On Freedom

Kyng of all{.e} kyng{.e}sTo here Son{.e} sche ches.He cam also stylleThere his moder wasAs dew in AprylleThat fallyt on the gras;He cam also stylleTo his moderes bowrAs dew in AprilleThat fallyt on the flour;He cam also stylleThere his moder layAs dew in AprilleThat fallyt on the spray;Moder and maydynWas never non but sche;Wel may swych…

They came togetherThe Father, the Mother,Debating.‘Forever they shall live,‘Our Children,‘When they are born Men,‘Forever they shall live,’Said the Father,Said the Mother.But the little Bird cried,Ah, the little Bird cried:‘How shall I nest me –‘How shall I nest me‘In their warm graves‘If men live forever?’

I walk in de moonlight, I walk in de starlight,To lay dis body down.I walk in de graveyard, I walk through de graveyard,To lay dis body down.I’ll lie in de grave and stretch out my arms,To lay dis body down.I go to de judgement in de evenin’ of de day,When I lay dis body down;And…

A wat a’ man to bed were gone,Clark Sanders came to Margret’s window,With mony a sad sigh and groan.‘Are ye sleeping, Margret,’ he says,‘Or are ye waking, presentlie?Give me my faith and trouthe again,A wat, trew-love, I gied to thee.’‘Your faith and trouth ye’s never get,Nor our trew love shall never twain,Till ye come with…

No doubt many prayers to thee seem strange,But won’t you bless this cattle range?Bless the round-up year by yearAnd don’t forget the growing steer;Water the land with brooks and rillsFor my cattle that roam a thousand hills.Now, O Lord, won’t you be goodAnd give our livestock plenty of food;And to avert a winter’s woeGive Italian…

Stevyn out of kechone cam, wyth boris hed on honde;He saw a sterre was fayr and bryght over Bedlem stonde.He kyst adoun the boris hed and went in to the halle:‘I forsak the, Kyng Herowd{.e}s, and thi werkes all{.e}.’‘I forsak the, Kyng Herowd{.e}s, and thi werkes alle;Ther is a chyld in Bedlem born is beter…