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