There will be a winter Council, a careful Christmas, and a bloody Lent. In those days there shall be hatred and bloodshed, The father against the son, and the son against his father, That one may have a house for lifting the latch of the door. Landlords shall stand, with hats in their hands, To desire tenants to hold their lands. Great wars and pressing of soldiers, But at last clubs and clouted shoes shall carry the day. It will be good in these days for a man to sell his goods, and keep close at home. Then forty pounds in hand Will be better than forty pounds a year in land. The cock of the North shall be made to flee, And his feathers be plucked for his pride; That he shall almost curse the day that he was born. One asked Nixon, where he might be safe in those days? he answered, In God’s croft, between the rivers Mersey and Dee. Scotland shall stand more or less, Till it has brought England to a piteous case. The Scots shall rule England one whole year. Three years of great wars, And in all countries great uproars. The first is terrible, the second worse, but the third unbearable. Three great battles; One at Northumberland-bridge, One at Cumberland-bridge, And the other the south side of Trent. Crows shall drink the blood of many nobles. East shall rise against West, and North against South. Then take this for good, Noginshire-mill shall run with blood, And many shall fly down Wanslow-lane. A man shall come into England, But the son of a king crown’d with thorns Shall take from him the victory. Many nobles shall fight, But a bastard Duke shall win the day, And so without delay, Set England in a right way. A wolf from the East shall right eagerly come, On the South side of Sandford, on a grey Monday morn, Where groves shall grow upon a green, Beside green grey they shall flee Into rocks, and many die. They shall flee into Salt strand, And twenty thousand, without sword, shall die each man. The dark dragon over Sudsbrown, Shall bring with him a royal band; But their lives shall be forlorn, His head shall be in Stafford town, His tail in Ireland. He boldly shall bring his men, thinking to win renown: Beside a wall in forest fair he shall be beaten down. On Hine’s heath they shall begin this bloody fight, And with train’d steed shall hew each others’ helmet bright: But who shall win that day no one can tell. A Duke out of Denmark shall him dight, On a day in England, and make many a lord full low to light, And the ladies cry, ‘Well away,’ And the black fleet with main and might Their enemies full boldly their assail.