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