F

1 Earl Richard, once upon a day,
And all his valiant men so wight,
He did him down to Barnisdale,
Where all the land is fair and light.

2 He was aware of a damosel—
I wot fast on she did her bound—
With towers of gold upon her head,
As fair a woman as could be found.

3 He said, Busk on you, fair ladye,
The white flowers and the red;
For I would give my bonnie ship
To get your maidenhead.

4 'I wish your bonnie ship rent and rive,
And drown you in the sea;
For all this would not mend the miss
That ye would do to me.'
'The miss is not so great, ladye;
Soon mended it might be.

5 'I have four an twenty mills in Scotland,
Stands on the water of Tay;
You'll have them, and as much flour
As they'll grind in a day.'

6 'I wish your bonnie ship rent and rive,
And drown you in the sea;
For all that would not mend the miss
That ye would do to me.'
'The miss is not so great, ladye;
Soon mended it will be.

7 'I have four an twenty milk-white cows,
All calved in a day;
You'll have them, and as much haind grass
As they all on can gae.'

8 'I wish your bonnie ship rent and rive,
And drown you in the sea;
For all that would not mend the miss
That ye would do to me.'
'The miss is not so great, ladye;
Soon mended it might be.

9 'I have four an twenty milk-white steeds,
All foaled in one year;
You'll have them, and as much red gold
As all their backs can bear.'

10 She turned her right and round about,
And she swore by the mold;
'I would not be your love,' said she,
'For that church full of gold.'

11 He turned him right and round about,
And he swore by the mess;
Says, Ladye, ye my love shall be,
And gold ye shall have less.

12 She turned her right and round about,
And she swore by the moon;
'I would not be your love,' says she,
'For all the gold in Rome.'

13 He turned him right and round about,
And he swore by the moon;
Says, Ladye, ye my love shall be,
And gold ye shall have none.

14 He caught her by the milk-white hand,
And by the grass-green sleeve,
And there has taken his will of her,
Wholly without her leave.

15 The ladye frownd, and sadly blushd,
And oh, but she thought shame!
Says, If you are a knight at all,
You surely will tell me your name.

16 'In some places they call me Jack,
In other some they call me John;
But when into the queen's court,
O then Lithcock it is my name!'

17 'Lithcock! Lithcock!' the ladye said,
And oft she spelt it ower again;
'Lithcock! it's Latin,' the ladye said,
'Richard's the English of that name.'

18 The knight he rode, the ladye ran,
A live-long summer's day.
Till they came to the wan water
That all men do call Tay.

19 He set his horse head to the water,
Just thro it for to ride,
And the ladye was as ready as him
The waters for to wade.

20 For he had never been as kind-hearted
As to bid the ladye ride,
And she had never been so low-hearted
As for to bid him bide.

21 But deep into the wan water
There stands a great big stone;
He turned his wight horse head about,
Said, Ladye fair, will ye loup on?

22 She's taken the wand was in her hand
And struck it on the faem,
And before he got the middle-stream
The ladye was on dry land:
'By help of God and our Lady,
My help lyes not in your hand!

23 'I learned it from my mother dear,
Few are there that have learned better,
When I come to deep water,
I can swim thro like ony otter.

24 'I learned it from my mother dear,
I find I learnd it for my weel,
When I come to a deep water,
I can swim thro like ony eel.'

25 'Turn back, turn back, you ladye fair,
You know not what I see;
There is a ladye in that castle
That will burn you and me.'
'Betide me weel, betide me wae,
That ladye I will see.'

26 She took a ring from her finger,
And gave it the porter for his fee;
Says, Take you that, my good porter,
And bid the queen speak to me.

27 And when she came before the queen,
There she fell low down on her knee;
Says, There is a knight into your court
This day has robbed me.

28 'O has he robbed you of your gold,
Or has he robbed you of your fee?'
'He has not robbed me of my gold,
He has not robbed me of my fee;
He has robbed me of my maidenhead,
The fairest flower of my bodie.'

29 'There is no knight in all my court,
That thus has robbed thee,
But you'll have the truth of his right hand,
Or else for your sake he'll die:

30 'Tho it were Earl Richard, my own brother,
And, Oh, forbid that it be!'
Then sighing said the ladye fair,
I wot the same man is he.

31 The queen called on her merry men,
Even fifty men and three;
Earl Richard used to be the first man,
But now the hindmost man was he.

32 He's taken out one hundred pounds,
And told it in his glove;
Says, Take you that, my ladye fair,
And seek another love.

33 'Oh, no! oh, no!' the ladye cried,
'That's what shall never be;
I'll have the truth of your right hand,
The queen it gave to me.'

34 ['I wish I'd drunken your water, sister,
When I did drink thus of your ale,
That for a carl's fair daughter
It does me gar dree all this bale!]

35 'I wish I had drunk of your water, sister,
When I did drink your wine,
That for a carle's fair daughter
It does gar me dree all this pine!'

36 'May be I am a carle's daughter,
And may be never nane;
When ye met me in the greenwood,
Why did you not let me alane?'

37 'Will you wear the short clothes,
Or will you wear the side?
Or will you walk to your wedding,
Or will you till it ride?'

38 'I will not wear the short clothes,
But I will wear the side;
I will not walk to my wedding,
But I to it will ride.'

39 When he was set upon the horse,
The lady him behin,
Then cauld and eerie were the words
The twa had them between.

40 She said, Good e'en, ye nettles tall,
Just there where ye grow at the dyke;
If the auld carline my mother were here,
Sae weel's she would your pates pyke!

41 How she would stap you in her poke—
I wot at that she wadna fail—
And boil ye in her auld brass pan,
And of ye make right good kail!

42 And she would meal you with millering,
That she gathers at the mill,
And make you thick as ony daigh:
And when the pan was brimful,

43 Would mess you up in scuttle-dishes,
Syne bid us sup till we were fou,
Lay down her head upon a poke,
Then sleep and snore like ony sow.

44 'Away, away, you bad woman!
For all your vile words grieveth me;
When you hide so little for yourself,
I'm sure ye'll hide far less for me.

45 'I wish I had drunk your water, sister,
When that I did drink of your wine,
Since for a carle's fair daughter,
It aye gars me dree all this pine.'

46 'May be I am a carle's daughter,
And may be never nane;
When ye met me in the good greenwood,
Why did you not let me alane?

47 'Gude een, gude een, ye heather-berries,
As ye're growing on yon hill;
If the auld carline and her bags were here,
I wot she would get meat her fill.

48 'Late, late at night, I knit our pokes,
With even four an twenty knots;
And in the morn at breakfast time
I'll carry the keys of an earl's locks.

49 'Late, late at night, I knit our pokes,
With even four an twenty strings;
And if you look to my white fingers,
They have as many gay gold rings.'

50 'Away, away, ye ill woman!
So sore your vile words grieveth me;
When you hide so little for yourself,
I'm sure ye'll hide far less for me.

51 'But if you are a carle's daughter,
As I take you to be,
How did you get the gay cloathing
In greenwood ye had on thee?'

52 'My mother, she's a poor woman,
She nursed earl's children three,
And I got them from a foster-sister,
For to beguile such sparks as thee.'

53 'But if you be a carle's daughter,
As I believe you be,
How did you learn the good Latin
In greenwood ye spoke to me?'

54 'My mother, she's a mean woman,
She nursd earl's children three;
I learnt it from their chaplain,
To beguile such sparks as ye.'

55 When mass was sung, and bells were rung,
And all men bound for bed,
Then Earl Richard and this ladye
In ae bed they were laid.

56 He turned his face unto the stock,
And she her's to the stane,
And cauld and dreary was the love
That was these twa between.

57 Great mirth was in the kitchen,
Likewise intill the ha,
But in his bed lay Earl Richard,
Wiping the tears awa.

58 He wept till he fell fast asleep,
Then slept till light was come;
Then he did hear the gentlemen
That talked in the room:

59 Said, Saw ye ever a fitter match,
Betwixt the ane and ither,
The king of Scotland's fair dochter
And the queen of England's brither?

60 'And is she the king o Scotland's fair dochter?
This day, O weel is me!
For seven times has my steed been saddled,
To come to court with thee;
And with this witty lady fair,
How happy must I be!'

1 Earl Lithgow he's a hunting gane,
Upon a summer's day,
And he's fa'en in with a weel-far'd maid,
Was gathering at the slaes.

2 He's taen her by the milk-white hand,
And by the grass-green sleeve;
He led her to the foot of a tree,
At her he spierd nae leave.

3 The lassie being well learned,
She turned her right around;
Says, Will ye be as good, kind sir,
As tell to me your name?

4 'Whiles they call me Jack,' he says,
'And whiles they call me John;
But when I'm in the queen's high court,
Earl Litchcock is my name.'

5 The lassie being well learned,
She spelld it ower again;
Says, Litchcock is a Latin word,
But Lithgow is your name.

6 The lassie being well learned,
She spelld it ower again;
Says, Lithgow is a gentle word,
But Richard is your name.

7 She has kilted her green claithing
A little abeen her knee;
The gentleman rode, and the lassie ran,
Till at the water o Dee.

8 When they were at the water o Dee,
And at the narrow side,
He turned about his high horse head,
Says, Lassie, will ye ride?

9 'I learned it in my mother's bower,
I wish I had learned it better,
When I came to this wan water,
To swim like ony otter.

10 'I learned it in my mother's bower,
I wish I had learned it weel,
That when I came to a wan water,
To swim like ony eel.'

11 She has kilted her green claithing
A little abeen her knee;
The gentleman rode, the lassie swam,
Thro the water o Dee:
Before he was at the middle o the water,
At the other side was she.

12 She sat there and drest hersell,
And sat upon a stone;
There she sat to rest hersell,
And see how he'd come on.

13 'How mony miles hae ye to ride?
How mony hae I to gang?'
'I've thirty miles to ride,' he says,
'And ye've as mony to gang.'

14 'If ye've thirty miles to ride,' she says,
'And I've as mony to gae,
Ye'll get leave to gang yoursell;
It will never be gane by me.'

15 She's gane to the queen's high court,
And knocked at the pin;
Who was sae ready as the proud porter,
To let this lady in!

16 She's put her hand in her pocket,
And gien him guineas three:
'Ye will gang to the queen hersell,
And tell her this frae me.

17 'There is a lady at your yetts
Can neither card nor spin;
But she can sit in a lady's bower,
And lay gold on a seam.'

18 He's gane ben thro ae lang room,
And he's gane ben thro twa,
Till he came to a lang, lang trance,
And then came to the ha.

19 When he came before the queen,
Sat low down on his knee:
'Win up, win up, my proud porter,
What makes this courtesie?'

20 'There is a lady at your yetts
Can neither card nor spin;
But she can sit in a lady's bower,
And lay gold on a seam.'

21 'If there is a lady at my yetts
That cannot card nor spin,
Ye'll open my yetts baith wide and braid,
And let this lady in.'

22 Now she has gane ben thro ae room,
And she's gane ben thro twa,
And she gaed ben a lang, lang trance,
Till she came to the ha.

23 When she came before the queen,
Sat low down on her knee:
'Win up, win up, my fair woman,
What makes such courtesie?'

24 'My errand it's to thee, O queen,
My errand it's to thee;
There is a man within your courts
This day has robbed me.'

25 'O has he taen your purse, your purse,
Or taen your penny-fee?
Or has he taen your maidenhead,
The flower of your bodie?'

26 'He hasna taen my purse, my purse,
Nor yet my penny-fee,
But he has taen my maidenhead,
The flower of my bodi'

27 'It is if he be a batchelor,
Your husband he shall be;
But if he be a married man,
High hanged he shall be.

28 'Except it be my brother, Litchcock,
I hinna will it be he;'
Sighd and said that gay lady,
That very man is he.

29 She's calld on her merry men a',
By ane, by twa, by three;
Earl Litchcock used to be the first,
But the hindmost man was he.

30 He came cripple on the back,
Stane blind upon an ee;
And sighd and said Earl Richard,
I doubt this calls for me.

31 He's laid down a brand, a brand,
And next laid down a ring;
It's thrice she minted to the brand,
But she's taen up the ring:
There's not a knight in a' the court,
But calld her a wise woman.

32 He's taen out a purse of gold,
And tauld it on a stane;
Says, Take ye that, my fair woman,
And ye'll frae me be gane.

33 'I will hae nane o your purse[s] o gold,
That ye tell on a stane;
But I will hae yoursell,' she says,
'Another I'll hae nane.'

34 He has taen out another purse,
And tauld it in a glove;
Says, Take ye that, my fair woman,
And choice another love.

35 'I'll hae nane o your purses o gold,
That ye tell in a glove;
But I will hae yoursell,' she says,
'I'll hae nae ither love.'

36 But he's taen out another purse,
And tauld it on his knee;
Said, Take ye that, ye fair woman,
Ye'll get nae mair frae me.

37 'I'll hae nane o your purses o gold,
That ye tell on your knee;
But I will hae yoursell,' she says,
'The queen has granted it me.'

38 'O will ye hae the short claithing,
Or will ye hae the side?
Or will ye gang to your wedding,
Or will ye to it ride?'

39 'I winna hae the short claithing,
But I will hae the side;
I winna gang to my wedding,
But to it I will ride.'

40 The first town that they came till
They made the mass be sung,
And the next town that they came till
They made the bells be rung.

41 And the next town that they came till
He bought her gay claithing,
And the next town that they came till
They held a fair wedding.

42 When they came to Mary-kirk,
The nettles grew on the dyke:
'If my auld mither, the carlin, were here,
Sae well's she would you pyke.

43 'Sae well's she would you pyke' she says,
'She woud you pyke and pou,
And wi the dust lyes in the mill
Sae woud she mingle you.

44 'She'd take a speen intill her hand,
And sup ere she be fou,
Syne lay her head upon a sod,
And snore like ony sow.'

45 When she came to yon mill-dams,
Says, Weel may ye clap;
I wyte my minnie neer gaed by you
Wanting mony a lick.

46 He's drawn his hat out ower his face,
Muckle shame thought he;
She's driven her cap out ower her locks,
And a light laugh gae she.

47 When they were wedded, and well bedded,
And hame at dinner set,
Then out it spake our bride hersell,
And she spake never blate.

48 Put far awa your china plates,
Put them far awa frae me,
And bring to me my humble gockies,
That I was best used wi.

49 Put far awa your siller speens,
Had them far awa frae me,
And bring to me my horn cutties,
That I was best used wi.

50 When they were dined and well served,
And to their dancing set,
Out it spake our bride again,
For she spake never blate.

51 If the auld carlin, my mither, were here,
As I trust she will be,
She'll fear the dancing frae us a',
And gar her meal-bags flee.

52 When bells were rung, and mass was sung,
And a' men bound for rest,
Earl Richard and the beggar's daughter
In ae chamber were placed.

53 'Had far awa your fine claithing,
Had them far awa frae me,
And bring to me my fleachy clouts,
That I was best used wi.

54 'Had far awa your holland sheets,
Had them far awa frae me,
And bring to me my canvas clouts,
That I was best used wi.

55 'Lay a pock o meal beneath my head,
Another aneath my feet,
A pock o seeds beneath my knees,
And soundly will I sleep.'

56 'Had far awa, ye carlin's get,
Had far awa frae me;
It disna set a carlin's get
My bed-fellow to be.'

57 'It's may be I'm a carlin's get,
And may be I am nane;
But when ye got me in good greenwood,
How letna you me alane?'

58 'It is if you be a carlin's get,
As I trust well ye be,
Where got ye all the gay claithing
You brought to greenwood with thee?'

59 'My mother was an auld nourice,
She nursed bairns three;
And whiles she got, and whiles she staw,
And she kept them a' for me;
And I put them on in good greenwood,
To beguile fause squires like thee.'

60 It's out then spake the Billy-Blin,
Says, I speak nane out of time;
If ye make her lady o nine cities,
She'll make you lord o ten.

61 Out it spake the Billy-Blin,
Says, The one may serve the other;
The King of Gosford's ae daughter,
And the Queen of Scotland's brother.

62 'Wae but worth you, Billy-Blin,
An ill death may ye die!
My bed-fellow he'd been for seven years
Or he'd kend sae muckle frae me.'

63 'Fair fa ye, ye Billy-Blin,
And well may ye aye be!
In my stable is the ninth horse I've killd,
Seeking this fair ladie:
Now we're married, and now we're bedded,
And in each other's arms shall lie.'