{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch046.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch046.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch046.htm","text":"46A.1 THE laird of Bristoll\u2019s daughter was in the woods walking,\nAnd by came Captain Wetherbourn, a servant to the king;\nAnd he said to his livery man, Wer\u2019t not against the law,\nI would tak her to mine ain bed, and lay her neist the wa.\n46A.2 \u2018I\u2019m into my father\u2019s woods, amongst my father\u2019s trees,\nO kind sir, let mee walk alane, O kind sir, if you please;\nThe butler\u2019s bell it will be rung, and I\u2019ll be mist awa;\nI\u2019ll lye into mine ain bed, neither at stock nor wa.\u2019\n46A.3 \u2018O my bonny lady, the bed it\u2019s not be mine,\nFor I\u2019ll command my servants for to call it thine;\nThe hangings are silk satin, the sheets are holland sma,\nAnd we\u2019s baith lye in ae bed, but you\u2019s lye neist the wa.\n46A.4 \u2018And so, my bonny lady, -+-I do not know your name,-+-\nBut my name\u2019s Captain Wetherburn, and I\u2019m a man of fame;\nTho your father and a\u2019 his men were here, I would na stand in awe\nTo tak you to mine ain bed, and lay you neist the wa.\n46A.5 \u2018Oh my bonny, bonny lady, if you\u2019ll gie me your hand,\nYou shall hae drums and trumpets to sound at your command;\nWi fifty men to guard you, sae weel their swords can dra,\nAnd wee\u2019s baith lye in ae bed, but you\u2019s lye neist the wa.\u2019\n46A.6 He\u2019s mounted her upon a steid, behind his gentleman,\nAnd he himself did walk afoot, to had his lady on,\nWith his hand about her midle sae jimp, for fear that she should fa;\nShe man lye in his bed, but she\u2019ll not lye neist the wa.\n46A.7 He\u2019s taen her into Edinburgh, his landlady cam ben:\n\u2018And monny bonny ladys in Edinburgh hae I seen,\nBut the like of this fine creature my eyes they never sa;\u2019\n\u2018O dame bring ben a down-bed, for she\u2019s lye neist the wa.\u2019\n46A.8 \u2018Hold your tongue, young man,\u2019 she said, a+end dinna trouble me,\nUnless you get to my supper, and that is dishes three;\nDishes three to my supper, tho I eat nane at a\u2019,\nBefore I lye in your bed, but I winna lye neist the wa.\n46A.9 \u2018You maun get to my supper a cherry but a stane,\nAnd you man get to my supper a capon but a bane,\nAnd you man get a gentle bird that flies wanting the ga,\nBefore I lye in your bed, but I\u2019ll not lye neist the wa.\u2019\n46A.10 \u2018A cherry whan in blossom is a cherry but a stane;\nA capon when he\u2019s in the egg canna hae a bane;\nThe dow it is a gentle bird that flies wanting the ga;\nAnd ye man lye in my bed, between me and the wa.\u2019\n46A.11 \u2018Hold your tongue, young man,\u2019 she said, a+end dinna me perplex,\nUnless you tell me questions, and that is questions six;\nTell me them as I shall ask them, and that is twa by twa,\nBefore I lye in your bed, but I\u2019ll not lye neist the wa.\n46A.12 \u2018What is greener than the grass, what\u2019s higher than the tree?\nWhat\u2019s war than a woman\u2019s wiss, what\u2019s deeper than the sea?\nWhat bird sings first, and whereupon the dew down first does fa?\nBefore I lye in your bed, but I\u2019ll lye neist the wa.\u2019\n46A.13 \u2018Virgus is greener than the grass, heaven\u2019s higher than the tree;\nThe deil\u2019s war than a woman\u2019s wish, hell\u2019s deeper than the sea;\nThe cock sings first, on the Sugar Loaf the dew down first does fa;\nAnd ye man lye in my bed, betweest me and the wa.\u2019\n46A.14 \u2018Hold your tongue, young man,\u2019 she said, \u2018I pray you give it oer,\nUnless you tell me questions, and that is questions four;\nTell me them as I shall ask them, and that is twa by twa,\nBefore I lye in your bed, but I winna lye neist the wa.\n46A.15 \u2018You man get to me a plumb that does in winter grow;\nAnd likewise a silk mantle that never waft gaed thro;\nA sparrow\u2019s horn, a priest unborn, this night to join us twa,\nBefore I lye in your bed, but I winna lye neist the wa.\u2019\n46A.16 \u2018There is a plumb in my father\u2019s yeard that does in winter grow;\nLikewise he has a silk mantle that never waft gaed thro;\nA sparrow\u2019s horn, it may be found, there\u2019s ane in every tae,\nThere\u2019s ane upo the mouth of him, perhaps there may be twa.\n46A.17 \u2018The priest is standing at the door, just ready to come in;\nNae man could sae that he was born, to lie it is a sin;\nFor a wild boar bored him mother\u2019s side, he out of it did fa;\nAnd you man lye in my bed, between me and the wa.\u2019\n46A.18 Little kent Grizey Sinclair, that morning when she raise,\n\u2019Twas to be the hindermost of a\u2019 her single days;\nFor now she\u2019s Captain Wetherburn\u2019s wife, a man she never saw,\nAnd she man lye in his bed, but she\u2019ll not lye neist the wa.\n46B: Captain Wedderburn\u2019s Courtship\n46B.1 THE Lord of Rosslyn\u2019s daughter gaed through the wud her lane,\nAnd there she met Captain Wedderburn, a servant to the king.\nHe said unto his livery-man, Were\u2019t na agen the law,\nI wad tak her to my ain bed, and lay her at the wa.\n46B.2 \u2018I\u2019m walking here my lane,\u2019 she says, \u2018amang my father\u2019s trees;\nAnd ye may lat me walk my lane, kind sir, now gin ye please.\nThe supper-bell it will be rung, and I\u2019ll be missd awa;\nSae I\u2019ll na lie in your bed, at neither stock nor wa.\u2019\n46B.3 He said, My pretty lady, I pray lend me your hand,\nAnd ye\u2019ll hae drums and trumpets always at your command;\nAnd fifty men to guard ye wi, that weel their swords can draw;\nSae we\u2019ll baith lie in ae bed, and ye\u2019ll lie at the wa.\n46B.4 \u2018Haud awa frae me, kind sir, I pray let go my hand;\nThe supper-bell it will be rung, nae langer maun I stand.\nMy father he\u2019ll na supper tak, gif I be missd awa;\nSae I\u2019ll na lie in your bed, at neither stock nor wa.\u2019\n46B.5 \u2018O my name is Captain Wedderburn, my name I\u2019ll neer deny,\nAnd I command ten thousand men, upo yon mountains high.\nTho your father and his men were here, of them I\u2019d stand na awe,\nBut should tak ye to my ain bed, and lay ye neist the wa.\u2019\n46B.6 Then he lap aff his milk-white steed, and set the lady on,\nAnd a\u2019 the way he walkd on foot, he held her by the hand;\nHe held her by the middle jimp, for fear that she should fa;\nSaying, I\u2019ll tak ye to my ain bed, and lay thee at the wa.\n46B.7 He took her to his quartering-house, his landlady looked ben,\nSaying, Monie a pretty ladie in Edinbruch I\u2019ve seen;\nBut sic \u2019na pretty ladie is not into it a\u2019:\nGae, mak for her a fine down-bed, and lay her at the wa.\n46B.8 \u2018O haud awa frae me, kind sir, I pray ye lat me be,\nFor I\u2019ll na lie in your bed till I get dishes three;\nDishes three maun be dressd for me, gif I should eat them a\u2019,\nBefore I lie in your bed, at either stock or wa.\n46B.9 \u2018\u2019Tis I maun hae to my supper a chicken without a bane;\nAnd I maun hae to my supper a cherry without a stane;\nAnd I maun hae to my supper a bird without a gaw,\nBefore I lie in your bed, at either stock or wa.\u2019\n46B.10 \u2018Whan the chicken\u2019s in the shell, I am sure it has na bane;\nAnd whan the cherry\u2019s in the bloom, I wat it has na stane;\nThe dove she is a genty bird, she flees without a gaw;\nSae we\u2019ll baith lie in ae bed, and ye\u2019ll be at the wa.\u2019\n46B.11 \u2018O haud awa frae me, kind sir, I pray ye give me owre,\nFor I\u2019ll na lie in your bed, till I get presents four;\nPresents four ye maun gie me, and that is twa and twa,\nBefore I lie in your bed, at either stock or wa.\n46B.12 \u2018\u2019Tis I maun hae some winter fruit that in December grew;\nAnd I maun hae a silk mantil that waft gaed never through;\nA sparrow\u2019s horn, a priest unborn, this nicht to join us twa,\nBefore I lie in your bed, at either stock or wa.\u2019\n46B.13 \u2018My father has some winter fruit that in December grew;\nMy mither has a silk mantil the waft gaed never through;\nA sparrow\u2019s horn ye soon may find, there\u2019s ane on evry claw,\nAnd twa upo the gab o it, and ye shall get them a.\n46B.14 \u2018The priest he stands without the yett, just ready to come in;\nNae man can say he eer was born, nae man without he sin;\nHe was haill cut frae his mither\u2019s side, and frae the same let fa;\nSae we\u2019ll baith lie in ae bed, and ye\u2019se lie at the wa.\u2019\n46B.15 \u2018O haud awa frae me, kind sir, I pray don\u2019t me perplex,\nFor I\u2019ll na lie in your bed till ye answer questions six:\nQuestions six ye maun answer me, and that is four and twa,\nBefore I lie in your bed, at either stock or wa.\n46B.16 \u2018O what is greener than the gress, what\u2019s higher than thae trees?\nO what is worse than women\u2019s wish, what\u2019s deeper than the seas?\nWhat bird craws first, what tree buds first, what first does on them fa?\nBefore I lie in your bed, at either stock or wa.\u2019\n46B.17 \u2018Death is greener than the gress, heaven higher than thae trees;\nThe devil\u2019s waur than women\u2019s wish, hell\u2019s deeper than the seas;\nThe cock craws first, the cedar buds first, dew first on them does fa;\nSae we\u2019ll baith lie in ae bed, and ye\u2019se lie at the wa.\u2019\n46B.18 Little did this lady think, that morning whan she raise,\nThat this was for to be the last o a\u2019 her maiden days.\nBut there\u2019s na into the king\u2019s realm to be found a blither twa,\nAnd now she\u2019s Mrs. Wedderburn, and she lies at the wa.\n46C: Captain Wedderburn\u2019s Courtship\n46C.1 THE laird of Roslin\u2019s daughter walked thro the wood her lane,\nAnd by came Captain Wedderburn, a servant to the Queen;\nHe said unto his serving man, Wer\u2019t not agaynst the law,\nI would tak her to my ain house as lady o my ha.\n46C.2 He said, My pretty ladye, I pray give me your hand;\nYou shall have drums and trumpets always at your command;\nWith fifty men to guard you, that well their swords can draw,\nAnd I\u2019ll tak ye to my ain bed, and lay you next the wa.\n46C.3 \u2018I\u2019m walking in my feyther\u2019s shaws:\u2019 quo he, My charming maid,\nI am much better than I look, so be you not afraid;\nFor I serve the queen of a\u2019 Scotland, and a gentil dame is she;\nSo we\u2019se be married ere the morn, gin ye can fancy me.\n46C.4 . . . . . .\n. . . . .\n\u2018The sparrow shall toot on his horn, gif naething us befa,\nAnd I\u2019ll mak you up a down-bed, and lay you next the wa.\n46C.5 \u2018Now hold away from me, kind sir, I pray you let me be;\nI wont be lady of your ha till you answer questions three;\nQuestions three you must answer me, and that is one and twa,\nBefore I gae to Woodland\u2019s house, and be lady o your ha.\n46C.6 \u2018You must get me to my supper a chicken without a bone;\nYou must get me to my supper a cherry without a stone;\nYou must get me to my supper a bird without a ga,\nBefore I go to Woodland\u2019s house and be lady of your ha.\u2019\n46C.7 \u2018When the cherry is in the bloom, I\u2019m sure it has no stone;\nWhen the chicken\u2019s in the shell, I\u2019m sure it has nae bone;\nThe dove she is a gentil bird, and flies without a ga;\nSo I\u2019ve answered you your questions three, and you\u2019re lady of my ha.\u2019\n* * * * *\n46C.8 \u2018Questions three you must answer me: What\u2019s higher than the trees?\nAnd what is worse than woman\u2019s voice? What\u2019s deeper than the seas?\u2019\n. . . . . .\n. . . . .\n46C.9 He answered then so readily: Heaven\u2019s higher than the trees;\nThe devil\u2019s worse than woman\u2019s voice; hell\u2019s deeper than the seas;\n. . . . . .\n. . . . .\n46C.10 \u2018One question still you must answer me, or you I laugh to scorn;\nGo seek me out an English priest, of woman never born;\u2019\n. . . . . .\n. . . . .\n46C.11 \u2018Oh then,\u2019 quo he, \u2019My young brother from mother\u2019s side was torn,\nAnd he\u2019s a gentil English priest, of woman never born;\u2019\n. . . . . .\n. . . . .\n46C.12 Little did his lady think, that morning when she raise,\nIt was to be the very last of all her mayden days;\n. . . .\n. . . . .","title":"The Child Ballads: 46. Captain Wedderburn's Courtship","type":"page"}