English Songs and Ballads Part 9

She's gane into the Jew's garden, Where the gra.s.s grew lang and green; She pow'd an apple red and white, To wyle the young thing in.

She wyl'd him into ae chamber, She wyl'd him into twa; She wyl'd him to her ain chamber, The fairest o' them a'.

She laid him on a dressing-board Where she did sometimes dine; She put a penknife in his heart And dressed him like a swine.

Then out and cam the thick, thick blude, Then out and cam the thin; Then out and cam the bonny heart's blude, Where a' the life lay in.

She row'd him in a cake of lead, Bad him lie still and sleep; She cast him into the Jew's draw-well, Was fifty fadom deep.

She's tane her mantle about her head, Her pike-staff in her hand; And prayed Heaven to be her guide Unto some uncouth land.

His mither she cam to the Jew's castle, And there ran thryse about: 'O sweet Sir Hugh, gif ye be here, I pray ye to me speak.'

She cam into the Jew's garden, And there ran thryse about: 'O sweet Sir Hugh, gif ye be here, I pray ye to me speak.'

She cam unto the Jew's draw-well, And there ran thryse about: 'O sweet Sir Hugh, gif ye be here, I pray ye to me speak.'

'How can I speak, how dare I speak, How can I speak to thee?

The Jew's penknife sticks in my heart, I canna speak to thee.

'Gang hame, gang hame, O mither dear, And shape my winding-sheet, And at the birks of Mirryland town There you and I shall meet.'

When bells war rung and Ma.s.s was sung, And a' men bound for bed, Every mither had her son, But sweet Sir Hugh was dead.

THE GYPSY COUNTESS

There come seven gypsies on a day, Oh, but they sang bonny, O!

And they sang so sweet, and they sang so clear, Down cam the earl's ladie, O.

They gave to her the nutmeg, And they gave to her the ginger; But she gave to them a far better thing, The seven gold rings off her fingers.

When the earl he did come home, Enquiring for his ladie, One of the servants made this reply, 'She's awa with the gypsie laddie.'

'Come saddle for me the brown,' he said, 'For the black was ne'er so speedy, And I will travel night and day Till I find out my ladie.'

'Will you come home, my dear?' he said, 'Oh will you come home, my honey?

And by the point of my broad sword, A hand I'll ne'er lay on you.'

'Last night I lay on a good feather-bed, And my own wedded lord beside me, And to-night I'll lie in the ash-corner, With the gypsies all around me.

'They took off my high-heeled shoes, That were made of Spanish leather, And I have put on coa.r.s.e Lowland brogues, To trip it o'er the heather.'

'The Earl of Cashan is lying sick; Not one hair I'm sorry; I'd rather have a kiss from his fair lady's lips Than all his gold and his money.'

THERE WERE THREE LADIES

There were three ladies play'd at the ba', With a hey, hey, an' a lilly gay.

Bye cam three lords an' woo'd them a', Whan the roses smelled sae sweetly.

The first o' them was clad in yellow: 'O fair May, will ye be my marrow?'

Whan the roses smelled sae sweetly.

The niest o' them was clad i' ried: O fair May, will ye be my bride?'

The thrid o' them was clad i' green: He said, 'O fair May, will ye be my queen?'

THE HEIR OF LINNE

PART I

Lithe and listen, gentlemen, To sing a song I will begin: It is of a lord of faire Scotland, Which was the unthrifty heir of Linne.

His father was a right good lord, His mother a lady of high degree; But they, alas! were dead, him froe, And he lov'd keeping companie.

To spend the day with merry cheer, To drinke and revell every night, To card and dice from eve to morne, It was, I ween, his heart's delight.

To ride, to run, to rant, to roar, To alwaye spend and never spare, I wot, an' it were the king himself, Of gold and fee he mote be bare.

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 lands, and all his rent.

His father had a keen stewarde, And John o' the Scales was called he: But John is become a gentel-man, And John has got both gold and fee.

Says, Welcome, welcome, lord of Linne, Let nought disturb thy merry cheer; If thou wilt sell thy lands soe broad, Good store of gold I'll give thee here.

My gold is gone, my money is spent; My land now take it unto thee: Give me the gold, good John o' the Scales, And thine for aye my land shall be.

Then John he did him to record draw, And John he cast him a G.o.ds-pennie; But for every pound that John agreed, The land, I wis, was well worth three.

He told him the gold upon the bord, He was right glad his land to win: The gold is thine, the land is mine, And now I'll be the lord of Linne.

Thus he hath sold his land so broad, Both hill and holt, and moore and fenne, All but a poor and lonesome lodge, That stood far off in a lonely glen.

For so he to his father hight.

My son, when I am gone, said he, Then thou wilt spend thy land so broad, And thou wilt spend thy gold so free:

But swear me now 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.