As bokes olde doth specyfye Of all the wyde worlde trulye. He was lorde and gouernour. The Jewes that tyme lackyd a kyng They lackyd a kyng to gyde them well The Emperour of force and myght Chose one Herode agaynst all ryght In Israell. This Herode than was kyng of Jewys Was kynge of Jewys and he no Jewe For so the he was a panym borne Wherfore on fayth it may be sworne He reygned kynge vntrewe. By prophesye one Isay One Isay, at lest dyd tell A chylde sholde come wonderous newys e shold be borne trewe kyng of Jewys In Israell. This Herode knew one borne shold be One borne sholde be of trewe lenage That sholde be ryght herytour For he but by the Emperour Was made by vsurpage Wherfore of throught this kynge Herode This kynge Herode in grete fere fell For all the years most in his myrth Euer he fered Chrystes byrth In Israell. The tyme came it pleased god It pleased god so get to pas For mannes soule in dede His blyssed sone was borne wyth spede As his wyll was Tydynges came to kynke Herode To kynge Herode, and dyd hym tell That one borne forsoth is he Which lorde and kynge of all shall be In Israell. Herode than raged as he were woode As he were wode of this tydynge And sent for all his scrybes sure Yet wolde he not desire the scrypture Nor of theyr councellynge. Than this was the conclusyon The conclusyon of his councell To sende vnto his knyghtes anone To sle the chylderne euerychone In Israell. This cruell kynge this tyranny This tyranny dyd put in vre Bytwene a day and yeres too All men chylderne he dyd sloo Of Cryst for to be sure. Yet Herode myssed his cruell pray His cruell pray as was goddes wyll Joseph with Mary than dyd fle With Chryst to Egypt gone was she In Israell. All this whyle this tyrantes This tyrantes wolde not conuert But innocentes yonge That lay sokynge They thryst to the herte. This Herode sought the chyldren This chyldren yonge, with corage fell But in doynge thys vengeaunce His owne sone was slayne by chaunce In Israell. Alas I thynke the moders were wo The moders were wo it was grete skyl What motherly payne To se them slayne In cradels lyeng styll: But god hymn selfe hath theym electe Hath theym electe, in heuyn to dwell. For they were bathed in theyr blode For theyr baptym forsoth it stode In Israell. Alas agayne what hartes had they What harts had they those babes kyll With swerdes whan they hym caught In cradels they lay and laught And neuer thought yll. Finis. Source: William Sandys, Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern (London: Richard Beckley, 1833). From notes on this page (where you can see a more modern set of English words):Note: This is one of many songs which link to the Holy Innocents, whose feast day is December 28. For more, please see The Hymns Of The Holy Innocents.Husk's Note: This Carol was printed in a book bearing the style of "Christmas carolles newly Inprinted. [Woodcut of Our Saviour crucified between two thieves.] Imprinted at London in the Powltry, by Richard Kele, dwelling a the longe shope undere sayne Myldredes Chyrch," which was probably published between the years 1546 and 1552, during which time Kele lived at the Long grass in the Poultry, and at the house of the Eagle near unto Stocks Market in Lombard Street. Seven of the carols contained in Kele's publication were included by the former Dr. Bliss in a little mass of Bibliographical Miscellanies which he printed in 1813, and from this volume, (which is now very scarce, the picture having been modified to 104 copies, the present copy is taken. The destiny of Herod's own child being slain in the slaughter was believed for centuries. How or when the custom arose is uncertain, but the setting is mentioned by Macrobius, who wrote inn the 5th century, in association with a humour of the Emperor Augustus Caesar, who, on hearing the report, said, it was best to be Herod's pig than his son; in allusion to Herod's position as King of the Jews. In "The trades of Chester at Whitsuntide, one of Herod's soldiers kills a kid in the blazon of a woman, who tells him it is the king's son, who had been located at nurse with her. She rushes to Herod and acquaints him of the murder, on hearing of which he rages, becomes made, and dies; and a demon comes and carries him into the home of torment. Editor's Note: Kele's carols were also reprinted in Edward Bliss Reed's Christmas Carols Printed In The Sixteenth Century (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1932).