Francis James Child

“ Saies, Father, I'le haue the hend steward,
For he hath been true to you and mee.
The lady to concell the steward did take,
And counted downe a hundred pound there;
Saies, Steward, be true to my sonne and my heire,
And I will giue thee mickle mere.
'If I be not true to my master,' he said,
'Christ himselfe be not trew to mee!
If I be not true to my lord and master,
An ill death that I may die!'
The Lord of Learne did apparell his child
With bruche, and ringe, and many a thinge ”

“ Then hand in hand the steward her he tooke,
And plight that lady his troth alone,
Thatshe shold be his marryed wiffe,
And he wold make her the ladie of Learne.
Thus that night it was gone,
The other day was come, truly;
The lady wold see the robucke run,
Vp hills and dales and forrest free.
Then shee was ware of the younge Lord of Learne
Tending sheepe vnder a bryar, trulye.
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And thus shee called vnto her maids,
And held her hands vp thus an hie;
Sayes, Feitch me yond shepard's boy,
I'le know why he doth mourne, trulye. ”

“ My father is the worthy Lord of Learne,
And child he hath noe more but mee;
He sent me over the sea with the false steward,
And thus that he hath beguiled mee.'
The lady [wa] s in her garden greene,
Walking with her mayds, trulye,
And heard the boy this mourning make,
And went to weeping, trulie. ”

“ Saies, Lord of Learne, thou art welcome to me.
Then to supper that they were sett,
Lords and ladyes in thei degree;
The steward was sett next the Duke of France;
An vnseemlye sight it was to see.
Then bespake the Duke of Ffrance,
Vnto the Lord of Leearne said hee there,
Sayes, Lord of Learne, if thou'le marry my daught [er] ,
I'le mend thy liuing fiue hundred pound a yeere.
Then bespake that lady fayre,
Answered her father soe alone,
That shee would be his marryed wiffe
If he wold make her lady of Learne. ”

“ Will be offended with you and mee.'
n came downe the false steward,
Which called himselfe the Lord of Learne, trulie;
When he looked that bonny boy vpon,
An angry man i-wis was hee.
'Where was thou borne, thou vagabond?
Where?' he sayd, a+end in what country?'
Says, I was borne in fayre Scotland,
Thatis soe far beyond the sea.
'What is thy name, thou vagabond?
Haue done qu [i] cklie, and tell it to me;'
'My name,' he sayes, 'is Poore Disaware,
I tend sheep on the lonelie lee.'
'Thou art a theefe,' the steward said,
'And soe in the end I will prooue thee;'
. . . . . . . .
. . . ”

“ He seemd so pleasant to the eye,
'Child, because thou lovst horses well,
My groom of stables thou shalt be.'
The child plied the horses well
A twelve month to an end;
He was so courteous and so true
Every man became his fri [e] nd. ”

“ Of the steward and the lady month s three,
For the ladie sicke shee was,
Sicke, sicke, and like to die.
Shee wrote a letter with her owne hand,
In all the speede that euer might bee;
Shee sent [it] over into Scottland,
Thatis soe farr beyond the sea. ”