English and Scottish Ballads Volume VI Part 20

"I desire of Captaine Care, And all his bloddye band, That he would save my eldest sonne, 55 The eare of all my lande."

"Lap him in a shete," he sayth, "And let him downe to me, And I shall take him in my armes, His waran wyll I be." 60

The captayne sayd unto himselfe, Wyth sped before the rest; He cut his tonge out of his head, His hart out of his brest.

He lapt them in a handerchef, 65 And knet it of knotes three, And cast them over the castell-wall At that gay ladye.

"Fye upon thee, Captaine Care, And all thy bloddy band, 70 For thou hast slayne my eldest sonne, The ayre of all my land."

Then bespake the yongest sonn, That sat on the nurses knee, Sayth, "Mother gay, geve ower your house, 75 [The smoke] it smoldereth me."

"I wold geve my gold," she saith, "And so I wolde my fee, For a blaste of the wesleyn wind To dryve the smoke from thee. 80

"Fy upon thee, John Hamleton, That ever I paid the hyre, For thou hast broken my castle-wall, And kyndled in [it] the fyre."[L84]

The lady gate to her close parler, 85 The fire fell aboute her head; She toke up her children thre, Seth, "Babes, we are all dead."

Then bespake the hye steward, That is of hye degree; 90 Saith, "Ladie gay, you are no 'bote,'

Wethere ye fighte or flee."

Lord Hamleton dremd in his dreame, In Carvall where he laye, His halle 'was' all of fyre, 95 His ladie slayne or daye.

"Busk and bowne, my merry men all, Even and go ye with me, For I 'dremd' that my hall was on fyre My lady slayne or day." 100

He buskt him and bownd him, And like a worthi knighte, And when he saw his hall burning, His harte was no dele lighte.

He sett a trumpett till his mouth, 105 He blew as it plesd his grace; Twenty score of Hambletons Was light aboute the place.

"Had I knowne as much yesternighte As I do to-daye, 110 Captaine Care and all his men Should not have gone so quite [awaye.]

"Fye upon thee, Captaine Care, And all thy blody 'bande;'

Thou hast slayne my lady gaye, 115 More worth then all thy lande.

"Yf thou had ought eny ill will," he saith, "Thou shoulde have taken my lyffe, And have saved my children thre, All and my lovesome wyffe." 120

84, thee.

EDOM O' GORDON.

From Ritson's _Scottish Songs_, ii. 17. We presume this is the ballad printed by the Foulises.

It fell about the Martinmas, Quhen the wind blew schrile and cauld, Said Edom o' Gordon to his men, "We maun draw to a hauld.

"And what an a hauld sall we draw to, 5 My merry men and me?

We will gae to the house of the Rodes, To see that fair ladie."

She had nae sooner busket hersell, Nor putten on her gown, 10 Till Edom o' Gordon and his men Were round about the town.

They had nae sooner sitten down, Nor sooner said the grace, Till Edom o' Gordon and his men 15 Were closed about the place.

The lady ran up to her tower head, As fast as she could drie, To see if by her fair speeches, She could with him agree. 20

As soon as he saw the lady fair, And hir yates all locked fast, He fell into a rage of wrath, And his heart was aghast.[L24]

"c.u.m down to me, ze lady fair, 25 c.u.m down to me, let's see; This night ze's ly by my ain side, The morn my bride sall be."

"I winnae c.u.m down, ye fals Gordon, I winnae c.u.m down to thee; 30 I winnae forsake my ane dear lord That is sae far frae me."

"Gi up your house, ze fair lady, Gi up your house to me, Or I will burn zoursel therein, 35 Bot you and zour babies three."

"I winna gie up, zou fals Gordon, To nae sik traitor as thee, Tho' zou should burn mysel therein, Bot and my babies three." 40

"Set fire to the house," quoth fals Gordon, "Sin better may nae bee; And I will burn hersel therein, Bot and her babies three."

"And ein wae worth ze, Jock my man, 45 I paid ze weil zour fee; Why pow ze out my ground wa' stane, Lets in the reek to me?

"And ein wae worth ze, Jock my man, For I paid zou weil zour hire; 50 Why pow ze out my ground wa' stane, To me lets in the fire?"

"Ye paid me weil my hire, lady, Ye paid me weil my fee, But now I'm Edom of Gordon's man, 55 Maun either do or die."

O then bespake her zoungest son, Sat on the nurses knee, "Dear mother, gie owre your house," he says, "For the reek it worries me." 60

"I winnae gie up my house, my dear, To nae sik traitor as he; c.u.m well, c.u.m wae, my jewels fair, Ye maun tak share wi me."

O then bespake her dochter dear, 65 She was baith jimp and sma, "O row me in a pair o' shiets, And tow me owre the wa."

They rowd her in a pair of shiets, And towd her owre the wa, 70 But, on the point of Edom's speir, She gat a deadly fa'.

O bonny, bonny, was hir mouth, And chirry were her cheiks, And clear, clear was hir zellow hair, 75 Whereon the reid bluid dreips.

Then wi his speir he turn'd hir owr, O gin hir face was wan!

He said, "Zou are the first that eer I wisht alive again." 80

He turn'd her owr and owr again; O gin hir skin was whyte!

He said, "I might ha spard thy life, To been some mans delyte."

"Busk and boon, my merry men all, 85 For ill dooms I do guess; I cannae luik in that bonny face, As it lyes on the gra.s.s."

"Them luiks to freits, my master deir, Their freits will follow them;[L90] 90 Let it neir be said brave Edom o' Gordon Was daunted with a dame."

O then he spied hir ain deir lord, As he came owr the lee; He saw his castle in a fire, 95 As far as he could see.

"Put on, put on, my mighty men,[L97]

As fast as ze can drie, For he that's hindmost of my men, Sall neir get guid o' me." 100