A holiday, a holiday, and the one of the year Lord DArlen's came into the church, the for to hear.
And the meeting it was done, she cast her eyes about And there she saw Matty Groves, walking in the crowd "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 home, I won't come home and sleep with you tonight By the rings on your fingers I can tell you are my 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 who was standing by and hearing what was said He Lord Arlen he would know before the sun would set And in his to carry the news, he bent his breast and ran And when he came to the broad millstream, he took off his shoes and he
Little Groves, he lay down and took a little sleep When he awoke, Lord Arlen was standing at his Saying "How do you like my feather bed and how do you like my How do you like my lady who in your arms asleep?" "Oh, well I like your feather bed and well I your sheets But better I like 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 said in 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 I have two beaten 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 the very next blow and I'll kill you if I can"
So Matty struck the very first blow and he hurt Lord Arlen Lord Arlen struck the very next blow and Matty struck no And then Lord Arlen took his wife and he sat her on his Saying "Who do you the best of us, Matty Groves or me?" And then up spoke his own dear wife, never heard to speak so "I'd rather a kiss from dead lips than you or your finery"
Lord Arlen he up and loudly he did bawl He struck his wife right through the heart and pinned her against the "A grave, a grave," Arlen cried, "to put these lovers in But my lady at the top for she was of noble kin"