Chapter 1

Produced by David Widger, Juliet Sutherland, Phil McLaury, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. Text version by Al Haines.

A BOOK OF OLD BALLADS

Selected and with an Introduction

by

BEVERLEY NICHOLS

CONTENTS

THE HEIR OF LINNE KING COPHETUA AND THE BEGGAR MAID SIR ANDREW BARTON MAY COLLIN THE BLIND BEGGAR'S DAUGHTER OF BEDNALL GREEN THOMAS THE RHYMER YOUNG BEICHAN BRAVE LORD WILLOUGHBEY THE SPANISH LADY'S LOVE THE FRIAR OF ORDERS GRAY

LIST OF COLOUR PLATES

KING COPHETUA AND THE BEGGAR MAID MAY COLLIN THOMAS THE RHYMER YOUNG BEICHAN

THE HEIR OF LINNE

PART THE FIRST

Lithe and listen, gentlemen, To sing a song I will beginne: It is of a lord of faire Scotland, Which was the unthrifty heire of Linne.

His father was a right good lord, His mother a lady of high degree; But they, alas! were dead, him froe, And he lov'd keeping companie.

To spend the daye with merry cheare, To drinke and revell every night, To card and dice from eve to morne, It was, I ween, his hearts delighte.

To ride, to runne, to rant, to roare, To alwaye spend and never spare, I wott, an' it were the king himselfe, Of gold and fee he mote be bare.

Soe fares the unthrifty lord of Linne Till all his gold is gone and spent; And he maun sell his landes so broad, His house, and landes, and all his rent.

His father had a keen stewarde, And John o' the Scales was called hee: But John is become a gentel-man, And John has gott both gold and fee.

Sayes, Welcome, welcome, lord of Linne, Let nought disturb thy merry cheere; Iff thou wilt sell thy landes soe broad, Good store of gold Ile give thee heere,

My gold is gone, my money is spent; My lande nowe take it unto thee: Give me the golde, good John o' the Scales, And thine for aye my lande shall bee.

Then John he did him to record draw, And John he cast him a gods-pennie; But for every pounde that John agreed, The lande, I wis, was well worth three.

He told him the gold upon the borde, He was right glad his land to winne; The gold is thine, the land is mine, And now Ile be the lord of Linne.

Thus he hath sold his land soe broad, Both hill and holt, and moore and fenne, All but a poore and lonesome lodge, That stood far off in a lonely glenne.

For soe he to his father hight. My sonne, when I am gonne, sayd hee, Then thou wilt spend thy land so broad, And thou wilt spend thy gold so free:

But sweare me nowe upon the roode, That lonesome lodge thou'lt never spend; For when all the world doth frown on thee, Thou there shalt find a faithful friend.

The heire of Linne is full of golde: And come with me, my friends, sayd hee, Let's drinke, and rant, and merry make, And he that spares, ne'er mote he thee.

They ranted, drank, and merry made, Till all his gold it waxed thinne; And then his friendes they slunk away; They left the unthrifty heire of Linne.

He had never a penny in his purse, Never a penny left but three, And one was brass, another was lead, And another it was white money.

Nowe well-aday, sayd the heire of Linne, Nowe well-aday, and woe is mee, For when I was the lord of Linne, I never wanted gold nor fee.

But many a trustye friend have I, And why shold I feel dole or care? Ile borrow of them all by turnes, Soe need I not be never bare.

But one, I wis, was not at home; Another had payd his gold away; Another call'd him thriftless loone, And bade him sharpely wend his way.

Now well-aday, sayd the heire of Linne, Now well-aday, and woe is me; For when I had my landes so broad, On me they liv'd right merrilee.

To beg my bread from door to door I wis, it were a brenning shame: To rob and steale it were a sinne: To worke my limbs I cannot frame.

Now Ile away to lonesome lodge, For there my father bade me wend; When all the world should frown on mee I there shold find a trusty friend.

PART THE SECOND

Away then hyed the heire of Linne Oer hill and holt, and moor and fenne, Untill he came to lonesome lodge, That stood so lowe in a lonely glenne.

He looked up, he looked downe, In hope some comfort for to winne: But bare and lothly were the walles. Here's sorry cheare, quo' the heire of Linne.

The little windowe dim and darke Was hung with ivy, brere, and yewe; No shimmering sunn here ever shone; No halesome breeze here ever blew.

No chair, ne table he mote spye, No cheerful hearth, ne welcome bed, Nought save a rope with renning noose, That dangling hung up o'er his head.

And over it in broad letters, These words were written so plain to see: "Ah! gracelesse wretch, hast spent thine all, And brought thyselfe to penurie?

"All this my boding mind misgave, I therefore left this trusty friend: Let it now sheeld thy foule disgrace, And all thy shame and sorrows end."

Sorely shent wi' this rebuke, Sorely shent was the heire of Linne, His heart, I wis, was near to brast With guilt and sorrowe, shame and sinne.

Never a word spake the heire of Linne, Never a word he spake but three: "This is a trusty friend indeed, And is right welcome unto mee."

Then round his necke the corde he drewe, And sprung aloft with his bodie: When lo! the ceiling burst in twaine, And to the ground came tumbling hee.

Astonyed lay the heire of Linne, Ne knewe if he were live or dead: At length he looked, and saw a bille, And in it a key of gold so redd.

He took the bill, and lookt it on, Strait good comfort found he there: It told him of a hole in the wall, In which there stood three chests in-fere.

Two were full of the beaten golde, The third was full of white money; And over them in broad letters These words were written so plaine to see:

"Once more, my sonne, I sette thee clere; Amend thy life and follies past; For but thou amend thee of thy life, That rope must be thy end at last."

And let it bee, sayd the heire of Linne; And let it bee, but if I amend: For here I will make mine avow, This reade shall guide me to the end.

Away then went with a merry cheare, Away then went the heire of Linne; I wis, he neither ceas'd ne blanne, Till John o' the Scales house he did winne.

And when he came to John o' the Scales, Upp at the speere then looked hee; There sate three lords upon a rowe, Were drinking of the wine so free.

And John himself sate at the bord-head, Because now lord of Linne was hee. I pray thee, he said, good John o' the Scales, One forty pence for to lend mee.

Away, away, thou thriftless loone; Away, away, this may not bee: For Christs curse on my head, he sayd, If ever I trust thee one pennèe.

Then bespake the heire of Linne, To John o' the Scales wife then spake he: Madame, some almes on me bestowe, I pray for sweet Saint Charitèe.

Away, away, thou thriftless loone, I swear thou gettest no almes of mee; For if we shold hang any losel heere, The first we wold begin with thee.

Then bespake a good fellòwe, Which sat at John o' the Scales his bord Sayd, Turn againe, thou heire of Linne; Some time thou wast a well good lord;

Some time a good fellow thou hast been, And sparedst not thy gold nor fee; Therefore He lend thee forty pence, And other forty if need bee.

And ever, I pray thee, John o' the Scales, To let him sit in thy companie: For well I wot thou hadst his land, And a good bargain it was to thee.

Up then spake him John o' the Scales, All wood he answer'd him againe: Now Christs curse on my head, he sayd, But I did lose by that bargàine.

And here I proffer thee, heire of Linne, Before these lords so faire and free, Thou shalt have it backe again better cheape, By a hundred markes, than I had it of thee.

I draw you to record, lords, he said. With that he cast him a gods pennie: Now by my fay, sayd the heire of Linne, And here, good John, is thy monèy.

And he pull'd forth three bagges of gold, And layd them down upon the bord: All woe begone was John o' the Scales, Soe shent he cold say never a word.

He told him forth the good red gold, He told it forth with mickle dinne. The gold is thine, the land is mine, And now Ime againe the lord of Linne.

Sayes, Have thou here, thou good fellòwe, Forty pence thou didst lend me: Now I am againe the lord of Linne, And forty pounds I will give thee.

He make the keeper of my forrest, Both of the wild deere and the tame; For but I reward thy bounteous heart, I wis, good fellowe, I were to blame.

Now welladay! sayth Joan o' the Scales: Now welladay! and woe is my life! Yesterday I was lady of Linne, Now Ime but John o' the Scales his wife.

Now fare thee well, sayd the heire of Linne; Farewell now, John o' the Scales, said hee: Christs curse light on me, if ever again I bring my lands in jeopardy.

KING COPHETUA AND THE BEGGAR MAID

I Read that once in Affrica A princely wight did raine, Who had to name Cophetua, As poets they did faine: From natures lawes he did decline, For sure he was not of my mind. He cared not for women-kinde, But did them all disdaine. But, marke, what hapened on a day, As he out of his window lay, He saw a beggar all in gray, The which did cause his paine.

The blinded boy, that shootes so trim, From heaven downe did hie; He drew a dart and shot at him, In place where he did lye: Which soone did pierse him to the quicke. And when he felt the arrow pricke, Which in his tender heart did sticke, He looketh as he would dye. What sudden chance is this, quoth he, That I to love must subject be, Which never thereto would agree, But still did it defie?

Then from the window he did come, And laid him on his bed, A thousand heapes of care did runne Within his troubled head: For now he meanes to crave her love, And now he seekes which way to proove How he his fancie might remoove, And not this beggar wed. But Cupid had him so in snare, That this poor begger must prepare A salve to cure him of his care, Or els he would be dead.

And, as he musing thus did lye, He thought for to devise How he might have her companye, That so did 'maze his eyes. In thee, quoth he, doth rest my life; For surely thou shalt be my wife, Or else this hand with bloody knife The Gods shall sure suffice. Then from his bed he soon arose, And to his pallace gate he goes; Full little then this begger knowes When she the king espies.

The Gods preserve your majesty, The beggers all gan cry: Vouchsafe to give your charity Our childrens food to buy. The king to them his pursse did cast, And they to part it made great haste; This silly woman was the last That after them did hye. The king he cal'd her back againe, And unto her he gave his chaine; And said, With us you shal remaine Till such time as we dye:

For thou, quoth he, shalt be my wife, And honoured for my queene; With thee I meane to lead my life, As shortly shall be seene: Our wedding shall appointed be, And every thing in its degree: Come on, quoth he, and follow me, Thou shalt go shift thee cleane. What is thy name, faire maid? quoth he. Penelophon, O king, quoth she; With that she made a lowe courtsey; A trim one as I weene.

Thus hand in hand along they walke Unto the king's pallace: The king with curteous comly talke This beggar doth imbrace: The begger blusheth scarlet red, And straight againe as pale as lead, But not a word at all she said, She was in such amaze. At last she spake with trembling voyce, And said, O king, I doe rejoyce That you wil take me from your choyce, And my degree's so base.

And when the wedding day was come, The king commanded strait The noblemen both all and some Upon the queene to wait. And she behaved herself that day, As if she had never walkt the way; She had forgot her gown of gray, Which she did weare of late. The proverbe old is come to passe, The priest, when he begins his masse, Forgets that ever clerke he was; He knowth not his estate.

Here you may read, Cophetua, Though long time fancie-fed, Compelled by the blinded boy The begger for to wed: He that did lovers lookes disdaine, To do the same was glad and faine, Or else he would himselfe have slaine, In storie, as we read. Disdaine no whit, O lady deere, But pitty now thy servant heere, Least that it hap to thee this yeare, As to that king it did.

And thus they led a quiet life Duringe their princely raigne; And in a tombe were buried both, As writers sheweth plaine. The lords they tooke it grievously, The ladies tooke it heavily, The commons cryed pitiously, Their death to them was paine, Their fame did sound so passingly, That it did pierce the starry sky, And throughout all the world did flye To every princes realme.

SIR ANDREW BARTON

'When Flora with her fragrant flowers Bedeckt the earth so trim and gaye, And Neptune with his daintye showers Came to present the monthe of Maye;' King Henrye rode to take the ayre, Over the river of Thames past hee; When eighty merchants of London came, And downe they knelt upon their knee.

"O yee are welcome, rich merchants; Good saylors, welcome unto mee." They swore by the rood, they were saylors good, But rich merchànts they cold not bee: "To France nor Flanders dare we pass: Nor Bourdeaux voyage dare we fare; And all for a rover that lyes on the seas, Who robbs us of our merchant ware."

King Henrye frowned, and turned him rounde, And swore by the Lord, that was mickle of might, "I thought he had not beene in the world, Durst have wrought England such unright." The merchants sighed, and said, alas! And thus they did their answer frame, He is a proud Scott, that robbs on the seas, And Sir Andrewe Barton is his name.

The king lookt over his left shoulder, And an angrye look then looked hee: "Have I never a lorde in all my realme, Will feitch yond tray tor unto me?" Yea, that dare I; Lord Howard sayes; Yea, that dare I with heart and hand; If it please your grace to give me leave, Myselfe wil be the only man.

Thou art but yong; the kyng replyed: Yond Scott hath numbered manye a yeare. "Trust me, my liege, lie make him quail, Or before my prince I will never appeare." Then bowemen and gunners thou shalt have, And chuse them over my realme so free; Besides good mariners, and shipp-boyes, To guide the great shipp on the sea.

The first man, that Lord Howard chose, Was the ablest gunner in all the realm, Thoughe he was three score yeeres and ten; Good Peter Simon was his name. Peter, sais hee, I must to the sea, To bring home a traytor live or dead: Before all others I have chosen thee; Of a hundred gunners to be the head.

If you, my lord, have chosen mee Of a hundred gunners to be the head, Then hang me up on your maine-mast tree, If I misse my marke one shilling bread. My lord then chose a boweman rare, "Whose active hands had gained fame." In Yorkshire was this gentleman borne, And William Horseley was his name.

Horseley, said he, I must with speede Go seeke a traytor on the sea, And now of a hundred bowemen brave To be the head I have chosen thee. If you, quoth hee, have chosen mee Of a hundred bowemen to be the head On your main-mast He hanged bee, If I miss twelvescore one penny bread.

With pikes and gunnes, and bowemen bold, This noble Howard is gone to the sea; With a valyant heart and a pleasant cheare, Out at Thames mouth sayled he. And days he scant had sayled three, Upon the 'voyage,' he tooke in hand, But there he mett with a noble shipp, And stoutely made itt stay and stand.

Thou must tell me, Lord Howard said, Now who thou art, and what's thy name; And shewe me where they dwelling is: And whither bound, and whence thou came. My name is Henry Hunt, quoth hee With a heavye heart, and a carefull mind; I and my shipp doe both belong To the Newcastle, that stands upon Tyne.

Hast thou not heard, nowe, Henrye Hunt, As thou hast sayled by daye and by night, Of a Scottish rover on the seas; Men call him Sir Andrew Barton, knight! Then ever he sighed, and said alas! With a grieved mind, and well away! But over-well I knowe that wight, I was his prisoner yesterday.

As I was sayling uppon the sea, A Burdeaux voyage for to fare; To his hach-borde he clasped me, And robd me of all my merchant ware: And mickle debts, God wot, I owe, And every man will have his owne; And I am nowe to London bounde, Of our gracious king to beg a boone.

That shall not need, Lord Howard sais; Lett me but once that robber see, For every penny tane thee froe It shall be doubled shillings three. Nowe God forefend, the merchant said, That you should seek soe far amisse! God keepe you out of that traitors hands! Full litle ye wott what a man hee is.

Hee is brasse within, and steele without, With beames on his topcastle stronge; And eighteen pieces of ordinance He carries on each side along: And he hath a pinnace deerlye dight, St. Andrewes crosse that is his guide; His pinnace beareth ninescore men, And fifteen canons on each side.

Were ye twentye shippes, and he but one; I sweare by kirke, and bower, and hall; He wold overcome them everye one, If once his beames they doe downe fall. This is cold comfort, sais my lord, To wellcome a stranger thus to the sea: Yet He bring him and his ship to shore, Or to Scottland hee shall carrye mee.

Then a noble gunner you must have, And he must aim well with his ee, And sinke his pinnace into the sea, Or else hee never orecome will bee: And if you chance his shipp to borde, This counsel I must give withall, Let no man to his topcastle goe To strive to let his beams downe fall.

And seven pieces of ordinance, I pray your honour lend to mee, On each side of my shipp along, And I will lead you on the sea. A glasse He sett, that may be seene Whether you sail by day or night; And to-morrowe, I sweare, by nine of the clocke You shall meet with Sir Andrewe Barton knight.

THE SECOND PART

The merchant sett my lorde a glasse Soe well apparent in his sight, And on the morrowe, by nine of the clocke, He shewed him Sir Andrewe Barton knight. His hachebord it was 'gilt' with gold, Soe deerlye dight it dazzled the ee: Nowe by my faith, Lord Howarde sais, This is a gallant sight to see.

Take in your ancyents, standards eke, So close that no man may them see; And put me forth a white willowe wand, As merchants use to sayle the sea. But they stirred neither top, nor mast; Stoutly they past Sir Andrew by. What English churles are yonder, he sayd, That can soe little curtesye?

Now by the roode, three yeares and more I have beene admirall over the sea; And never an English nor Portingall Without my leave can passe this way. Then called he forth his stout pinnace; "Fetch backe yond pedlars nowe to mee: I sweare by the masse, yon English churles Shall all hang att my maine-mast tree."

With that the pinnace itt shot off, Full well Lord Howard might it ken; For itt stroke down my lord's fore mast, And killed fourteen of his men. Come hither, Simon, sayes my lord, Looke that thy word be true, thou said; For at my maine-mast thou shalt hang, If thou misse thy marke one shilling bread.

Simon was old, but his heart itt was bold; His ordinance he laid right lowe; He put in chaine full nine yardes long, With other great shott lesse, and moe; And he lette goe his great gunnes shott: Soe well he settled itt with his ee, The first sight that Sir Andrew sawe, He see his pinnace sunke in the sea.

And when he saw his pinnace sunke, Lord, how his heart with rage did swell! "Nowe cutt my ropes, itt is time to be gon; Ile fetch yond pedlars backe mysell." When my lord sawe Sir Andrewe loose, Within his heart he was full faine: "Now spread your ancyents, strike up your drummes, Sound all your trumpetts out amaine."

Fight on, my men, Sir Andrewe sais, Weale howsoever this geere will sway; Itt is my Lord Admirall of England, Is come to seeke mee on the sea. Simon had a sonne, who shott right well, That did Sir Andrewe mickle scare; In att his decke he gave a shott, Killed threescore of his men of warre.

Then Henrye Hunt with rigour hott Came bravely on the other side, Soone he drove downe his fore-mast tree, And killed fourscore men beside. Nowe, out alas! Sir Andrewe cryed, What may a man now thinke, or say? Yonder merchant theefe, that pierceth mee, He was my prisoner yesterday.

Come hither to me, thou Gordon good, That aye wast readye att my call: I will give thee three hundred markes, If thou wilt let my beames downe fall. Lord Howard hee then calld in haste, "Horseley see thou be true in stead; For thou shalt at the maine-mast hang, If thou misse twelvescore one penny bread."

Then Gordon swarved the maine-mast tree, He swarved it with might and maine; But Horseley with a bearing arrowe, Stroke the Gordon through the braine; And he fell unto the haches again, And sore his deadlye wounde did bleed: Then word went through Sir Andrews men, How that the Gordon hee was dead.

Come hither to mee, James Hambilton, Thou art my only sisters sonne, If thou wilt let my beames downe fall Six hundred nobles thou hast wonne. With that he swarved the maine-mast tree, He swarved it with nimble art; But Horseley with a broad arròwe Pierced the Hambilton thorough the heart:

And downe he fell upon the deck, That with his blood did streame amaine: Then every Scott cryed, Well-away! Alas! a comelye youth is slaine. All woe begone was Sir Andrew then, With griefe and rage his heart did swell: "Go fetch me forth my armour of proofe, For I will to the topcastle mysell."

"Goe fetch me forth my armour of proofe; That gilded is with gold soe cleare: God be with my brother John of Barton! Against the Portingalls hee it ware; And when he had on this armour of proofe, He was a gallant sight to see: Ah! nere didst thou meet with living wight, My deere brother, could cope with thee."

Come hither Horseley, sayes my lord, And looke your shaft that itt goe right, Shoot a good shoote in time of need, And for it thou shalt be made a knight. Ile shoot my best, quoth Horseley then, Your honour shall see, with might and maine; But if I were hanged at your maine-mast, I have now left but arrowes twaine.

Sir Andrew he did swarve the tree, With right good will he swarved then: Upon his breast did Horseley hitt, But the arrow bounded back agen. Then Horseley spyed a privye place With a perfect eye in a secrette part; Under the spole of his right arme He smote Sir Andrew to the heart.