Francis James Child

“ Fan they gaid to Mary Kirk,
The nettels grue by dike:
'O gin my midder war hear,
Sai clean as she wad them peak!'
He drue his hat out-our his eayn,
The tear blinded his eay;
She drue back her yallou loaks,
An a light laughter luke she.
Fan she came by yon mill-toun,
. . . . . .
'O well may the mill goo,
An well matt she be!
For aften ha ye filled my poke
We the whit meall an the gray.'
'I wiss I had druken the water
Fan I drank the aill,
Or any carl's dother
Suld ha tald me siken a teall.'
'Perhaps I am a carl's dother,
Perhaps I am nean ”

“ And put my body thus to shame,
Even as you are a courteous knight,
Tel me what is your name.'
'Some men do call me Jack, sweet heart,
And some do call me John,
But when I come to the king's [fair] court,
They call me Sweet William.'
He set his foot in the stirrop,
And away then did he ride ”

“ To a marriage wi a king!'
Whan the marriage it was oure,
And ilk ane took them horse,
'It never set a beggar's brat
At nae knicht's back to be.'
The ladie met wi a beggar-wife,
And gied her half o crown:
'Tell aw your neebours, whan ye gang hame,
That Earl Richard's your gude-son.'
'O hold your tongue, ye beggar's brat,
My heart will brak in three;'
'And sae did mine on yon bonny hill-side,
Whan ye wad na let me be.'
Whan she cam to yon nettle-dyke,
. . . . .
'An my auld mither she was here,
Sae weill as she wad ye pu. ”

“ An sound she fell asleep.
. . . . . .
. . . . . .
. . . . . .
The Billie Blin stood up at their bed-feet.
Said, Saw ye ever a fitter match
Atween the tane and the tither,
The Earl Marshall ['s] ae dother
An the Queen o Scotland's brither?
'Wae be to you for an ill woman,
An ill death mat ye dee! ”

“ That hings down to your knee?'
'My mither was nurse to Earl Marshall's dother,
An a fine lady is she,
An aye when she gets new claithing
She casts the auld to me:'
An sichin said Earl Richard,
My ain true-love is she!
But if you be a beggar's brat,
As I doutna but ye be,
Where got ye the Latin words
Ye said in greenwood to me?
'My mither was a bad woman,
She served sic men as thee,
An a' the gear at ever she got
She waired it a' on me,
An learned me weel the Latin tongue,
To beguile sic sparks as thee.'
'Awa, awa, ye ill woman,
An ill death mat ye dee!
. . . .
. . . . ”

“ It was running like a flude:
'I've learned it in my mither's bouer,
I've learned it for my gude,
That I can soum this wan water
Like a fish in a flude.
'I've learned it in my father's bouer,
I've learned it for my better,
And I will soum this wan water
As tho I was ane otter.'
* * * *
'Gude day, gude day, my liege the king,
Gude day, gude day, to thee;'
'Gude day,' quoth he, 'My lady fair,
What want ye wi me?'
* * * *
'Gin he be a single man,
His bodie I'll gie thee ”

“ 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.
'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. ”

“ An ye gie hame, ye carl's dother,
An fash na mare we me.'
'Ye keep yer five hundred pound,
To make yer marreg we,
For I will ha nathing bat yer sell,
The king he promised me.'
'I ill gee ye a thousand poun,
To make yer marrage we,
An ye gae hame, ye carl's gett,
An fash na mare we me.'
'Ye keep yer thousand pound,
To make yer marreg we,
For I ill ha nathing batt yer sell,
The king he promised me.'
He toke her doun
An clothed her in green ”

“ It's the thing I ben eased we.'
Fan bells wer rung, an mess was sung,
An a' man boun to bed,
Earl Richerd an the carl's dother
In a bed [were laid] .
'Lay yond, lay yond, ye carl's dother,
Your hot skin . . me ”