Francis James Child

“ To maintain a lady like thee.'
'O will you promise, Young Bichen,' she says,
'And keep your vow faithful to me,
That at the end of seven years
In fair England you'll marry me?
'I'll steal the keys from my father dear,
Tho he keeps them most secretly;
I'll risk my life for to save thine,
And set thee safe upon the sea.'
She's stolen the keys from her father,
From under the bed where they lay;
She opened the prison strong
And set Young Bichen at liberty. ”

“ And Susan Py he there could see.
'Is this the way, Young Bichen,' she says,
'Is this the way you've guided me?
I relieved you from prison strong,
And ill have you rewarded me.
mind ye, Young Bichen,' she says,
'The vows and oaths that ye made to me,
When ye lay bound in prison strong,
In a deep dungeon of misery?'
He took her by the milk-white hand,
And led her into the palace fine;
There was not a lady in all the palace
But Susan Py did all outshine.
The day concluded with joy and mirth,
On every side there might you see ”

“ Or is there man in a' my realm
This day has offended thee?'
'I want nae small fish frae the flood,
Nor turtle frae the sea;
But Young Bondwell, your ain prisoner,
This day has offended me.'
Her father turnd him round about,
A solemn oath sware he:
'If this be true ye tell me now
High hanged he shall be. ”

“ And will return to Young Bichen,
Who is safe arrived in fair England.
He had not been in fair England
Above years scarcely three,
Till he has courted another maid,
And so forgot his Susan Py.
The youth being young and in his prime,
Of Susan Py thought not upon,
But his love was laid on another maid,
And the marriage-day it did draw on. ”

“ I'll hie me to Young Bichen's gates,
And see if he minds Susan Py.'
She has gone up thro London town,
Where many a lady she there did spy;
There was not a lady in all London
Young Susan that could outvie.
She has calld upon a waiting-man,
A waiting-man who stood near by:
'Convey me to Young Bichen's gates,
And well rewarded shals thou be.'
When she came to Young Bichen's gate
She chapped loudly at the pin,
Till down there came the proud porter ”

“ O away and away went this proud young porter,
O away and away and away went he,
Until he come to Lord Bateman's chamber,
When he went down on his bended knee.
'What news, what news, my proud young porter?
What news, what news? Come tell to me:'
'O there is the fairest young lady
As ever my two eyes did see.
'She has got rings on every finger,
And on one finger she has got three ”

“ Is there neer a young maid in this town
Will take me for her chiefest one?'
A Savoyen has an only daughter,
I wat she's called Young Brichen by;
'O sleepst thou, wakest thou, Brichen?' she says,
'Or who is't that does on me cry? ”

“ Though your Sophia be 'cross the sea.'
'I own a bride I've wed your daughter,
She's nothing else the worse of me;
She came to me on a horse and saddle,
She may go back in a coach and three.'
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L
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LORD BATEMAN was a noble lord,
A noble lord of high degree ”

“ And set Young Bondwell free.
She gae'm a steed was swift in need,
A saddle o royal ben,
A hunder pund o pennies round,
Bade him gae roav an spend.
A couple o hounds o ae litter,
And Cain they ca'd the one;
Twa gay gos-hawks she gae likeways,
To keep him onthought lang.
When mony days were past and gane,
Dame Essels thought fell lang,
And she is to her lonely bower,
To shorten her wi a sang.
The sang has such a melody,
It lulld her fast asleep;
Up starts a woman, clad in green,
And stood at her bed-feet. ”

“ These thirty years and three,
But fairer maids than's at them now
My eyes did never see.
'The foremost she is drest in green,
The rest in fine attire,
Wi gowden girdles round their middles,
Well worth a sheriff's hire.'
Then out it speaks Bondwell's own bride,
Was a' gowd to the chin ”