Pp. 258 ff.
'Earl Marshall,' "Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border
Minstrelsy," No 4 b, Abbotsford; in the handwriting of William
Laidlaw.
| 1 |
The queen of England she is seek,
And seek and like to dee;
She has sent for friers out of France,
To bespeek hir speed[i]ly. |
| 2 |
The king has cald on his merrymen,
By thirtys and by threes;
Earl Marshall should have been the formest man,
But the very last man was he. |
| 3 |
'The queen of England s[h]e is seek,
And seek and like to dee,
And she has sent for friers out of France,
To bespeek hir speedyly. |
| 4 |
'But I will put on a frier's weeg,
And ye'l put on another,
And we'll away to Queen Helen gaits,
Like friers both together.' |
| 5 |
'O no, no,' says Earl Marshall,
'For this it must not be;
For if the queen get word of that,
High hanged I will be.' |
| 6 |
'But I will swear by my septer and crown,
And by the seas so free,
I will swear by my septer and crown,
Earl Marshall, thow's no dee.' |
| 7 |
So he has put on a frier's wig,
And the king has put on another,
And they are away to Queen Helen gaits,
Like friers both together. |
| 8 |
When they came to Queen Helen gaits,
They tirled at the pin;
There was non so/ ready as the queene herself
To open and let them in. |
| 9 |
'O are you two Scottish dogs?
And hanged you shall be
Or are [you] friers come out of France,
To bespeek me speedily?' |
| 10 |
'We are not two Scottish dogs,
Nor hanged we shall be;
For we have not spoken a wrong word
Since we came over the sea.' |
| 11 |
'Well then, the very first that ever I sind
I freely confess to thee;
Earl Marshall took my maidenhead
Below yon greenwood tree.' |
| 12 |
'That is a sin, and very great sin,
But the Pope will pardon thee;'
'Amene, Amene,' says Earl Marshall,
But a feert, feert heart had he. |
| 13 |
'The very next sin that ever I sind
I freely confess to thee;
I had [poisen] seven years in my breast
To poisen King Hendry.' |
| 14 |
'That is a sin, and very great sin,
But the Pope forgiveth thee;'
'Amene, Amene,' says Earl Marshall,
But a feert, feert heart had he. |
| 15 |
'The very next sin that ever I sind
I freely confess to thee;
I poisened one of my court's ladies,
Was far more fairer than me.' |
| 16 |
'That is a sin, and a very great sin,
But the Pope forgiveth thee;'
'Amene, Amene,' says Earl Marshall,
But a feert, feert heart had he. |
| 17 |
'Do you see yon bony boys,
Playing at the baw?
The oldest of them is Earl Marshall's,
And I like him best of all.' |
| 18 |
'That is a sin, and very great sin,
But the Pope forgiveth thee;'
'Amene, Amene,' says Earl Marshall,
But a feert, feert heart had he. |
| 19 |
'Do ye see two bony [boys],
Playing at the baw?
The youngest of them is King Hendry's,
And I like him worst of all. |
| 20 |
'Because he is headed like a bull,
And his nose is like a boar;'
'What is the matter?' says King Henry,
'For he shall be my heir.' |
| 21 |
Now he put off his frier's wig
And drest himself [in] red;
She wrung hir hands, and tore hir hair,
And s[w]ore she was betraid. |
| 22 |
'Had I not sworn by my septer and crown,
And by the seas so free,
Had I not sworn by my septer and crown,
Earl Marshall, thowst have died.' |
