The Ballad of George Collins

George Collins walked out one May morning
When May was all in bloom,
And who should he see but a fair pretty maid
A-washing a white marble stone
She whooped, she hollered, she called so loud
She waved her lily-white hand
Come hither to me, George Collins, cried she
For your life it won't last you long
He put his benbow down by the bank side
Across the river sprang he
He clipped his hands 'round her middle so small
And he kissed her red ruby lips
Then he rode home to his father's own house
And loudly knocked at the ring
Arise! Arise! Dear father, he cried,
Arise and please let me in
Arise! Arise! Dear mother, he cried,
Arise and maketh my bed,
Arise! Arise! Dear sister, he cried,
Get a napkin to tie 'round my head
For if I should die tonight
As I suppose I shall
Please bury me 'neath that white marble stone
That lays in fair Eleander's hall
Fair Eleander sat all in her hall
A-weaving her silk so fine
Who should she see but the finest corpse
That ever her eyes shone on
Oh, fair Eleander called unto her head maid
Whose corpse is this oh so fine?
She made her reply, George Collins's corpse,
An old true lover of thine
Oh, put him down my little brave boys
And open his coffin so wide
That I may kiss his red ruby lips
Ten thousand times they've kissed mine
This news been carried to fair London town
And wrote on London Gate,
Six pretty maids died all in one night
'Twas all for George Collins's sake