Matthew, Mark, Luke and John

"Matthew, Mark, Luke and John"
"Four corners to my bed" by Isobel Lilian Gloag (1868–1917)
Nursery rhyme
Written	Unknown
Published	1656

"Matthew, Mark, Luke and John", also known as the "Black Paternoster", is an English children's bedtime prayer and nursery rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 1704. It may have origins in ancient Babylonian prayers and was being used in a Christian version in late Medieval Germany. The earliest extant version in English can be traced to the mid-sixteenth century. It was mentioned by English Protestant writers as a "popish" or magical charm. It is related to other prayers, including a "Green" and "White Paternoster", which can be traced to late Medieval England and with which it is often confused. It has been the inspiration for a number of literary works by figures including Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and musical works by figures such as Gustav Holst.^[1] It has been the subject of alternative versions and satires.