| 1 |
It was a worthy Lord of Lorn,
He was a lord of high degree,
He sent [his son] unto the schoole,
To learn some civility. |
| 2 |
He learned more learning in one day
Then other children did in three;
And then bespake the schoolmaster
Unto him tenderly, |
| 3 |
'In faith thou art the honestest boy
That ere I blinkt on with mine eye;
I hope thou art some easterling born,
The Holy Ghost is with thee.' |
| 4 |
He said he was no easterling born,
The child thus answered courteously;
My father is the Lord of Lorn,
And I his son, perdye. |
| 5 |
The schoolmaster turned round about,
His angry mood he could not swage;
He marvelled the child could speak so wise,
He being of so tender age. |
| 6 |
He girt the saddle to the steed,
The bridle of the best gold shone;
He took his leave of his fellows all,
And quickly he was gone. |
| 7 |
And when he came to his father dear
He kneeled down upon his knee;
'I am come to you, fathe[r],' he said,
'God's blessing give you me.' |
| 8 |
'Thou art welcome, son,' he said,
'God's blessing I give thee;
What tidings hast thou brought, my son,
Being come so hastily?' |
| 9 |
'I have brought tidings, father,' he said,
'And so lik d it may be.
There's never a book in all Scotland
But I can read it, truly. |
| 10 |
'There's nere a doctor in all this realm,
For all he goes in rich array,
I can write him a lesson soon
To learn in seven years day.' |
| 11 |
'That is good tidings,' said the lord,
'All in the place where I do stand;
My son, thou shalt into France go,
To learn the speeches of each land.' |
| 12 |
'Who shall go with him?' said the lady;
'Husband, we have no more but he;'
'Madam,' he saith, 'My head steward,
He hath bin true to me.' |
| 13 |
She cal'd the steward to an account,
A thousand pound she gave him anon;
Sayes, Good Sir Steward, be as good to my child,
When he is far from home. |
| 14 |
'If I be fals unto my young lord,
Then God be [the] like to me indeed!'
And now to France they both are gone,
And God be their good speed. |
| 15 |
They had not been in France land
Not three weeks unto an end,
But meat and drink the child got none,
Nor mony in purse to spend. |
| 16 |
The child ran to the river's side;
He was fain to drink water then;
And after followed the fals steward,
To put the child therein. |
| 17 |
'But nay, marry!' said the child,
He asked mercy pittifully,
'Good steward, let me have my life,
What ere betide my body.' |
| 18 |
'Now put off thy fair cloathing
And give it me anon;
So put thee of thy s'lken shirt,
With many a golden seam.' |
| 19 |
But when the child was stript naked,
His body white as the lilly-flower,
He might have bin seen for his body
A prince's paramour. |
| 20 |
He put him in an old kelter coat
And hose of the same above the knee,
He bid him go to the shepherd's house,
To keep sheep on a lonely lee. |
| 21 |
The child did say, What shall be my name?
Good steward, tell to me;
'Thy name shall be Poor Disawear,
That thy name shall be.' |
| 22 |
The child came to the shepheard's house,
And asked mercy pittifully;
Sayes, Good sir shepheard, take me in,
To keep sheep on a lonely lee. |
| 23 |
But when the shepheard saw the child,
He was so pleasant in his eye,
'I have no child, I'le make thee my heir,
Thou shalt have my goods, perdie.' |
| 24 |
And then bespake the shepheard's wife,
Unto the child so tenderly;
'Thou must take the sheep and go to the field,
And keep them on a lonely lee.' |
| 25 |
let us leave talk of the child,
That is keeping sheep on a lonely lee,
And we'l talk more of the fals steward,
And of his fals treachery. |
| 26 |
He bought himself three suits of apparrell,
That any lord might a seem[d] to worn,
He went a wooing to the Duke's daughter,
And cal'd himself the Lord of Lorn. |
| 27 |
The duke he welcomed the yong lord
With three baked stags anon;
If he had wist him the fals steward,
To the devill he would have gone. |
| 28 |
But when they were at supper set,
With dainty delicates that was there,
The d[uke] said, If thou wilt wed my daughter,
I'le give thee a thousand pound a year. |
| 29 |
The lady would see the red buck run,
And also for to hunt the doe,
And with a hundred lusty men
The lady did a hunting go. |
| 30 |
The lady is a hunting gon,
Over le and fell that is so high;
There was she ware of a shepherd's boy,
With sheep on a lonely lee. |
| 31 |
And ever he sighed and made moan,
And cried out pittifully,
'My father is the Lord of Lorn,
And knows not wha[t]'s become of me.' |
| 32 |
And then bespake the lady gay,
And to her maid she spake anon,
'Go fetch me hither the shepherd's boy;
Why maketh he all this moan?' |
| 33 |
But when he came before the lady
. . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . .
He was not to learn his courtesie: |
| 34 |
'Where was thou born, thou bonny child?
For whose sake makst thou all this mone?'
'My dearest friend, lady,' he said,
'Is dead many years agon.' |
| 35 |
'Tell thou to me, thou bonny child,
Tell me the truth and do not lye,
Knost thou not the yong lord of Lorn,
Is come a wooing unto me?' |
| 36 |
'Yes, forsooth,' then said the child,
'I know the lord then, veryly;
The young lord is a valliant lord
At home in his own country.' |
| 37 |
'Wilt leave thy sheep, thou bonny child,
And come in service unto me?'
'Yes, forsooth,' then said the child,
'At your bidding will I be.' |
| 38 |
When the steward lookt upon the child,
He bewraild him villainously:
'Where wast thou born, thou vagabone?
Or where is thy country?' |
| 39 |
'Ha don! ha don!' said the lady gay,
She cal'd the steward then presently;
'Without you bear him more good will,
You get no love of me.' |
| 40 |
Then bespake the false steward
Unto the lady hastily:
'At Aberdine, beyond the seas,
His father robb d thousands three.' |
| 41 |
But then bespake the lady gay
Unto her father courteously,
Saying, I have found a bonny child
My chamberlain to be. |
| 42 |
'Not so, not so,' then said the duke,
'For so it may not be,
For that young L[ord] of Lorn that comes a wooing
Will think something of thee and me.' |
| 43 |
When the duke had lookt upon the child,
He seemd so pleasant to the eye,
'Child, because thou lovst horses well,
My groom of stables thou shalt be.' |
| 44 |
The child plied the horses well
A twelve month to an end;
He was so courteous and so true
Every man became his fri[e]nd. |
| 45 |
He led a fair gelding to the water,
Where he might drink, verily;
The great gelding up with his head
And hit the child above the eye. |
| 46 |
'Wo worth thee, horse!' then said the child,
'That ere mare foal d thee!
Thou little knowst what thou hast done;
Thou hast stricken a lord of high degree.' |
| 47 |
The d[uke's] daughter was in her garden green,
She heard the child make great moan;
She ran to the child all weeping,
And left her maidens all alone. |
| 48 |
'Sing on thy song, thou bonny child,
I will release thee of thy pain;'
'I have made an oath, lady,' he said,
'I dare not tell my tale again.' |
| 49 |
'Tell the horse thy tale, thou bonny child,
And so thy oath shall sav d be;'
But when he told the horse his tale
The lady wept full tenderly. |
| 50 |
'I'le do for thee, my bonny child,
In faith I will do more for thee;
For I will send thy father word,
And he shall come and speak with me. |
| 51 |
'I will do more, my bonny child,
In faith I will do more for thee,
And for thy sake, my bonny child,
I'le put my wedding off months three.' |
| 52 |
The lady she did write a letter,
Full pittifully with her own hand,
She sent it to the Lord of Lorn
Whereas he dwelt in fair Scotland. |
| 53 |
But when the lord had read the letter
His lady wept most tenderly:
'I knew what would become of my child
In such a far country.' |
| 54 |
The old lord cal'd up his merry men,
And all that he gave cloth and fee,
With seven lords by his side,
And into France rides he. |
| 55 |
The wind servd, and they did saile
So far into France land;
They were ware of the Lord of Lorn,
With a porter's staff in his hand. |
| 56 |
The lords they moved hat and hand,
The servingmen fell on their knee;
'What folks be yonder,' said the steward,
'That makes the porter courtesie?' |
| 57 |
'Thou art a false thief,' said the L[ord] of Lorn,
'No longer might I bear with thee;
By the law of France thou shalt be ju[d]gd,
Whether it be to live or die.' |
| 58 |
A quest of lords there chosen was,
To bench they came hastily,
But when the quest was ended
The fals steward must dye. |
| 59 |
First they did him half hang,
And then they took him down anon,
And then put him in boyling lead,
And then was sodden, brest and bone. |
| 60 |
And then bespake the Lord of Lorn,
With many other lords mo;
'Sir Duke, if you be as willing as we,
We'l have a marriage before we go.' |
| 61 |
These children both they did rejoyce
To hear the lord his tale so ended;
They had rather to day then to morrow,
So he would not be offended. |
| 62 |
But when the wedding ended was
There was delicious dainty cheer;
I'le tell you how long the wedding did last,
Full three quarters of a year. |
| 63 |
Such a banquet there was wrought,
The like was never seen;
The king of France brought with him then
A hundred tun of good red wine. |
| 64 |
Five set of musitians were to be seen,
That never rested night nor day,
Also Italians there did sing,
Full pleasantly with great joy. |
| 65 |
Thus have you heard what troubles great
Unto successive joyes did turn,
And happy news among the rest
Unto the worthy Lord of Lorn. |
| 66 |
Let rebels therefore warn d be
How mischief once they do pretend;
For God may suffer for a time,
But will disclose it in the end. |
