The Famous Flower of Serving-Men or The Lady turned Serving-Man (Child 106, Roud 199) is a traditional English language folk song and murder ballad. Child considered it as closely related to the ballad "The Lament of the Border Widow" or "The Border Widow's Lament"."Unusually, it is possible to give a precise date and authorship to this ballad. It was written by the prolific balladeer, Laurence Price, and published in July 1656, under the title of The famous Flower of Serving-Men. Or, The Lady turn'd Serving-Man. It lasted in the mouths of ordinary people for three hundred years: what a tribute to the work of any writer, leave alone the obscure Laurence Price. Oral tradition, however, has made changes. The original has twenty-eight verses and a fairy-tale ending: “And then for fear of further strife, / he took Sweet William to be his Wife: / The like before was never seen, / A Serving-man to be a Queen”. - Roy Palmer, A Book of British Ballads Lyrics Below are the first few verses of Laurence Price's 1656 lyrics with Martin Carthy's adapted lyrics in brackets:My mother showd me a deadly spight; (My mother did me deadly spite) She sent three thieves at darksome night; (For she sent thieves in the dark of night) They put my servants all to flight, (Put my servants all to flight) They robd my bower, and they slew my knight. (They robbed my bower they slew my knight) They could not do me much more harm, (They couldn't do to me no harm) But they slew my baby on my arm; (So they slew my baby in my arm) They left me nothing to wrap it in (Left me naught to wrap him in) But the bloody, bloody sheet that it lay in. (But the bloody sheet that he lay in) They left me nothing to make a grave (They left me naught to dig his grave) But the bloody sword that slew my babe; (But the bloody sword that slew my babe) All alone the grave I made, (All alone the grave I made) And all alone salt tears I shed. (And all alone the tears I shed) All alone the bell I rung, (And all alone the bell I rang) And all alone sweet psalms I sung; (And all alone the psalm I sang) I leant my head against a block, (I leaned my