Kinloch's Ancient Scottish Ballads, p. 247.
| 1 |
The Queen fell sick, and very, very sick,
She was sick, and like to dee,
And she sent for a friar oure frae France,
Her confessour to be. |
| 2 |
King Henry, when he heard o that,
An angry man was he,
And he sent to the Earl Marshall,
Attendance for to gie. |
| 3 |
'The Quen is sick,' King Henry cried,
'And wants to be beshriven;
She has sent for a friar oure frae France,
By the rude, he were better in heaven! |
| 4 |
'But tak you a friar's guise,
The voice and gesture feign,
And when she has the pardon crav'd,
Respond to her, Amen! |
| 5 |
'And I will be a prelate old,
And sit in a corner dark,
To hear the adventures of my spouse,
My spouse, and her haly spark.' |
| 6 |
'My liege, my liege, how can I betray
My mistress and my queen?
O swear by the rude that no damage
From this shall be gotten or gien!' |
| 7 |
'I swear by the rude,' quoth King Henry,
'No damage shall be gotten or gien;
Come, let us spare no cure nor care
For the conscience o the Queen.'
* * * * * |
| 8 |
'O fathers, O fathers, I'm very,very sick,
I'm sick, and like to dee;
Some ghostly comfort to my poor soul
O tell if ye can gie!' |
| 9 |
'Confess, confess,' Earl Marshall cried,
'And you shall pardoned be;'
'Confess, confess,' the King replied,
'And we shall comfort gie.' |
| 10 |
'Oh, how shall I tell the sorry, sorry tale!
How can the tale be told!
I playd the harlot wi the Earl Marshall,
Beneath yon cloth of gold. |
| 11 |
'Oh, wasna that a sin, and a very great sin?
But I hope it will pardoned be;'
'Amen! Amen!' quoth the Earl Marshall,
And a very feart heart had he. |
| 12 |
'O down i the forest, in a bower,
Beyond yon dark oak-tree,
I drew a penknife frae my pocket
To kill King Henerie. |
| 13 |
'Oh, wasna that a sin, and a very great sin?
But I hope it will pardoned be;'
'Amen! Amen!' quoth the Earl Marshall,
And a very feart heart had he. |
| 14 |
'O do you see yon pretty little boy,
That's playing at the ba?
He is the Earl Marshall's only son,
And I loved him best of a'. |
| 15 |
'Oh, wasna that a sin, and a very great sin?
But I hope it will pardoned be;'
'Amen! Amen!' quoth the Earl Marshall,
And a very feart heart had he. |
| 16 |
'And do you see yon pretty little girl,
That's a' beclad in green?
She's a friar's daughter, oure in France,
And I hoped to see her a queen. |
| 17 |
'Oh, wasna that a sin, and a very great sin?
But I hope it will pardoned be;'
'Amen! Amen!' quoth the Earl Marshall,
And a feart heart still had he. |
| 18 |
'O do you see yon other little boy,
That's playing at the ba?
He is King Henry's only son,
And I like him warst of a'. |
| 19 |
'He's headed like a buck,' she said,
'And backed like a bear;'
'Amen!' quoth the King, in the King's ain voice,
'He shall be my only heir.' |
| 20 |
The King lookd over his left shoulder,
An angry man was he:
'An it werna for the oath I sware,
Earl Marshall, thou shouldst dee.' |
