The Lord forbid, the maide replyde, But for all that fhee could do or faye, Sith you have had your will of mee, Some do call mee Jacke, fweet heart, But when I come to the kings faire courte He fett his foot into the stirrup, But when she came to the brode water, And when she was got out againe, He never was the courteous knighte, To faye, faire maide, will you ride? Nor she was never fo loving a maide To faye, fir knighte abide. When the came to the kings faire courte, She knocked at the ring So readye was the king himself To let this faire maide in. Now Chrift you fave, my gracious liege, You have a knighte within your courte What hath he robbed thee of, fweet heart? Of purple or of pall? Or hath he took thy gaye gold ring He hath not robbed mee, my liege, But he hath gotten my maiden head, Now if he be a batchelor, His bodye Ile give to thee; He called downe his merrye men all, But nowe the laft came hee. He brought her downe full fortye pounde, Tyed up withinne a glove, Faire maid, Ile give the fame to thee, And feeke thee another love. O Ile have none of your gold, fhe fadye, Sir William ranne and fetchd her then Tis not the gold that fhall mee tempt, Would I had dranke the water cleare, Rather than any fhepherds brat Would I had drank the puddle foule, When I did drink the ale, Rather than ever a fhepherds brat Shold tell me fuch a tale! A fhepherds brat even as I was, You mote have let me bee, I never had come to the kings faire courte, He fett her on a milk-white fleede, But when they came unto the place, Now marrye me, or not, fir knight, If you make me ladye of one good towne, Ah! curfed bee the gold, he fayd, I fhold have forfaken my fweet love, And now their hearts being linked fast, Thus he had both purfe, and perfon too, EDOM O GORDON, A SCOTTISH BALLAD T fell about the Martinmas, IT Quhen the wind blew schril and cauld, Said Edom o' Gordon to his men, We maun draw to a hauld. And quhat a hauld fall we draw to, My mirry men and me? We wul gae to the house, o' the Rhodes, The lady ftude on hir castle wa', O fee ze nat, my mirry men a'? |