THE High-way Mans Advice To his Brethren.

THE High-way Mans Advice To his Brethren.

Or, Nevison's Last Legacy to the Knights of the High-Padd; By way of Caution, to deter them from following their Unlawful Enterprizes. Being a most Pleasant New Song, greatly in Request both in City and Country. Beware all you that set Unlawful Game, Least in the end your selves you sadly shame; Hemp is a fatal Weed, and spoils the growth Of many a rash and unadvised Youth: Then timely warning take er'e 'tis too late, And by that warning shun untimely Fate.

A fictional cautionary ballad, warning against highway robbery and imagining punishment for highwaymen.

Magdalene College - Pepys Library, Pepys Ballads 2.157; EBBA 20777

Follow bonny Lad: Or, The High-way Man's Delight

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.

hanging

robbery, theft

Printed for I. Wright, I. Clark, VV. Thackeray, and T. Passenger.