THE High-way Mans Advice To his Brethren.
- Ballad Title
- THE High-way Mans Advice To his Brethren.
- Indicated Tune
- Follow bonny Lad: Or, The High-way Man's Delight
- Ballad Location
- Magdalene College - Pepys Library, Pepys Ballads 2.157; EBBA 20777
- Background Information
- A fictional cautionary ballad, warning against highway robbery and imagining punishment for highwaymen.
- Event Date
- 1684
- Printing Location
- Printed for I. Wright, I. Clark, VV. Thackeray, and T. Passenger.
- Crime
- robbery, theft
- Gender of Accused
- Male
- Method of Punishment
- hanging
- Category
- Crime and Punishment Ballads
- Sub-Category
-
Execution Ballads
- Transcription
-
F Ollow bonny Lad,
By the High-way side,
my own dear loving Brother;
But if thou love me as I love thee,
then let us gang both together.
And if we meet a Man,
We'l cause him to stand,
my own dear loving Brother;
But if thou love me, as I love thee,
we'l make him stand both together.
Be it better, be't worse,
We will take his Purse,
my own dear loving Brother;
But if thou love me, as I love thee,
we will take it both together.
And than by and by,
Follow the Hue and Cry,
my own dear loving Brother;
But if thou love me, as I love thee,
we'l both be taken together.
And [then in a Cart,]
We'l [be carry'd] to York,
my own dear loving Brother;
But if thou love me, as I love thee,
we'l both be carry'd together.
Then over Mount-Hill,
And by the Mill,
my own dear loving Brother;
But if thou love me, as I love thee,
one pint we will drink together.
And then we must lye
Until the next Assize,
my own dear loving Brother;
But if thou love me, as I love thee,
there we will lye together.
And the next Assize,
We must be Trappiz'd,
my own dear loving B rother;
But if thou love me, as I love thee,
we both will Swing together.
With the Mattock and Spade,
Our Graves shall be made,
my own dear loving Brother;
But if thou love me, as I love thee,
we'l lye in a Grave together.
But let us not be
Fearful whilst free,
my own dear loving Brother ;
For if thou love me, as I love thee,
we will fight and dye together.
For a Knight of the Padd,
Should never be sad,
my own dear loving Brother;
But if thou lov'st me, as I love thee,
we will be merry together.
Let what will come,
We know our Doom,
my own dear loving B rother;
But if thou love me, as I love thee,
we will cast away fear together.
Our Booty we'l share,
And take no futher care,
my own dear loving Brother;
But if thou love me, as I love thee,
we will spend it both together.
Our Lasses and our Wine,
Our Wits shall refine,
my own dear loving Brother;
But if thou love me, as I love thee,
we will share them both together.
At nothing we'l grieve,
So Silver we have,
my own dear loving Brother;
For if thou lov'st me, as I love thee,
what we do we'l do together.
Men of our Profession,
Move by Discretion,
my own dear loving B rother;
And if thou love me, as I love thee,
we'l jovially move together.
Goals we will Contemn,
Till we fall into them,
my own dear loving B rother;
But if thou love me, as I love thee,
we'l wear the stone doublet together.
But as we now are,
Let us have a care,
my own dear loving Brother;
And if thou love me, as I love thee,
let us have a care toghther.
O let us-still beware,
Of the wretced Snare,
my own dear loving Brother;
And if thou lov'st me, as I love thee,
O let us have a care together.
O to dye in a Rope,
Wilt destroy all our hope,
my own dear loving Brother;
But if thou lov'st me, as I love thee,
if we dye we'l dye both together.
