he was very sicke sir.
The Carpenter came a péece to square,
He had Mault come out if he dare,
He would empty his belly, & beat his sides bare
that he know not where to sit sir.
To fire be went with an arme full of chips,
Mault hit him right betwéene his lips,
And made him lame in both his hips,
you neuer saw the like sir,
The Shooe-maker sitting vpon his seat
With master Mault he began to fret,
He said he would the knaue so beat,
you neuer saw the like sir.
Mault péept his head out of a hall,
The shoomaker said, he would drinke him vp al,
They
[...]umled together till downe they did fall,
you neuer saw the like sir.
The Weauer being in his loome,
He threatned master Mault to bu
[...]n,
When he had knit on to the thrum,
you neuer saw the like sir.
And such a Court some Weauers held,
They would pay our hostes when they had seld,
But when euery one had his part and deald,
they knew not where to sit sir,
The Tinker he tooke the Weauers part
Because he is touching vnto his Art,
He tooke the pot and drenke a quart,
the world was very quicke sir,
Mault had of him his owne desire,
He made him tumble into the fire,
[...]thers he lost his burling ire,
[...]e hath not found it yet sir.
The Taylor he came in to grinde his she
[...]res.
Mault and he were together by the
[...]ares,
Great is the company Mault still reares,
you neuer saw the like sir.
For when his pressing Iron was h
[...]t,
He pressed a boord in stead of a coat,
And sayled home in a fether-bed boat,
you neuer saw the like sir,
So then the Tinker did sound his pan,
Then said master Mault I must be gone,
I am the good fellow that helpeth eatch one,
you neuer saw the like sir.
The Tinker then that he was faine.
With Mault to hau
[...] about or twaine,
Mault hit him sore in euery vaine,
you neuer saw the like sir.
Then bespake the Tinker anon
He said he would proue himselfe a man,
He laid on Mault till the housse was gone,
the Bung and the Tinker fell sicke sir.
The Sayler he did curse and ban,
He bad the boy, goe tap the can,
Ile haue about with Mault anan,
you neuer saw the like sir.
Aboord they went to try their match,
And there they playd at hop and catch,
Mault bestowed him vnder the ba
[...]ch,
and made him kéepe the ship sir.
Then came the Chapman trauelling by,
And said, My masters I will be w'ye,
In déed
[...]staer Mault my mouth is dry,
I will gnaw you with my teeth sir.
The Chapman he said on a pace,
Till store of blood came in his face,
But Mault brought him in such a case.
you neuer saw the like sir.
The Mason came an Ouen to make,
The Bricklayer he his part did take,
They bound Mault to the good-ale stake,
you neuer saw the like sir,
Then Mault began to tell his mind,
And plide them with Ale, Beere and Wine,
They left Brick-are and trowell behind,
they could not lay a bricke sir.
Then came the Labourer out with his hood,
And saw his two masters how they stood,
He tooke master Mault by the whoo
[...],
and swore he would him strike sir.
Mault he ran and for feare did weep,
The Labourer he did skip and leape,
But Mault cast him into the morter heape,
and there he fell a sleepe sir.
The Butcher came to buy a sheepe:
He said he would make Mault to creepe,
But Mault made him the cat to whip.
you neuer saw the like sir.
The Glouer came to buy a skin,
Mault hit him right aboue the chin,
The pewter Iohn came doubling in,
you neuer saw the like sir.
And laid on head, armes, and ioynts,
Tooke away his gloues, and grosse of points,
And swore they had paid him in quartes and pints,
you neuer saw the like sir.
Thus of my song I will make an end,
And pray my hostesse to be my friend,
To giue me some drink now my mony is spend
then Mault and I am quit sir.
FINIS.