Percy Manuscript, p. 292. Hales and Fnrnivall, II, 328.
| 1 |
As I was cast in my first sleepe,
A dreadffull draught in my mind I drew,
Ffor I was dreamed of a yong man,
Some men called him yonge Andrew. |
| 2 |
The moone shone bright, and itt cast a fayre light,
Sayes shee, Welcome, my honey, my hart, and my sweete!
For I haue loued thee this seuen long yeere,
And our chance itt was wee cold neuer meete. |
| 3 |
Then he tooke her in his armes two,
And kissed her both cheeke and chin,
And twise or thrise he pleased this may
Before they tow did part in twinn. |
| 4 |
Saies, Now, good sir, you haue had your will,
You can demand no more of mee;
Good sir, remember what you said before,
And goe to the church and marry mee. |
| 5 |
'Ffaire maid, I cannott doe as I wold;
. . . . .
Goe home and fett thy fathers redd gold,
And I'le goe to the church and marry thee. |
| 6 |
This ladye is gone to her fathers hall,
And well she knew where his red gold lay,
And counted forth five hundred pound,
Besides all other iuells and chaines: |
| 7 |
was well counted vpon his knee;
And brought itt all to younge Andrew,
Then he tooke her by the lillye white hand,
And led her vp to an hill soe hye. |
| 8 |
Shee had vpon a gowne of blacke veluett,
(A pittyffull sight after yee shall see:)
'Put of thy clothes, bonny wenche,' he sayes,
'For noe foote further thoust gang with mee.' |
| 9 |
But then shee put of her gowne of veluett,
With many a salt teare from her eye,
And in a kirtle of fine breaden silke
Shee stood beffore young Andrews eye. |
| 10 |
Sais, O put off thy kirtle of silke,
Ffor some and all shall goe with mee;
And to my owne lady I must itt beare,
Who I must needs loue better then thee. |
| 11 |
Then shee put of her kirtle of silke,
With many a salt teare still from her eye;
In a peticoate of scarlett redd
Shee stood before young Andrewes eye. |
| 12 |
Saies, O put of thy peticoate,
For some and all of itt shall goe with mee;
And to my owne lady I will itt beare,
Which dwells soe farr in a strange countrye |
| 13 |
But then shee put of her peticoate,
With many a salt teare still from her eye,
And in a smocke of braue white silke
She stood before young Andrews eye. |
| 14 |
Saies, O put of thy smocke of silke,
For some and all shall goe with mee;
Vnto my owne ladye I will itt beare,
That dwells soe farr in a strange countrye. |
| 15 |
Sayes, O remember, young Andrew,
Once of a woman you were borne;
And for that birth that Marye bore,
I pray you let my smocke be vpon! |
| 16 |
'Yes, fayre ladye, I know itt well,
Once of a woman I was borne;
Yett for noe birth that Mary bore,
Thy smocke shall not be left here vpon.' |
| 17 |
But then shee put of her head-geere fine;
Shee hadd billaments worth a hundred pound;
The hayre that was vpon this bony wench head
Couered her bodye downe to the ground. |
| 18 |
Then he pulled forth a Scottish brand,
And held itt there in his owne right hand;
Saies, Whether wilt thou dye vpon my swords point, ladye,
Or thow wilt goe naked home againe? |
| 19 |
'Liffe is sweet,' then, 'Sir,' said shee,
'Therfore I pray you leaue mee with mine;
Before I wold dye on your swords point,
I had rather goe naked home againe. |
| 20 |
'My father,' shee sayes, 'is a right good erle
As any remaines in his countrye;
If euer he doe your body take,
You'r sure to flower a gallow tree. |
| 21 |
'And I haue seuen brethren,' shee sayes,
'And they are all hardy men and bold;
Giff euer th doe your body take,
You must neuer gang quicke ouer the mold.' |
| 22 |
'If your father be a right good erle
As any remaines in his owne countrye,
Tush! he shall neuer by body take,
I'le gang soe fast ouer the sea. |
| 23 |
'If you have seuen brethren,"] he sayes,
'If they be neuer soe hardy or bold,
Tush! they shall neuer my body take,
I'le gang soe fast into the Scottish mold.' |
| 24 |
Now this ladye is gone to her fathers hall,
When euery body their rest did take;
But the Erle which was her father
Lay waken for his deere daughters sake. |
| 25 |
'But who is that,' her father can say,
'That soe priuilye knowes the pinn?'
'It's Hellen, your owne deere daughter, father,
I pray you rise and lett me in.' |
| 26 |
. . . . .
'Noe, by my hood!' quoth her father then,
'My [house] thoust neuer come within,
Without I had my red gold againe.' |
| 27 |
'Nay, your gold is gone, father!' said shee,
. . . . .
'Then naked thou came into this world,
And naked thou shalt returne againe.' |
| 28 |
'Nay! God forgaue his death, father,' shee sayes,
'And soe I hope you will doe mee;'
'Away, away, thou cursed woman,
I pray God an ill death thou may dye!' |
| 29 |
Shee stood soe long quacking on the ground
Till her hart itt burst in three;
And then shee fell dead downe in a swoond,
And this was the end of this bonny ladye. |
| 30 |
Ithe morning, when her father gott vpp,
A pittyffull sight there he might see;
His owne deere daughter was dead, without clothes,
The teares they trickeled fast from his eye. |
| 31 |
. . . . . .
Sais, Fye of gold, and fye of fee!
For I sett soe much by my red gold
That now itt hath lost both my daughter and mee!' |
| 32 |
. . . . . .
But after this time he neere dought good day,
But as flowers doth fade in the frost,
Soe he did wast and weare away. |
| 33 |
But let vs leaue talking of this ladye,
And talke some more of young Andrew;
Ffor false he was to this bonny ladye,
More pitty that he had not beene true. |
| 34 |
He was not gone a mile into the wild forrest,
Or halfe a mile into the hart of Wales,
But there they cought him by such a braue wyle
That hee must come to tell noe more tales.
* * * * * |
| 35 |
. . . . .
Ffull soone a wolfe did of him smell,
And shee came roaring like a beare,
And gaping like a feend of hell. |
| 36 |
Soe they fought together like two lyons,
And fire betweene them two glashet out;
Th raught eche other such a great rappe,
That there young Andrew was slaine, well I wott. |
| 37 |
But now young Andrew he is dead,
But he was neuer buryed vnder mold,
For ther as the wolfe devoured him,
There lyes all this great erles gold. |
