They rubbed him and they stirred him, and still they did him turne, The malt man swore that he should die, his body he would burne. They spightfully tooke him up againe, and threw him on a kill [F. 128] So dried him there with fire hot and thus they wraught their will. Then they brought him to the mill, and there they burst his bones, The Miller swore to murther him, betwixt a pair of stones. Then they tooke him up againe, and serv'd him worse than that, For with hot scalding liquor store they washt him in a Fat But not content with this, God wot, that did him mickle harme; With threatening words they promised to beat him into barme. And lying in this danger deep, for feare that he should quarrell, They tooke him straight out of the fat, and tunn'd him in a barrell. And then they set a tap to him, even thus his death begun; They drew out every drain of blood, Whilst any drop would run. Some brought jacks[F. 129] upon their backs, some brought bill and bow, And every man his weapon had, Barly-Corne to overthrow. When sir John Goodale heard of this he came with mickle might, And there he took their tongues away, their legs or else their sight. And thus sir John in each respect so paid them all their hire, That some lay sleeping by the way, some tumbling in the mire. Some lay groning by the wals, some in the streets downeright, The best of them did scarcely know what they had done ore night. All you good wives that brew good ale God turn from you all teene,[F. 130] But if you put too much water in the devill put out your eyne. FINIS. London, Printed for _John Wright_,[F. 131] and are to be sold at his shop in _Guilt spurre_ Street at the signe of the Bible. A very slight comparison with Robert Burns' poem on this subject will show how much he was indebted to this version, having plagiarised, almost verbally, in many parts. [Footnote 125: For tune, see Appendix.] [Footnote 126: Hied.] [Footnote 127: Vat] [Footnote 128: Kiln] [Footnote 129: A thick leather coat; here used in another sense as a "black jack" or leather can.] [Footnote 130: Sorrow.] [Footnote 131: A John Wright at the Bible, near Newgate, published between 1624 and 1627; but a J. Wright in Giltspur Street published from 1670 to 1690. In the Roxburghe Ballads are three editions of this ballad, catalogued (?) 1650, 1690, 1730.] _How_ Tarlton _tooke Tobacco at the first comming up of it_.