 | The Night Raven |  |
The valiant Butcher.
Foure theeues, that all the day had bin to take,At night betweene themselues would euen make
Within a wood vnder a hedge on ground
They spred a cloake, and sat about it round,
And there their monyes equally deuide
Into foure parts, laying to each mans side
His share according to th' amounting sum,
Thus as they sat, a Butcher chaunc'd to come
A long the hedge, who sound of voyce did heare,
And prying softly through, saw money there,
Bouldly resolu'd to share it from them all:
Breakes through with his staffe and lowd did call,
Heere masters heere, the villains are we looke,
Come through quick, with that the theeues forsook
Money and cloake, and take themselues to run,
That they the daunger of their necks might shun,
Constrain'd by guilt and put to flight by feare.
As if a hundred armed men were there,
The Butcher tooke the money and the clooke,
And to himselfe in ioyfull manner spoke,
Heer's the best match, that I haue made of long
As speech is vs'd, Ile pocket up this wrong.
| The Night Raven | |