I pray thee, said the Carnal,
Tell me before thou go,
Was not the mother of Jesus
Conceived by the Holy Ghost?
She was the purest Virgin,
And the cleanest from sin;
She was the handmaid of our Lord,
And mother of our King.
Where is the golden cradle
That Christ was rockéd in?
Where are the silken sheets
That Jesus was wrapt in?
A manger was the cradle
That Christ was rockéd in;
The provender the asses left
So sweetly He slept on.
There was a star in the West-land,
So bright did it appear
Into King Herod's chamber,
And where King Herod were.
The Wise Men soon espied it,
And told the king on high,
A princely babe was born that night
No king could e'er destroy.
If this be true, King Herod said,
As thou tellest unto me,
This roasted cock that lies in the dish
Shall crow full fences[O] three.
The cock soon freshly feathered was
By the work of God's own hand,
And then three fences crowéd he
In the dish where he did stand.
Rise up, rise up, you merry men all,
See that you ready be,
All children under two years old
Now slain they all shall be.
Then Jesus, ah! and Joseph,
And Mary that was so pure,
They travelled into Egypt,
As you shall find it sure.