Cotton Manuscript Vespasian, A. xxv, No 67, fol. 187;
Furnivall, in Transactions of the New Shakspere Society, 1880-86,
Appendix, p. 52†.
| 1 |
It befell at Martynmas,
When wether waxed colde,
Captaine Care said to his men,
We must go take a holde. |
| |
Syck, sike, and to-towe sike,
And sike and like to die;
The sikest nighte that euer I abode,
God lord haue mercy on me! |
| 2 |
'Haille, master, and wether you will,
And wether ye like it best;'
'To the castle of Crecrynbroghe,
And there we will take our reste.' |
| 3 |
'I knowe wher is a gay castle,
Is builded of lyme and stone;
Within their is a gay ladie,
Her lord is riden and gone.' |
| 4 |
The ladie she lend on her castle-walle,
She loked vpp and downe;
There was she ware of an host of men,
Come riding to the towne. |
| 5 |
'Se yow, my meri men all,
And se yow what I see?
Yonder I see an host of men,
I muse who they bee.' |
| 6 |
She thought he had ben her wed lord,
As he comd riding home;
Then was it traitur Captaine Care
The lord of Ester-towne. |
| 7 |
They wer no soner at supper sett,
Then after said the grace,
Or Captaine Care and all his men
Wer lighte aboute the place. |
| 8 |
'Gyue ouer thi howsse, thou lady gay,
And I will make the a bande;
To-nighte thou shall ly within my armes,
To-morrowe thou shall ere my lande.' |
| 9 |
Then bespacke the eldest sonne,
That was both whitt and redde:
O mother dere, geue ouer your howsse,
Or elles we shalbe deade. |
| 10 |
'I will not geue ouer my hous,' she saithe,
'Not for feare of my lyffe;
It shalbe talked throughout the land,
The slaughter of a wyffe. |
| 11 |
'Fetch me my pestilett,
And charge me my gonne,
That I may shott at yonder bloddy butcher,
The lord of Easter-towne.' |
| 12 |
Styfly vpon her wall she stode,
And lett the pellettes flee;
But then she myst the blody bucher,
And she slew other three. |
| 13 |
'[I will] not geue ouer my hous,' she saithe,
'Netheir for lord nor lowne;
Nor yet for traitour Captaine Care,
The lord of Easter-towne. |
| 14 |
'I desire of Captine Care,
And all his bloddye band,
That he would saue my eldest sonne,
The eare of all my lande.' |
| 15 |
'Lap him in a shete,' he sayth,
'And let him downe to me,
And I shall take him in my armes,
His waran shall I be.' |
| 16 |
The captayne sayd unto him selfe:
Wyth sped, before the rest,
He cut his tonge out of his head,
His hart out of his brest. |
| 17 |
He lapt them in a handkerchef,
And knet it of knotes three,
And cast them ouer the castell-wall,
At that gay ladye. |
| 18 |
'Fye vpon the, Captayne Care,
And all thy bloddy band!
For thou hast slayne my eldest sonne,
The ayre of all my land.' |
| 19 |
Then bespake the yongest sonne,
That say on the nurses knee,
Sayth, Mother gay, geue ouer your house;
It smoldereth me. |
| 20 |
'I wold geue my gold,' she saith,
'And so I wolde my fee,
For a blaste of the westryn wind,
To dryue the smoke from thee. |
| 21 |
'Fy vpon the, John Hamleton,
That euer I paid the hyre!
For thou hast broken my castle-wall,
And kyndled in the fyre.' |
| 22 |
The lady gate to her close parler,
The fire fell aboute her head;
She toke vp her childern thre,
Seth, Babes, we are all dead. |
| 23 |
Then bespake the hye steward,
That is of hye degree;
Saith, Ladie gay, you are in close,
Wether ye fighte or flee. |
| 24 |
Lord Hamleton dremd in his dream,
In Caruall where he laye,
His halle were all of fyre,
His ladie slayne or daye. |
| 25 |
'Busk and bowne, my merry men all,
Even and go ye with me;
For I dremd that my haal was on fyre,
My lady slayne or day.' |
| 26 |
He buskt him and bownd hym,
And like a worthi knighte;
And when he saw his hall burning,
His harte was no dele lighte. |
| 27 |
He sett a trumpett till his mouth,
He blew as it plesd his grace;
Twenty score of Hamlentons
Was light aboute the place. |
| 28 |
'Had I knowne as much yesternighte
As I do to-daye,
Captaine Care and all his men
Should not haue gone so quite. |
| 29 |
'Fye vpon the, Captaine Care,
And all thy blody bande!
Thou haste slayne my lady gay,
More wurth then all thy lande. |
| 30 |
'If thou had ought eny ill will,' he saith,
'Thou shoulde haue taken my lyffe,
And haue saved my children thre,
All and my louesome wyffe.' |
