And I myself do now believe Thy name is Jesus called; Redeemer of mankind thou art, Though undeserving all. The truth, man, thou hast spoken, Of it thou mayest be sure, For I must lose my precious blood For thee and thousands more. If any one should come this way, And enquire for me alone, Tell him that Jesus passed by As thou thy seed did sow. After that there came king Herod, With his train so furiously, Enquiring of the husbandman Whether Jesus passed by. Why the truth it must be spoke, And the truth it must be known, For Jesus passed by this way, When my seed was sown. But now I have it reapen, And some laid on my wain, Ready to fetch and carry Into my barn again. Turn back, says the captain, Your labour and mine’s in vain, It’s full three quarters of a year Since he his seed has sown. So Herod was deceived, By the work of God’s own hand, And further he proceeded Into the Holy Land. There’s thousands of children young, Which for his sake did die; Do not forbid those little ones, And do not them deny. The truth now I have spoken, And the truth now I have shown; Even the blessed virgin, She’s now brought forth a Son. XXII. AS it fell out one May morning, And upon one bright holiday, Sweet Jesus asked of his dear mother, If He might go to play. To play, to play, sweet Jesus shall go, And to play pray get you gone, And let me hear of no complaint, At night when you come home. Sweet Jesus went down to yonder town, As far as the Holy Well, And there did see as fine children As any tongue can tell. He said, God bless you every one, And your bodies Christ save and see; Little children, shall I play with you, And you shall play with me? But they made answer to him, No! They were lords’ and ladies’ sons; And He, the meanest of them all, A maiden’s child, born in an oxen’s stall. Sweet Jesus turned him around, And he neither laugh’d nor smil’d, But the tears came trickling from his eyes, Like water from the skies. Sweet Jesus turned him about, To his mother’s dear home went he, And said, I have been in yonder town, As after you may see. I have been down in yonder town, As far as the Holy Well, And there did I meet as fine children As any tongue can tell. I bid God bless them every one, And their bodies Christ save and see; Little children, shall I play with you, And you shall play with me? But they made answer to me, No! They were lords’ and ladies’ sons, And I, the meanest of them all, A maiden’s child, born in an ox’s stall.