When she heard me say so, The tears fell from her eye; 130 "O George," quoth she, "if thou dost fail, Thy Sarah sure will dye." Though long, yet loe! at last, The appointed day was come, That I must with my Sarah meet; 135 Having a mighty sum[L136] Of money in my hand, Unto her house went I, Whereas my love upon her bed In saddest sort did lye. 140 "What ails my heart's delight, My Sarah dear?" quoth I; "Let not my love lament and grieve, Nor sighing pine and die. "But tell me, dearest friend, 145 What may thy woes amend, And thou shalt lack no means of help, Though forty pound I spend." With that she turn'd her head, And sickly thus did say: 150 "Oh me, sweet George, my grief is great; Ten pound I have to pay Unto a cruel wretch; And God he knows," quoth she, "I have it not." "Tush, rise," I said, 155 "And take it here of me. "Ten pounds, nor ten times ten, Shall make my love decay;" Then from my bag into her lap, I cast ten pound straightway. 160 All blithe and pleasant then, To banqueting we go; She proffered me to lye with her, And said it should be so. And after that same time, 165 I gave her store of coyn, Yea, sometimes fifty pound at once; All which I did purloyn. And thus I did pass on; Until my master then 170 Did call to have his reckoning in Cast up among his men. The which when as I heard, I knew not what to say: For well I knew that I was out 175 Two hundred pound that day. Then from my master straight I ran in secret sort; And unto Sarah Milwood there My case I did report. 180 _But how she used this youth, In this his care and woe, And all a strumpet's wiley ways, The second part may showe._ 136. The having a sum of money with him on Sunday, &c., shows this narrative to have been penned before the civil wars: the strict observance of the Sabbath was owing to the change of manners at that period. PERCY. THE SECOND PART. "Young Barnwell comes to thee, Sweet Sarah, my delight; I am undone, unless thou stand My faithful friend this night. "Our master to accompts 5 Hath just occasion found; And I am caught behind the hand Above two hundred pound.