Old Ballads - 1810 Author:Thomas Evans Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: III. The most cruel Murder of Edward V. and his Brother the Duke of York, in the Tower, by their Uncle the Duke of Glocester. When God had ta'en away true ... more »wisdom's king, Edward the Fourth, whose fame shall always ring; Which reigned had full two and twenty years, And ruled well amongst his noble peers. When as he died, two sons he left behind, The prince of Wales, and duke of York most kind; The prince the eldest but eleven years old; The duke more young, as chronicles have told. The dead king's brother, duke of Glocester, Was chosen for the prince his protector; ; ' Who straightway plotted how to get the crownj f And pull his brother Edward's children down. Edward the fifth the prince was call'd by name, Who by succession did that title gain: A prudent prince, whose wisdom did excel Which made his uncles' heart with hatred swell. Then did the duke use all the means he might, By damn'd devices for to work their spite : At length the devil put it in his head, How all his plots should be accomplished. With sugar'd words, which had a poison'd sting, He did entice the duke and the young king, For safety's sake to lodge them in the Tower; A strong defence, and London's chiefest flower. With fair-spoke speeches and bewitching charms, He told them 'twould secure them from all harms : Thus by fair words, yet cruel treachery, He won their hearts within the Tower to lie. Great entertainment he these princes gave, And caus'd the Tower to be furnish'd brave 5 With sumptuous cheer he feasted them that day : Thus subtle wolves with harmless lambs do play. With music sweet he fitt'd their princely ears, And to their face a smiling count'nancte bears; But his foul heart with mischief was possess'd, And treach'rous thoughts were always in his breast.- ' When a...« less