Motherwell's Manuscript, p. 422,
communicated by Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe.
| 1 |
In came her sister,
Stepping on the floor;
Says, It's telling me, my sister Janet,
That you're become a whore. |
| 2 |
'A whore, sister, a whore, sister?
That's what I'll never be;
I'm no so great a whore, sister,
As liars does on me lee. |
| 3 |
In came her brother,
Stepping on the floor;
Says, It's telling me, my sister Janet,
That you're become a whore.' |
| 4 |
'A whore, brother, a whore, brother?
A whore I'll never be;
I'm no so bad a woman, brother,
As liears does on me lee.' |
| 5 |
In came her mother,
Stepping on the floor:
'They are telling me, my daughter,
That you're so soon become a whore.' |
| 6 |
'A whore, mother, a whore, mother?
A whore I'll never be;
I'm only with child to an English lord,
Who promised to marry me.' |
| 7 |
In came her father,
Stepping on the floor;
Says, They tell me, my daughter Janet,
That you are become a whore.' |
| 8 |
'A whore, father, a whore, father?
A whore I'll never be;
I'm but with child to an English lord,
Who promisd to marry me.' |
| 9 |
Then in it came an old woman,
The lady's nurse was she,
And ere she could get out a word
The tear blinded her ee. |
| 10 |
'Your father's to the fire, Janet,
Your brother's to the whin;
All for to kindle a bold bonfire,
To burn your body in.' |
| 11 |
'Where will I get a boy,' she said,
'Will gain gold for his fee,
That would run unto fair England
For thy good lord to thee.' |
| 12 |
'O I have here a boy,' she said,
'Will gain gold to his fee,
For he will run to fair England
For thy good lord to thee.' |
| 13 |
Now when he found a bridge broken,
He bent his bow and swam,
And when he got where grass did grow,
He slacked it and ran. |
| 14 |
And when he came to that lord's gate,
Stopt not to knock or call,
But set his bent bow to his breast
And lightly leapt the wall;
And ere the porter could open the gate,
The boy was in the hall, |
| 15 |
In presence of that noble lord,
And fell down on his knee:
'What is it, my boy,' he cried,
'Have you brought unto me? |
| 16 |
'Is my building broke into?
Or is my towers won?
Or is my true-love delivered
Of daughter or of son?' |
| 17 |
'Your building is not broke,' he cried,
'Nor is your towers won,
Nor is your true-love delivered
Of daughter nor of son;
But if you do not come in haste,
Be sure she will be gone. |
| 18 |
'Her father is gone to the fire,
Her brother to the whin,
To kindle up a bold bonfire,
To burn her body in.' |
| 19 |
'Go saddle to me the black,' he cried,
'And do it very soon;
Get unto me the swiftest horse
That ever rade from the town.' |
| 20 |
The first horse that he rade upon,
For he was raven black,
He bore him far, and very far,
But failed in a slack. |
| 21 |
The next horse that he rode upon,
He was a bonny brown;
He bore him far, and very far,
But did at last fall down. |
| 22 |
The next horse that he rode upon,
He as the milk was white;
Fair fall the mare that foaled that foal.
Took him to Janet's sight! |
| 23 |
And boots and spurs, all as he was,
Into the fire he lap,
Got one kiss of her comely mouth,
While her body gave a crack. |
| 24 |
'O who has been so bold,' he says,
'This bonfire to set on?
Or who has been so bold,' he says,
'Her body for to burn?' |
| 25 |
'O here are we,' her brother said,
'This bonfire who set on;
And we have been so bold,' he said,
'Her body for to burn.' |
| 26 |
'O I'll cause burn for you, Janet,
Your father and your mother;
And I'll cause die for you, Janet,
Your sister and your brother. |
| 27 |
'And I'll cause mony back be bare,
And mony shed be thin,
And mony wife be made a widow,
And mony ane want their son.' |
