The ladie lend on her castle-walle,
She loked upp and downe;
There was she ware of an host of men,15
Come riding to the towne.
"Come yow hether, my meri men all,
And look what I do see;
Yonder is ther an host of men,
I musen who they bee."20
She thought he had been her own wed lord,
That had comd riding home;
Then was it traitour Captaine Care,
The lord of Ester-towne.
They were no soner at supper sett,25
Then after said the grace,
Or captaine Care and all his men
Wer lighte aboute the place.
"Gyve over thi howsse, thou lady gay,
And I will make the a bande;30
To-nighte thoust ly wythin my arm,
To-morrowe thou shall ere my lan[de]."
Then bespacke the eldest sonne,
That was both whitt and redde,
"O mother dere, geve over your howsse,35
Or elles we shal be deade."
"I will not geve over my hous," she saithe,
"Not for feare of my lyffe;
It shal be talked throughout the land,
The slaughter of a wyffe.40
"Fetch me my pestilett,
And charge me my gonne,
That I may shott at the bloddy butcher,
The lord of Easter-towne."