“so fares the unthrifty lord of linne

till all his gold is gone and spent:

and he maun sell his lands so broad,

his house and landes and all his rent.

. . . . . . .

thus he hath sold his land so broad,

both hill and holt, and moore and fenne,

all but a poore and lonesome lodge,

that stood far off in a lonely glenne.

for soe he to his father hight:

‘my sonne, when i am gonne,’ sayd hee,

‘then thou wilt spend thy lande so broad,

and thou wilt spend thy gold so free:

but sweare me nowe upon the roode,

that lonesome lodge thou’lt never spend;

for when all the world doth frown on thee,

thou there shalt find a faithful friend.’

. . . . . . .

away then hyed the heire of linne

o’er hill and holt, and moore and fenne,

untill he came to the lonesome lodge,

that stood so lowe in a lonely glenne.

. . . . . . .

then round his necke the corde he drewe,

and sprang aloft with his bodie:

when lo! the ceiling burst in twaine,

and to the ground came tumbling hee.

astonyed lay the heire of linne,

ne knewe if he were live or dead:

at length he looked, and sawe a bille,

and in it a key of gold so redd.

he took the bill, and lookt it on,

strait good comfort found he there:

itt told him of a hole in the wall,

in which there stood three chests in-fere.

two were full of the beaten golde,

the third was full of white monèy;

and over them in broad lettèrs

these words were written so plaine to see:

‘once more, my sonne, i sette thee clere;

amend thy life and follies past;

for but thou amend thee of thy life,

that rope must be thy end at last.’”