8 He writ a letter with his owne hand, He thought he writ it bravely; He sent to New-castle towne, To his belovëd lady. 9 Wherein he did at large bewaile The occasion of his folly, Bequeathing life unto the law, His soule to heaven holy. 10 ‘Why, lady, leave to weepe for me! Let not my ending grieve ye! Prove constant to the man you love, For I cannot releeve ye. 11 ‘Out upon the, Withrington! And fie upon the, Phœnix! Thou hast put downe the doughty one That stole the sheepe from Anix. 12 ‘And fie on all such cruell carles Whose crueltie’s so fickle To cast away a gentleman, In hatred, for so little! 13 ‘I would I were on yonder hill, Where I have beene full merry, My sword and buckeler by my side, To fight till I be weary. 14 ‘They well should know, that tooke me first, Though hopes be now forsaken, Had I but freedome, armes, and health, I’de dye ere I’de be taken. 15 ‘But law condemns me to my grave, They have me in their power; Ther’s none but Christ that can mee save At this my dying houre.’ 16 He calld his dearest love to him, When as his heart was sorry, And speaking thus, with manly heart, ‘Deare sweeting, pray for Georgie.’ 17 He gave to her a piece of gold, And bade her give ‘t her barnes, And oft he kist her rosie lips, And laid him into her armes. 18 And comming to the place of death, He never changëd colour; The more they thought he would looke pale, The more his veines were fuller. 19 And with a cheerefull countenance, Being at that time entreated For to confesse his former life, These words he straight repeated. 20 ‘I never stole no oxe nor cow, Nor never murdered any; But fifty horse I did receive Of a merchant’s man of Gory. 21 ‘For which I am condemnd to dye, Though guiltlesse I stand dying; Deare gracious God, my soule receive! For now my life is flying.’ 22 The man of death a part did act Which grieves mee tell the story; God comfort all are comfortlesse, And did[e] so well as Georgie! Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, my bonny love, Heigh-ho, heigh[-ho], my bonny, Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, mine own true love, Sweet Christ receive my Georgie! 1. _Burden to st. 1_: honny _in the second line_. 10^3. the ney. 14^2. whoops. 14^4. dye are. “The Life and Death of George of Oxford. To a pleasant tune, called Poor Georgy.” Roxburghe Collection, IV, 53, Pepys, II, 150, Jersey, I, 86, Huth, I, 150, according to Mr J. W. Ebsworth, Roxburghe Ballads, VII, 70, 1890. It was printed for P. Brooksby, whose time Mr Ebsworth gives as between 1671 and 1692.