Then bespacke the eldest sonne, That was both whitt and redde, "O mother dere, geve over your howsse, 35 Or elles we shal be deade." "I will not geve over my hous," she saithe, "Not for feare of my lyffe; It shal be talked throughout the land, The slaughter of a wyffe. 40 "Fetch me my pestilett, And charge me my gonne, That I may shott at the bloddy butcher, The lord of Easter-towne." She styfly stod on her castle-wall, 45 And lett the pellettes flee, She myst the blody bucher, And slew other three. "I will not geve over my hous," she saithe, "Netheir for lord nor lowne, 50 Nor yet for traitour Captaine Care, The lord of Easter-towne. "I desire of Captaine Care, And all his bloddye band, That he would save my eldest sonne, 55 The eare of all my lande." "Lap him in a shete," he sayth, "And let him downe to me, And I shall take him in my armes, His waran wyll I be." 60 The captayne sayd unto himselfe, Wyth sped before the rest; He cut his tonge out of his head, His hart out of his brest. He lapt them in a handerchef, 65 And knet it of knotes three, And cast them over the castell-wall At that gay ladye. "Fye upon thee, Captaine Care, And all thy bloddy band, 70 For thou hast slayne my eldest sonne, The ayre of all my land." Then bespake the yongest sonn, That sat on the nurses knee, Sayth, "Mother gay, geve ower your house, 75 [The smoke] it smoldereth me." "I wold geve my gold," she saith, "And so I wolde my fee, For a blaste of the wesleyn wind To dryve the smoke from thee. 80 "Fy upon thee, John Hamleton, That ever I paid th['e] hyre, For thou hast broken my castle-wall, And kyndled in [it] the fyre."[L84] The lady gate to her close parler, 85 The fire fell aboute her head; She toke up her children thre, Seth, "Babes, we are all dead." Then bespake the hye steward, That is of hye degree; 90 Saith, "Ladie gay, you are no 'bote,' Wethere ye fighte or flee." Lord Hamleton dremd in his dreame, In Carvall where he laye, His halle 'was' all of fyre, 95 His ladie slayne or daye. "Busk and bowne, my merry men all, Even and go ye with me, For I 'dremd' that my hall was on fyre My lady slayne or day." 100