Francis James Child

“ For the sake of King Henrie.'
'Oh, that was a great sin,' said the King,
'But pardoned it shall bee;'
'Amen! Amen!' said the Earl Marshall,
And still a frightened man was he.
'Oh, the next sin that ever I did
Tell it I will to thee;
I have kept strong poison this seven long years,
To poison King Henrie.'
'Oh, that was a great sin,' said the King,
'But pardoned it must bee;'
'Amen! Amen!' said the Earl Marshall,
And still a frightened man was hee.
'O don't you see two little boys,
Playing at the football?
O yonder is the Earl Marshall's son,
And I like him best of all. ”

“ There was non so ready as the queene herself
To open and let them in.
'O are you two Scottish dogs?-+-
And hanged you shall be-+-
Or are [you] friers come out of France,
To bespeek me speedily?'
'We are not two Scottish dogs,
Nor hanged we shall be;
For we have not spoken a wrong word
Since we came over the sea.'
'Well then, the very first that ever I sind
I freely confess to thee;
Earl Marshall took my maidenhead
Below yon greenwood tree.'
'That is a sin, and very great sin,
But the Pope will pardon thee;'
'Amene, Amene,' says Earl Marshall,
But a feert, feert heart had he. ”

“ And a grim look looked he;
'Earl Marshall,' he said, 'But for my oath,
Thou hadst swung on the gallowes-tree.'
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G
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The queen of England she is seek,
And seek and like to dee;
She has sent for friers out of France,
To bespeek hir speed [i] ly.
The king has cald on his merrymen,
By thirtys and by threes;
Earl Marshall should have been the formest man,
But the very last man was he. ”