Chapter VI: Part 6

Finlay (_Scottish Ballads_) remarks:-- 'All reciters agree that Lammikin, or Lambkin, is not the name of the hero, but merely an epithet.'

+The Story+ varies little throughout all the versions, though in some, as in one known to Percy, it lacks much of the detail here given.

LAMKIN

1.
It's Lamkin was a mason good
As ever built wi' stane;
He built Lord Wearie's castle,
But payment got he nane.

2.
'O pay me, Lord Wearie,
Come, pay me my fee':
'I canna pay you, Lamkin,
For I maun gang o'er the sea.'

3.
'O pay me now, Lord Wearie,
Come, pay me out o' hand':
'I canna pay you, Lamkin,
Unless I sell my land.'

4.
'O gin ye winna pay me,
I here sail mak' a vow,
Before that ye come hame again,
Ye sall hae cause to rue.'

5.
Lord Wearie got a bonny ship,
To sail the saut sea faem;
Bade his lady weel the castle keep,
Ay till he should come hame.

6.
But the nourice was a fause limmer
As e'er hung on a tree;
She laid a plot wi' Lamkin,
Whan her lord was o'er the sea.

7.
She laid a plot wi' Lamkin,
When the servants were awa',
Loot him in at a little shot-window,
And brought him to the ha'.

8.
'O whare's a' the men o' this house,
That ca' me Lamkin?'
'They're at the barn-well thrashing;
'Twill be lang ere they come in.'

9.
'And whare's the women o' this house,
That ca' me Lamkin?'
'They're at the far well washing;
'Twill be lang ere they come in.'

10.
'And whare's the bairns o' this house,
That ca' me Lamkin?'
'They're at the school reading;
'Twill be night or they come hame.'

11.
'O whare's the lady o' this house,
That ca's me Lamkin?'
'She's up in her bower sewing,
But we soon can bring her down.'

12.
Then Lamkin's tane a sharp knife,
That hung down by his gaire,
And he has gi'en the bonny babe
A deep wound and a sair.

13.
Then Lamkin he rocked,
And the fause nourice sang,
Till frae ilkae bore o' the cradle
The red blood out sprang.

14.
Then out it spak' the lady,
As she stood on the stair:
'What ails my bairn, nourice,
That he's greeting sae sair?

15.
'O still my bairn, nourice,
O still him wi' the pap!'
'He winna still, lady,
For this nor for that.'

16.
'O still my bairn, nourice,
O still him wi' the wand!'
'He winna still, lady,
For a' his father's land.'

17.
'O still my bairn, nourice,
O still him wi' the bell!'
'He winna still, lady,
Till ye come down yoursel'.'

18.
O the firsten step she steppit,
She steppit on a stane;
But the neisten step she steppit,
She met him Lamkin.

19.
'O mercy, mercy, Lamkin,
Hae mercy upon me!
Though you've ta'en my young son's life,
Ye may let mysel' be.'

20.
'O sall I kill her, nourice,
Or sall I lat her be?'
'O kill her, kill her, Lamkin,
For she ne'er was good to me.'

21.
'O scour the bason, nourice,
And mak' it fair and clean,
For to keep this lady's heart's blood,
For she's come o' noble kin.'

22.
'There need nae bason, Lamkin,
Lat it run through the floor;
What better is the heart's blood
O' the rich than o' the poor?'

23.
But ere three months were at an end,
Lord Wearie came again;
But dowie, dowie was his heart
When first he came hame.

24.
'O wha's blood is this,' he says,
'That lies in the chamer?'
'It is your lady's heart's blood;
'T is as clear as the lamer.'

25.
'And wha's blood is this,' he says,
'That lies in my ha'?'
'It is your young son's heart's blood;
'Tis the clearest ava.'

26.
O sweetly sang the black-bird
That sat upon the tree;
But sairer grat Lamkin,
When he was condemn'd to die.

27.
And bonny sang the mavis
Out o' the thorny brake;
But sairer grat the nourice,
When she was tied to the stake.

[Annotations:
6.1: 'limmer,' wretch, rascal.
7.3: 'shot-window': see special section of the Introduction.
12.2: 'gaire'; _i.e._ by his knee: see special section of the
Introduction.
13.3: 'bore,' hole, crevice.
14.4: 'greeting,' crying.
23.3: 'dowie,' sad.
24.2: 'chamer,' chamber.
24.4: 'lamer,' amber.
25.4: 'ava,' at all.
26.3: 'grat,' greeted, wept.]

FAIR MARY OF WALLINGTON

+The Text+ is from _Lovely Jenny's Garland_, as given with emendations by Professor Child. There is also a curiously perverted version in Herd's manuscript, in which the verses require rearrangement before becoming intelligible.

+The Story+ can be gathered from the version here given without much difficulty. It turns on the marriage of Fair Mary, who is one of seven sisters fated to die of their first child. Fair Mary seems to be a fatalist, and, after vowing never to marry, accepts as her destiny the hand of Sir William Fenwick of Wallington. Three-quarters of a year later she sends to fair Pudlington for her mother. Her mother is much affected at the news (st. 22), and goes to Wallington. Her daughter, in travail, lays the blame on her, cuts open her side to give birth to an heir, and dies.

In a Breton ballad Pontplancoat thrice marries a Marguerite, and each of his three sons costs his mother her life.

In the Scottish ballad, a 'scope' is put in Mary's mouth when the operation takes place. In the Breton ballad it is a silver spoon or a silver ball. 'Scope,' or 'scobs' as it appears in Herd, means a gag, and was apparently used to prevent her from crying out. But the silver spoon and ball in the Breton ballad would appear to have been used for Marguerite to bite on in her anguish, just as sailors chewed bullets while being flogged.

FAIR MARY OF WALLINGTON

1.
When we were silly sisters seven,
Sisters were so fair,
Five of us were brave knights' wives,
And died in childbed lair.

2.
Up then spake Fair Mary,
Marry woud she nane;
If ever she came in man's bed,
The same gate wad she gang.

3.
'Make no vows, Fair Mary,
For fear they broken be;
Here's been the Knight of Wallington,
Asking good will of thee.'

4.
'If here's been the knight, mother,
Asking good will of me,
Within three quarters of a year
You may come bury me.'

5.
When she came to Wallington,
And into Wallington hall,
There she spy'd her mother dear,
Walking about the wall.

6.
'You're welcome, daughter dear,
To thy castle and thy bowers';
'I thank you kindly, mother,
I hope they'll soon be yours.'

7.
She had not been in Wallington
Three quarters and a day,
Till upon the ground she could not walk,
She was a weary prey.

8.
She had not been in Wallington
Three quarters and a night,
Till on the ground she coud not walk,
She was a weary wight.

9.
'Is there ne'er a boy in this town,
Who'll win hose and shun,
That will run to fair Pudlington,
And bid my mother come?'

10.
Up then spake a little boy,
Near unto a-kin;
'Full oft I have your errands gone,
But now I will it run.'

11.
Then she call'd her waiting-maid
To bring up bread and wine;
'Eat and drink, my bonny boy,
Thou'll ne'er eat more of mine.

12.
'Give my respects to my mother,
She sits in her chair of stone,
And ask her how she likes the news,
Of seven to have but one.

13.
'Give my respects to my mother,
As she sits in her chair of oak,
And bid her come to my sickening,
Or my merry lake-wake.

14.
'Give my love to my brother
William, Ralph, and John,
And to my sister Betty fair,
And to her white as bone:

15.
'And bid her keep her maidenhead,
Be sure make much on 't,
For if e'er she come in man's bed,
The same gate will she gang.'

16.
Away this little boy is gone,
As fast as he could run;
When he came where brigs were broke,
He lay down and swum.

17.
When he saw the lady, he said,
'Lord may your keeper be!'
'What news, my pretty boy,
Hast thou to tell to me?'

18.
'Your daughter Mary orders me,
As you sit in a chair of stone,
To ask you how you like the news,
Of seven to have but one.

19.
'Your daughter gives commands,
As you sit in a chair of oak,
And bids you come to her sickening,
Or her merry lake-wake.

20.
'She gives command to her brother
William, Ralph, and John,
[And] to her sister Betty fair,
And to her white as bone.

21.
'She bids her keep her maidenhead,
Be sure make much on 't,
For if e'er she came in man's bed,
The same gate woud she gang.'

22.
She kickt the table with her foot,
She kickt it with her knee,
The silver plate into the fire,
So far she made it flee.

23.
Then she call'd her waiting-maid
To bring her riding-hood,
So did she on her stable-groom
To bring her riding-steed.

24.
'Go saddle to me the black, [the black,]
Go saddle to me the brown,
Go saddle to me the swiftest steed
That e'er rid [to] Wallington.'

25.
When they came to Wallington,
And into Wallington hall,
There she spy'd her son Fenwick,
Walking about the wall.

26.
'God save you, dear son,
Lord may your keeper be!
Where is my daughter fair,
That used to walk with thee?'

27.
He turn'd his head round about,
The tears did fill his e'e:
''Tis a month' he said, 'since she
Took her chambers from me.'

28.
She went on . . .
And there were in the hall
Four and twenty ladies,
Letting the tears down fall.

29.
Her daughter had a scope
Into her cheek and into her chin,
All to keep her life
Till her dear mother came.

30.
'Come take the rings off my fingers,
The skin it is so white,
And give them to my mother dear,
For she was all the wite.

31.
'Come take the rings off my fingers,
The veins they are so red,
Give them to Sir William Fenwick,
I'm sure his heart will bleed.'

32.
She took out a razor
That was both sharp and fine,
And out of her left side has taken
The heir of Wallington.

33.
There is a race in Wallington,
And that I rue full sare;
Tho' the cradle it be full spread up
The bride-bed is left bare.

[Annotations:
1.1: 'silly,' simple.
1.4: 'lair,' lying-in.
2.4: 'gate,' way.
5.3: 'her mother' is, of course, her mother-in-law.
9.2: 'shun' = shoon, shoes.
13: This stanza is not in the original, but is supplied from the boy's
repetition, st. 19.
13.4: 'lake-wake' = lyke-wake: watching by a corpse.
22: This, in ballads, is a customary method of giving expression to
strong emotion.
29.1: 'scope,' a gag.
30.4: 'wite,' blame: _i.e._ her mother was the cause of all her
trouble.]

END OF THE FIRST SERIES

INDEX OF TITLES

Page

Barbara Allan 150
Brown Adam 100
Brown Robin 158

Child Maurice 165
Child Waters 37

Earl Brand 44
Edward 189

Fair Annie 29
Fair Annie of Rough Royal 179
Fair Janet 94
Fair Margaret and Sweet William 63
Fair Mary of Wallington 201
Fause Footrage 172

Glasgerion 1

Hind Horn 185

Johney Scot 128

Lady Alice 163
Lady Maisry 70
Lamkin 196
Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard 19
Lord Ingram and Chiel Wyet 135
Lord Lovel 67
Lord Randal 193
Lord Thomas and Fair Annet 54

Old Robin of Portingale 13

The Bonny Birdy 25
The Boy and the Mantle 119
The Brown Girl 60
The Child of Ell 52
The Cruel Brother 76
The Cruel Mother 35
The Douglas Tragedy 49
The Gay Goshawk 153
The Marriage of Sir Gawaine 107
The Nutbrown Maid 80
The Twa Sisters o' Binnorie 141

Willie o' Winsbury 104

Young Bekie 6
Young Waters 146

INDEX OF FIRST LINES
Page

About Yule, when the wind blew cule 147
As it fell one holy-day 19
As it fell out on a long summer's day 63

Be it right, or wrong, these men among 81

Child Maurice hunted ithe siluer wood 166
Childe Watters in his stable stoode 37

Glasgerion was a king's own son 2
God! let neuer soe old a man 13

'I am as brown as brown can be 60
In Scotland there was a babie born 186
In the third day of May 120
It's Lamkin was a mason good 196
'It's narrow, narrow, make your bed 30
It was in and about the Martinmas time 150

Kinge Arthur liues in merry Carleile 109
King Easter has courted her for her gowd 173

Lady Alice was sitting in her bower-window 163
Lord Ingram and Chiel Wyet 135
Lord Lovel he stood at his castle-gate 68
Lord Thomas and Fair Annet 54

O Johney was as brave a knight 129 'O well's me o' my gay goss-hawk 153 'O wha will shoe my fu' fair foot? 180 O wha woud wish the win' to blaw 101 'O where hae ye been, Lord Randal, my son? 194 'Oh did ye ever hear o' brave Earl Bran'? 46

'Rise up, rise up now, Lord Douglas,' she says 49

Sayes, 'Christ thee saue, good child of Ell 52
She leaned her back unto a thorn 35

The king but an' his nobles a' 158
The king he hath been a prisoner 104
The young lords o' the north country 70
There was a knight, in a summer's night 25
There was three ladies play'd at the ba' 77
There were twa sisters sat in a bour 141

When we were silly sisters seven 202
'Why dois your brand sae drap wi' bluid 190

'Ye maun gang to your father, Janet 94
Young Bekie was as brave a knight 7

Printed by T. and A. Constable, Printers to His Majesty
at the Edinburgh University Press

* * * * *
* * * *
* * * * *

Errata:

Introduction:

[Footnote 3: _Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard_ (see p. 19, etc.).]
_footnote marker missing from text_
[Footnote 5: For the most recent discussions, see Bibliography,
p. lii.]
_footnote marker missing or invisible_
carefully balanced antitheses, and all the mechanical devices
_text reads "aud"_
Coleridge's _annus mirabilis_ was 1797
_"Cole/ridge's" printed at line break without visible hyphen_
his friend Humphrey Pitt of Shifnal, in Shropshire,
_text has extra close quote after "Shropshire,"_
1794. _Joseph Ritson._ Scotish Song. 2 vols. London.
_spelling unchanged_

Ballads:

The Douglas Tragedy
[Stanza 5.]
'Light down, light down, Lady Margret,' he said,
_close quote after "Lady Margret," not visible_
[Annotation to 8.3]
'dighted,' dressed.
_reference "8.3" missing in text_
Lord Lovel
[Introduction]
Of the former the commonest is _Der Ritter und die Maid_
_spelling unchanged_
Fair Annie of Rough Royal
[Introduction]
'Lochryan,' says Scott, 'lies in Galloway;
_text has extra close quote after "Galloway"_
Lord Randal
[Stanza 2.]
'Where gat ye your dinner, Lord Randal, my son?
Where gat ye your dinner, my handsome young man?'
_text has empty line where "man?'" is expected_

End of Project Gutenberg's Ballads of Romance and Chivalry, by Frank Sidgwick