Chapter XXIII: Appendix (18)

9
The first step she stepped,
she stepped on a stane;
The next step she stepped,
she met the Lammikin.

* * * * * * *

10
'O nourice, wanted ye your meat?
or wanted ye your fee?
Or wanted ye for any thing
a fair lady could gie?'

11
'I wanted for nae meat, ladie,
I wanted for nae fee;
But I wanted for a hantle
a fair lady could gie.'

* * * * * * *

12
'I wish a' may be weel,' he says,
'wi my ladie at hame;
For the rings upon my fingers
are bursting in twain.'

* * * * * * *

13
'There's bluid in my nursery,
there's bluid in my ha,
There's bluid in my fair lady's bower,
an that's warst of a'.'

14
O sweet, sweet sang the birdie,
upon the bough sae hie,
But little cared false nourice for that,
for it was her gallows-tree.

* * * * * * *

R

Finlay's Scottish Ballads, II, 55, "from a manuscript
formerly written by an old lady."

1
When Sir Guy and his train
gaed to hunt the wild boar,
He gard bar up his castle,
behind and before.

2
And he bade his fair lady
guard weel her young son,
For wicked Balcanqual
great mischief had done.

3
So she closed a' the windows,
without and within,
But forgot the wee wicket,
and Balcanqual crap in.

* * * * * * *

4
Syne Balcanqual he rocked,
and fause nourice sang,
Till through a' the cradle
the baby's blood sprang.

5
'O please the bairn, nourice,
and please him wi the keys:'
'He'll no be pleased, madam,
for a' that he sees.'

6
And Balcanqual ay rocked,
while fause nourice sang,
And through a' the cradle
the baby's blood ran.

7
'Please the bairn, nourice,
and please him wi the knife:'
'He'll no be pleased, madam,
tho I'd gie my life.'

8
And Balcanqual still rocked,
and fause nourice sang,
While through a' the cradle
the baby's blood ran.

9
'Now please the bairn, nourice,
and please him wi the bell:'
'He'll no be pleased, madam,
till ye come yoursell.'

10
Down came this fair lady,
tripping down the stair,
To see her sick bairn,
but returned never mair.

11
'Now scour the bason, Jenny,
and scour 't very clean,
To haad this lady's blood,
for she's of noble kin.'

* * * * * * *

S

Motherwell's Note-Book, fol. 13.

1
Lambkin was as brave a builder
as eer built a stane,
And he built Lord Cassillis house,
an for payment he gat nane.

2
My lord said to my lady,
when he went abroad,
Tak care o fause Lamkin,
for he sleeps in the wood.

T

Recited to me by Ellen Healy, January 14, 1881, as sung
by Moll Lochnie, a woman of about seventy, at a place
near Killarney, before 1867.

1
'Where is the lord?
or is he within?'
'He's gone to New England,
to dine with the king.'

2
'Where is his horses?
or where is his men?'
'They're gone to New England,
to wait upon him.'

3
'Where is his lady?
or is she within?'
'She's in her bedchamber,
all in her lying in.'

4
'Can I get at her,
with thousands of lands?
Can I get at her,
to make her understand?'

5
'You cannot get at her,
with thousands of lands;
You cannot get at her,
to make her understand.'

6
'Lady, come down,
and please your child,'
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .

7
'Can't you please my child
with white bread and breast-wine?'
'O lady, come down,
and please him awhile.'

8
'How can I go down,
this cold winter's night,
Without a fire in the kitchen,
or candle to light?'

9
'You've got nine bright lamps,
just as bright as the king;
Lady, come down,
and light one of them.'

10
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
False Lantin he took her
so brave in his arms.

11
Saying, Where is your friend,
or where is your foe,
That will hold the gold basin,
your heart's blood to flow?

12
'My nurse is not my friend,
my nurse is my foe;
She'll hold the gold basin,
my heart's blood to flow.

13
'O spare my life
for one summer's day,
And I'll give you as much money
as there's sand in the sea.'

14
'I'll not spare your life
for one summer's day,
And I wont have as much money
as there's sand in the sea.'

15
'O spare me my life
until one o'clock,
And I'll give you Queen Betsie,
the flower of the flock.'

16
'O mama, dear mama,
then please him awhile;
My dada is coming,
he's dressed in great style.'

17
False Lantin he heard
the words from the high,
Saying, Your mama is dead,
and away I will fly.

18
'O dada, dear dada,
do not blame me,
'Tis nurse and false Lantin
betrayed your ladie.'

19
'I'll bury my mama
against the wall,
And I'll bury my baba,
white all, white all.'

U

#a.# The Ballad Book, by William Allingham, p. xxxiii,
part of a version sung by a nurse in the family of a
relative in Ireland. #b.# The same, p. 297, No 56, a
compounded version.

1
As my lord and my lady
were out walking one day,
Says my lord to my lady,
Beware of Lamkin.

2
'O why should I fear him,
or any such man,
When my doors are well barrd,
and my windows well pinnd?'

* * * * * * *

3
'O keep your gold and silver,
it will do you some good;
It will buy you a coffin,
when you are dead.'

4
There's blood in the kitchen,
and blood in the hall,
And the young Mayor of England
lies dead by the wall.

V

Harris MS., No 28, fol. 27 b, Miss Seymour, Lethnot.

I wald be very sorry
to wash a basin clean,
To haud my mither's heart's blude,
that's comin, an I ken.

* * * * *

#C.#

21^2, 22^2. _Motherwell suggests ~mother~ for ~lady~._

_After_ 22, "a stanza, forgotten by the reciter, which
purported that on the night his lady was murdered, the
ring on Lord Arran's finger broke."

#F. b.#

1^1. he got on.

1^2, 2^2. who lives.

3^1. The doors are... windows are.

3^2. There is not... where a mouse can.

4^2. For he.

5^1. the windows all pinned.

5^2. But one: Lankin.

7^2. she's in her high chamber.

8^1. young heir.

9^1. we'll prick him, we'll.

10^1. They pricked him, they.

10^2. false nurse... drop in.

11^2. my son Johnson.

12^2, 14^2, 16^2. Come down.

13. _wanting._

14^2. and nurse.

15^2. And there 's no fire burning, nor lamp.

16^2. all by.

17^2. much money.

18. _wanting._

19, 20, 21. Nancy.

20^2. golden basin.

22^2, 23^1. Long _wanting_.

23^2. close by.

#G.#

"A friend of the lady who contributed our copy of this
ballad gave a transcript to Miss Landon, who published
it in the Drawing Room Scrap Book for 1835, in which,
without any authority, she lays the scene of the murder
in Cumberland."

_Variations in the Drawing Boom Scrap Book_: 7^1, 8^1,
9^1. Where are.

11, 13 _are given in_ Halliwell's Nursery Rhymes of
England, _ed._ 1874, p. 212, No 403, _with only this
variation_: 11^2, when ye lord.

#I.#

5^1. marble stane, _indistinct in the MS._

7^1. O... her gang.

#K.#

_After_ 4. He was in league with the nurse, who let him
in to one of the low rooms.

_After_ 12. Whilst he and the nurse are plundering the
house, the lord comes home, and avenges himself upon
these wicked villains.

#L.#

2^1. woman.

#M. a.#

_After_ 1. And a' the servants were frae hame; Lamkin
made up wi the fauss norice.

2 _follows_ 8.

#b.#

_Begins with a stanza very near to_ #N# 1:

Lamkin was as gude a mason
As ever laid a stane,
And he has built Lord Wearie a castle.
But payment he got nane.

1^1. once upon: Wearie went frae.

2 _follows_ 6.

2^1. Lamkin he rockit and the.

2^2. Till to the four tors o the cradle the.

3^1. a wand.

8 is _omitted_.

9^2. as eer was paid.

#N.#

6^1. first steppd.

#P.#

_Eleven of the nineteen stanzas of Herd's version are
spurious, and many of the others have been tampered with.
The metre is disturbed or changed._

_Stanza 4 is omitted in Herd's printed copy._

_After_ 1 _follow_:

'Sen ye winnae gie me my guerdon, lord,
Sen ye winnae gie me my hyre,
Yon proud castle, sae stately built,
I sall gar reck wi the fyre.

'Sen ye winna gie me my wages, lord,
Ye sall hae caus to rue:'
And syne he brewed a black revenge,
And syne he vowed a vow.

'Now byde at hame, my luve, my lyfe,
I warde ye byde at hame;
Oh gang nae to this day's hunting,
To leave me a' my lane.

'Yestrene, yestrene, I dreamt my bower
Of red, red blude was fu;
Gin ye gang to this black hunting,
I sall hae caus to rue.'

'Wha looks to dreams, my winsome dame?
Ye hae nae caus to feare:'
And syne he's kist her comely cheik,
And syne the starting teare.

And syne he's gane to the good greene wode,
And she to her painted bowir,
And she's gard steck doors, windows, yates,
Of castle, ha and tower.

_After 8 follow these five stanzas, found also in Herd's
MSS, II, 97_:

And when she saw the red, red blude,
A loud scrich scriched she:
'O monster, monster, spare the child
Wha never skaithed thee.

'O spare, gif in your bluidy briest
Albergs not heart of stane;
O spare, and ye sall hae of gould
What ye can carry hame.'

'Dame, I want not your gowd,' he sayd,
'Dame, I want not your fee;
I hae been wronged by your lord,
Ye sall black vengence drie.

'Here are nae serfs to guard your halls,
Nae trusty spearsmen here;
They sound the horn in good greene wode,
And chase the doe and deer.

'Tho merry sounds the gude greene wode,
Wi huntsmen hounds and horn,
Your lord sall rue eer sets yon sun
He hes done me skaith and scorn.'

* * * * * * *

_For_ quha, ze, _etc._, wha, ye _are printed_.

#Q.#

_Of the thirty-five stanzas printed by Finlay, seventeen,
or 2, 3, 5-9, 12 (?), 14, 16 (?), 18, 19, 21-25, are
derived from Herd's version_, #P#, _all his spurious
verses being retained_. _There are some variations, due
to imperfect recollection. Of the remaining eighteen, 4,
28, 29, 31, 34 are clearly by a modern pen. There are
some twelve genuine stanzas, 1, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 20,
26, 27, 30, 32, 33, which are independent of Herd. Two
more, Finlay's 12, 16, have been left with these because
they vary considerably from Herd, and may possibly be
traditional. So may the following be, Finlay's 35 and
last; but I think it is not._

They carried him a' airts o wind,
And mickle pain had he;
At last before Lord Weire's gate
They hanged him on the tree.

#R.#

_This second version of Finlay's has been written
over. His fourth stanza and his last six owe nothing
to tradition. Finlay himself_ "restored" the name of
Balwearie from a recited copy "in preference to that of
Sr. Guy, or Gray, which the MS. bears, as it makes the
ballad _appear_ more decidedly local."

_After 3_:

Then up spak fause nourice:
'haste up to the tower,
Somebody knocks at the gate,
bauldly and dowr.'

_After 11_:

She's lifted her baby,
and kissed cheek and chin,
And his ance rosy lips,
but nae breath was within.

'Fare weel, my sweet baby,
ye've left me alane;
But I see my death coming,
I needna make mane.'

They've taen this fair lady,
and tied her wi bands,
And in her sweet heart's blood
they've dipped their hands.

For Balcanqual and nourice
had vowd her to slae,
Because their ill deeds
made Balwearie their fae.

Balwearie and his train
cam hame weary at een,
Nae voice gied them welcome,
nae light could be seen.

'Open, dear lady,
my castle to me:'
Nae voice gied an answer,
nae voice was to gie.

#S.#

"Lambkin.... 27 stanzas."

#T.#

_After 5_: "The nurse said this, and the false Lantin
stabbed the baby. He bribed the nurse to make the lady
come down and please the child. It told how he stabbed
the baby, what kind of knife he had, and how he put it
through the baby."

#U. b.#

_Allingham's copy is principally composed of 14 stanzas
of #A#, 9 of #G#, 5 of #Q#, 1 of #B#. So much of the
following stanzas as is in larger type may be regarded
as derived, partially or wholly, from the_ "copy taken
down from the mouth of an Irish nurse in the family of a
relative of the editor."

6
What care I for Lamkin,
or any of his gang?
I'll keep my doors weel guarded,
my windows all pennd in.'

7
When all the doors were guarded,
and all the windows shut,
There was still one little window,
and that one was forgot.

13
'And how are we to bring her down?'
says the Lamkin:
'Pinch the babe in the cradle here,'
says the fause nourice to him.

18
The first step the lady stepped,
she stepped on a stane;
The last step the lady stepped,
there she met Lamkin.

19
'O mercy, mercy, Lamkin,
have mercy upon me!
O harm ye not my little son,
I pray you let him be.'

23
Lord Weare he sat in England,
a drinking o the wine;
He felt his heart fu heavy
at this very same time.

25
He sailed in his bonny ship
upon the saut sea-faem;
He leapd up on his horse
and swiftly he rade hame.

27
'O whas blude is this,' he says,
'that lies in the bower?'
'It is your lady's heart's blude,
where Lamkin he slew her.'

[150] Of boiling to death see Ducange, Caldariis decoquere, and other places cited by Robertson, Materials for the History of Thomas Becket, I, xxxii, note, and 128. This was especially a punishment for coiners, and was sanctioned as the penalty for poisoners by a statute of 22 Henry VIII, c. 29, repealed 1 Edward VI.

[151] More about the locality in Notes and Queries, First Series, II, 270.

[152] "Balcanquel is an ancient Scottish surname, and is sometimes corrupted, for the more agreeable sound, into Beluncan. All reciters agree that Lammikin, or Lambkin, is not the name of the hero, but merely an epithet." Finlay, Scottish Ballads, II. 56.

94

YOUNG WATERS

Percy's Reliques, 1765, II, 172.

Percy took this ballad "from a copy printed not long since at Glasgow, in one sheet 8vo," and he informs us that the world was indebted for its publication to the Lady Jean Hume, sister to the Earl of Hume. Maidment, Scotish Ballads and Songs, Historical and Traditionary, II, 62, gives the title of the first edition as follows: Young Waters, an Ancient Scotish Poem, never before printed. Glasgow: printed and sold by Robert and Andrew Foulis. MDCCLV. Small 4to, pp. 8. He does not say whether he prints from the original edition. The ballad was repeated in Herd's Ancient and Modern Scots Songs, 1769, p. 238; in Ritson's Scotish Song, 1794, II, 181, with the variation of a word or two; and in Pinkerton's Select Scotish Ballads, 1783, I, 72, with arbitrary changes.

Motherwell, Minstrelsy, Introduction, p. lxviii, note 16, says he had never met with any traditionary version of this ballad. There is a copy in the Skene MSS, p. 23, which in all likelihood was learned by the writer from print. Buchan, who may generally be relied upon to produce a longer ballad than anybody else, has 'Young Waters' in thirty-nine stanzas, "the only complete version which he had ever met." Of this copy I will only say that everything which is not in the edition of 1755 (itself a little the worse for editing) is a counterfeit of the lowest description. Nevertheless it is given in an appendix; for much the same reason that thieves are photographed.

It is possible, and Aytoun, I, 93, thinks highly probable, that this ballad may have been founded on some real event in Scottish history; but Aytoun shows a commendable discretion in his conclusion that, "though various conjectures have been hazarded as to its origin, none appear sufficiently plausible to warrant their adoption," an opinion in which Maidment fully concurs. Chambers, who unhesitatingly accepted Buchan's ballad, did not, in 1829, entertain the least doubt that Young Waters was one of the Scottish nobles executed by James I after his return from his captivity in England, and very probably Walter Stuart, second son of the Duke of Albany: The Scottish Ballads, p. 34. Thirty years later he had no more doubt that the ballad was composed by Lady Wardlaw.

A Scandinavian ballad, historical to the extent that one version has historical names, exhibits the principal incidents of the short story of 'Young Waters.' #Danish.# 'Folke Lovmandsøn og Dronning Helvig,' texts of the 16th century, Grundtvig, III, 691, No 178, #A-D#.[153] #Swedish.# #A#, 'Falkvard Lagermanson,' tradition of this century, Arwidsson, II, 62, No 80. #B#, manuscript of the last century, Grundtvig, III, 697. The king and queen, Danish #B#, are Magnus I of Sweden and his wife Helvig (died 1290, 1325). Folke Lovmandsøn is in high favor with dames and maids, but especially with the queen, to whose service he is devoted. A little wee page plays the part of the wily lord of 'Young Waters' in exciting the king's jealousy. The innocent young knight is rolled down hill in a tun set with knives.

Translated by Grundtvig, No 7, p. 48; Herder, II, 68; Döring, p. 383; Allingham's copy by Knortz, Lieder und Romanzen Alt-Englands, No 8, p. 33; Buchan's by Gerhard, p. 8.

1
About Yule, when the wind blew cule,
And the round tables began,
A there is cum to our king's court
Mony a well-favourd man.

2
The queen luikt owre the castle-wa,
Beheld baith dale and down,
And then she saw Young Waters
Cum riding to the town.

3
His footmen they did rin before,
His horsemen rade behind;
Ane mantel of the burning gowd
Did keip him frae the wind.

4
Gowden-graithd his horse before,
And siller-shod behind;
The horse Young Waters rade upon
Was fleeter than the wind.

5
Out then spake a wylie lord,
Unto the queen said he,
'O tell me wha's the fairest face
Rides in the company?'

6
'I've sene lord, and I've sene laird,
And knights of high degree,
But a fairer face than Young Waters
Mine eyne did never see.'

7
Out then spack the jealous king,
And an angry man was he:
'O if he had been twice as fair,
You micht have excepted me.'

8
'You 're neither laird nor lord,' she says,
'Bot the king that wears the crown;
There is not a knight in fair Scotland
But to thee maun bow down.'

9
For a' that she could do or say,
Appeasd he wad nae bee,
Bot for the words which she had said,
Young Waters he maun dee.

10
They hae taen Young Waters,
And put fetters to his feet;
They hae taen Young Waters,
And thrown him in dungeon deep.

11
'Aft I have ridden thro Stirling town
In the wind bot and the weit;
Bot I neir rade thro Stirling town
Wi fetters at my feet.

12
'Aft have I ridden thro Stirling town
In the wind bot and the rain;
Bot I neir rade thro Stirling town
Neir to return again.'

13
They hae taen to the heiding-hill
His young son in his craddle,
And they hae taen to the heiding-hill
His horse bot and his saddle.

14
They hae taen to the heiding-hill
His lady fair to see,
And for the words the queen had spoke
Young Waters he did dee.

* * * * *

Quhen, zoung, _etc._, _are printed_ when, young.

3^3. And _corrected to_ Ane _in the second edition of the
Reliques_.

5^1. But. _Ritson, Maidment_, Out.

10^{1, 3}. Waters and: and _is carried on to the
following line_.