A holiday, a holiday, and the one of the year Lord DArlen's wife came the church, the for to hear.
And when the meeting it was done, she cast her about And there she saw little Groves, walking in the crowd "Come home me, little Matty Groves, come home with me tonight Come home with me, little Groves, and sleep with me till light" "Oh, I can't come home, I won't come home and with you tonight By the on your fingers I can tell you are my master's wife" "But if I am Lord Arlen 's wife, Lord Arlen's not at He is out in the far bringing the yearlings home"
And a servant who was standing by and what was said He swore Lord Arlen he would know before the sun set And in his hurry to the news, he bent his breast and ran And when he came to the broad millstream, he took off his shoes and he
Little Matty Groves, he lay down and took a sleep When he awoke, Lord Arlen was at his feet "How do you like my feather bed and how do you like my sheets How do you my lady who lies in your arms asleep?" "Oh, well I like your feather bed and well I your sheets But better I your lady gay who lies in my arms asleep" "Well, get up, get up," Arlen cried, "get up as quick as you can It'll never be in fair England that I slew a naked man" "Oh, I can't get up, I won't get up, I get up for my life For you have two long beaten swords and I not a knife" "Well it's true I have two swords and they cost me deep in the purse But you will the better of them and I will have the worse And you will strike the very first blow and it like a man I will the very next blow and I'll kill you if I can"
So Matty struck the very first blow and he Lord Arlen sore Lord Arlen struck the very blow and Matty struck no more And then Lord Arlen took his and he sat her on his knee Saying "Who do you the best of us, Matty Groves or me?" And then up spoke his own dear wife, never heard to so free "I'd a kiss from dead Matty's lips than you or your finery"
Lord he jumped up and loudly he did bawl He struck his wife through the heart and pinned her against the wall "A grave, a grave," Arlen cried, "to put these lovers in But bury my at the top for she was of noble kin"