%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The three Merry Butchers and ten / HIGHWAYMEN. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center English Broadside Ballad Archive (EBBA) Director Patricia Fumerton Associate Director Carl G Stahmer 1690-1690 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 10/18/2018 35651

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Patricia Fumerton Early Modern Center - English Department University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93105 United States of America EMail: pfumer@english.ucsb.edu

R185014 1 NONE Spanish Gypsies, The I'LL tell you of a Story, / Of lovely Butchers three; Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. : The three Merry Butchers and ten / HIGHWAYMEN. The three Merry Butchers and ten HIGHWAYMEN. 1690-1690

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 Early Modern Center Ballad Project Keyword Taxonomy advice affliction / health alcohol Americas animals / nature Bible / biblical figures buildings / architecture catastrophe children class clothing / appearance country / nation crime death economics / commerce entertainments family Featured folklore gender holidays / seasons infidelity labor / craft law London love maritime marriage military / war monstrosity mythology / Classical news nobility / court politics / government procreation punishment race / ethnicity religious concepts religious figures religious groups royalty rural life servitude sex / sexuality supernatural / magic travel trickery / deceit urban life vice violence virtue vulgar humor youth / age Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 10/18/2018 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America crime travel trickery / deceit violence Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 10/18/2018 2:22:52 PM XBallad Sintura, Maria Created XML Version of Ballad 10/18/2018 2:22:52 PM Transcription Supervisor McCants, Kristen Transcription of ballad manuscript 10/18/2018 2:22:52 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Levinson-Emley, Rachel Transcription of ballad manuscript 10/18/2018 2:22:52 PM Transcriptionist Two White, Jessica Transcription of ballad manuscript 10/18/2018 2:22:52 PM Transcriptionist One Le, Kim Transcription of ballad manuscript 8/14/2018 Checker Minh Hua Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 10/30/2017 Checker Kristen McCants Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 10/13/2016 Bibliographer Rachel LevinsonEmley Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created
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I'LL tell you of a Story, Of lovely Butchers three; There's Wilson, Gibson, Johnson, Mark well what I shall say: For they took five hundred Pounds Sir, To pay it all away; For they took five hundred Pounds Sir, To pay it all away. As they rid on the Road, And as fast as they could trig; Strike up your Hearts say Johnson, We'll have a merry Jig: With a high ding ding, with a ho ding ding, With a high ding ding ding die; And God bless all good People, From evil Company. As they rid on the Road Sir, As fast as they cou'd hi[e] Strike up your Hearts says Johnson, For I hear a Woman cry: With that he stept into the Wood, And lookt himself all round; And there he spy'd a Woman, With her Hair bound to the Ground.
O Woman O Woman quoth Johnson, Hast thou no evil Company: O no O no says the Woman, Alas how can that be: For there came ten swaggering Blades, And thus abused me; For there came, &c. Johnson being of a Valiant Heart, And bore a Valiant Mind; He wrapt his Cloak about her, For to keep her from the Wind: With a high ding ding, with a ho ding ding, With a high ding ding ding die; And God bless all good People, From evil Company. Strike up your Hearts says Johnson, For its dark all in the Sky; She put her Finger in her Ear, And gave a squeaking cry: With that there came ten swaggering Blades, With their Weapons ready drawn; And they boldly came to Johnson, And bolder bid him stand.
I will not fight says Wilson, For I had rather die; Or I to fight says Gibson, For I had rather fly: Come or come on, says Johnson, And fight a Man so free; Or stand you still behind my Back, And I'll win the Victory. Then Johnson's Pistols they flew off, Till five of them were slain; And then he drew his Hanger out, With all his Might and Main: And play'd it about so Manfully, Till three more he had slain; And play'd it about so Manfully, Till three more he had slain. Come on, come on, says the other two, And let us make away; For if that we do hold him to't, Our Lives he'll take away: O no, O no, quoth the Woman, And alas how can that be; For if you do not hold him to't, Then hanged you shall be. Johnson fighting these two Thieves before, She knockt him down behind; O Woman, O Woman, quoth Johnson, Alas what have you done: You killed the bravest Butcher, That ever England won. Just as she had killed him, There came one riding by; And saw the Deed that she had done, And seized her presently: She was condemn'd for to be hang'd, In Iron Chains so strong; At the Place where she did Johnson, That great and mighty wrong.