Jamieson's Popular Ballads, I, 176, communicated by Mrs.
Brown.
| 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 oer 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 sall 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 eer hung on a tree;
She laid a plot wi Lamkin,
whan her lord was oer 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 hang down by his gaire,
And he has gien 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 taen 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 neer 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;
'tis 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 condemnd 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. |
