sold them (in Bohenny, Davy, Kilkenny and so on), and says she would give up a variable number of children to save his life. In some versions there is discussion between lawyers. The judge sometimes says that she's too late and always that he cannot pardon Geordie. Sometimes Geordie has time to say goodbye to his friends and his wife. Sometimes one or the other wishes he or she were on "yonder Hill" with weapons to "Fight for the life of Geordie". Often we hear again that his execution will be luxurious. History Early printed versions England A London broadside from between 1601 and 1640 is the earliest version of the ballad, telling the story of the robber George Stoole of Northumberland, who was executed in 1610. The ballad is accompanied by the following text:'A lamentable new ditty, made upon the death of a worthy gentleman, named George Stoole: dwelling sometime on Gate-side Moore, and sometime at Newcastle in Northumberland: with his penitent end. To a delicate Scottish tune' It is different in many ways to newer versions of the ballad, but its rhythm and rhyming scheme are familiar, as well some of the text "I never stole no oxe nor cow Nor never murdered any But fifty horse I did receive Of a merchant's man of Gory." "For which I am condemnd to dye, Though guiltlesse I stand dying; Deare gracious God, my soule receive! For now my life is flying." The man of death a part did act Which grieves mee tell the story; God comfort all are comfortlesse, And did[e] so well as Georgie!After each verse, there is a refrain:Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, my bonny love, Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, my bonny! Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, my owne deare love, And God be with my Georgie!Another London broadside entitled "The Life and Death of George of Oxford", printed in 1683, uses the familiar opening linesAs I went over London Bridge all in a misty morning, There did I see one weep and mourn, lamenting for her Georgy,The English variant was published by many broadside publishers in the nineteenth century. Scotland Robert Burns contributed a Scots version of the Scottish variant to Scots Musical Museum, published in Volume 4 in 1792; This became Child's Version A. The first verses go as follows:There was a battle in the north, And nobles there was many, And they hae killd Sir Charlie Hay, And they laid the