{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch059.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch059.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch059.htm","text":"Percy MS., p. 68; Hales and Furnivall, I, 166.\n59A.1 OUR king he kept a ffalse steward,\nMen called him Sir Aldingar,\n. . . . .\n. . . .\n59A.2 He wold haue layen by our comely queene,\nHer deere worshipp to haue betraide;\nOur queene shee was a good woman,\nAnd euer more said him nay.\n59A.3 Aldingar was offended in his mind,\nWith her hee was neuer content,\nBut he sought what meanes he cold find out,\nIn a fyer to haue her brent.\n59A.4 There came a lame lazer to the kings gates,\nA lazar was blind and lame;\nHe tooke the lazar vpon his backe,\nVpon the queenes bed he did him lay.\n59A.5 He said, Lye still, lazar, wheras thou lyest;\nLooke thou goe not away;\nIle make thee a whole man and a sound\nIn two howres of a day.\n59A.6 And then went forth Sir Aldingar,\nOur queene for to betray,\nAnd then he mett with our comlye king,\nSaies, God you saue and see!\n59A.7 \u2018If I had space, as I haue grace,\nA message I wold say to thee:\u2019\n\u2018Say on, say on, Sir Aldingar,\nSay thou on and vnto me.\u2019\n59A.8 \u2018I can let you now see one of [the] greiuos[est] sights\nthat euer Christen king did see;\nOur queene hath chosen a new, new loue,\nShe will haue none of thee.\n59A.9 \u2018If shee had chosen a right good knight,\nThe lesse had beene her shame;\nBut she hath chosen a lazar man,\nWhich is both blinde and lame.\u2019\n59A.10 \u2018If this be true, thou Aldingar,\nthat thou dost tell to me,\nThen will I make thee a rich knight\nBoth of gold and fee.\n59A.11 \u2018But if it be false, Sir Aldingar,\nThat thou doest tell to me,\nThen looke for noe other death\nBut to be hangd on a tree.\nGoe with me,\u2019 saide our comly king,\n\u2018This lazar for to see.\u2019\n59A.12 When the king he came into the queenes chamber,\nStanding her bed befor,\n\u2018There is a lodly lome,\u2019 says Harry King,\n\u2018For our dame Queene Elinor!\n59A.13 \u2018If thou were a man, as thou art none,\nHere thou sholdest be slaine;\nBut a paire of new gallowes shall be built,\nThoust hang on them soe hye.\n59A.14 \u2018And [a] fayre fyer there shalbe bett,\nAnd brent our queene shalbee:\u2019\nFforth then walked our comlye king,\nAnd mett with our comly queene.\n59A.15 Saies, God you saue, our queene, Madam,\nAnd Christ you saue and see!\nHeere you [haue] chosen a new, new loue,\nAnd you will haue none of mee.\n59A.16 \u2018If you had chosen a right good knight,\nThe lesse had beene your shame;\nBut you haue chosen a lazar man,\nThat is both blind and lame.\u2019\n59A.17 \u2018Euer alacke!\u2019 said our comly queene,\n\u2018Sir Aldingar is false to mee;\nBut euer alacke!\u2019 said our comly queene,\n\u2018Euer alas, and woe is mee!\n59A.18 \u2018I had thought sweuens had neuer been true;\nI haue prooued them true at the last;\nI dreamed in my sweauen on Thursday at eueninge,\nIn my bed wheras I lay,\n59A.19 \u2018I dreamed a grype and a grimlie beast\nHad carryed my crowne away,\nMy gorgett and my kirtle of golde,\nAnd all my faire heade-geere.\n59A.20 How he wold haue worryed me with his tush,\nAnd borne me into his nest,\nSaving there came a little hawk,\nFlying out of the east.\n59A.21 \u2018Saving there came a little hawke,\nWhich men call a merlion;\nVntill the ground he stroke him downe,\nthat dead he did fall downe.\n59A.22 \u2018Giffe I were a man, as I am none,\nA battell I would proue;\nI wold fight with that false traitor;\nAtt him I cast my gloue!\n59A.23 \u2018Seing I am able noe battell to make,\nYou must grant me, my leege, a knight,\nTo fight with that traitor, Sir Aldingar,\nTo maintaine me in my right.\u2019\n59A.24 \u2018I\u2019le giue thee forty dayes,\u2019 said our king,\n\u2018To seeke thee a man therin;\nIf thou find not a man in forty dayes,\nIn a hott fyer thou shall brenn.\u2019\n59A.25 Our queene sent forth a messenger;\nHe rode fast into the south;\nHe rode the countryes through and through,\nSoe ffar vnto Portsmouth.\n59A.26 . . . . . .\n. . . . .\nHe cold find never a man in the south country\nthat wold fight with the knight soe keene.\n59A.27 The second messenger the queen forth sent\nRode far into the east;\nBut, blessed be God made sunn and moone!\nHe sped then all of the best.\n59A.28 As he rode then by one riuer side,\nThere he mett with a little child;\nHe seemed noe more in a mans likenesse\nThen a child of four yeeres old.\n59A.29 He askt the queenes messenger how far he rode;\nLoth he was him to tell;\nThe little one was offended att him,\nBid him adew, farwell.\n59A.30 Said, Turne thou againe, thou messenger,\nGreete our queene well from me;\nWhen bale is att hyest, boote is att next;\nHelpe enough there may bee.\n59A.31 \u2018Bid our queene remember what she did dreame\nIn her bedd wheras shee lay;\nShee dreamed the grype and the grimly beast\nHad carryed her crowne away;\n59A.32 \u2018Her gorgett and her kirtle of gold,\nAlsoe her faire head-geere;\nHe wold haue werryed her with his tushe,\nAnd borne her into his nest.\n59A.33 \u2018Saving there came a little hawke,\nMen call him a merlyon;\nVntill the ground he did strike him downe,\nthat dead he did ffall downe.\n59A.34 \u2018Bidd the queene be merry att her hart,\nEuermore light and glad;\nWhen bale is att hyest, boote is at next,\nHelpe enoughe there shalbe.\u2019\n59A.35 Then the queenes messenger rode backe,\nA gladed man then was hee;\nWhen he came before our queene,\nA gladd woman then was shee.\n59A.36 Shee gaue the messenger twenty pound,\nO lord, in gold and ffee;\nSaies, Spend and spare not while this doth last,\nThen feitch thou more of me.\n59A.37 Our queene was put in a tunne to burne,\nShe thought no thing but death;\nTh?e were ware of the little one\nCame ryding forth of the east.\n59A.38 With a mu . . . . .\nA louelie child was hee;\nWhen he came to that fier,\nHe light the queene full nigh.\n59A.39 Said, Draw away these brands of fire\nLie burning before our queene,\nAnd feitch me hither Sir Aldingar,\nthat is a knight soe keene.\n59A.40 When Aldingar see that little one,\nFfull litle of him hee thought;\nIf there had beene halfe a hundred such,\nOf them he wold not haue wrought.\n59A.41 Hee sayd, Come hither, Sir Aldingar;\nThou seemust as bigge as a ffooder;\nI trust to God, ere I haue done with thee,\nGod will send to vs [an] auger.\n59A.42 Saies, The first stroke that\u2019s giuen, Sir Aldingar,\nI will giue vnto thee,\nAnd if the second giue thou may,\nLooke then thou spare not mee.\n59A.43 The litle one pulld forth a well good sword,\nI-wis itt was all of guilt;\nIt cast light there over that feild,\nIt shone soe all of guilt.\n59A.44 He stroke the first stroke att Aldingar,\nHe stroke away his leggs by his knee;\n. . . . . .\n. . . . .\n59A.45 Sayes, Stand vp, stand vp, thou false traitor,\nAnd fight vpon thy feete;\nFor and thou thriue as thou begins,\nOf a height wee shalbe meete.\n59A.46 \u2018A preist, a preist,\u2019 sayes Aldingar,\n\u2018Me for to houzle and shriue!\nA preist, a preist,\u2019 sayes Aldingar,\n\u2018While I am a man liuing a-liue!\n59A.47 \u2018I wold haue laine by our comlie queene;\nTo it shee wold neuer consent;\nI thought to haue betrayd her to our king,\nIn a fyer to haue had her brent.\n59A.48 \u2018There came a lame lazar to the kings gates,\nA lazar both blind and lame;\nI tooke the lazar vpon my backe,\nIn the Queenes bed I did him lay.\n59A.49 \u2018I bad him, Lie still, lazar, where he lay,\nLooke he went not away;\nI wold make him a whole man and a sound\nIn two houres of a day.\n59A.50 . . . . .\n. . . . .\n\u2018Euer alacke!\u2019 sayes Sir Aldingar,\n\u2018Falsing neuer doth well;\n59A.51 \u2018Forgiue, forgiue me, queene, Madam!\nFor Christs loue forgiue me!\u2019\n\u2018God forgaue his death, Aldingar,\nAnd freely I forgiue thee.\u2019\n59A.52 \u2018Now take thy wife, thou King Harry,\nAnd loue her as thou shold;\nThy wiffe shee is as true to thee\nAs stone that lies on the castle wall.\u2019\n59A.53 The lazar vnder the gallow tree\nWas a pretty man and small;\nThe lazar vnder the gallow tree\nWas made steward in King Henerys hall.\n59B: Sir Aldingar\nMinstrelsy of the Scottish Border, III, 51, 1803. Communicated to Scott by K. Williamson Burnet, of Monboddo, as written down from the recitation of an old woman, long in the service of the Arbuthnot family.\n59B.1 THE birds sang sweet as ony bell,\nThe world had not their make;\nThe queen she\u2019s gone to her chamber,\nWith Rodingham to talk.\n59B.2 \u2018I love you well, my queene, my dame,\nBove land and rents so clear,\nAnd for the love of you, my queen,\nWould thole pain most severe.\u2019\n59B.3 \u2018If well you love me, Rodingham,\nI\u2019m sure so do I thee;\nI love you well as any man,\nSave the king\u2019s fair bodye.\u2019\n59B.4 \u2018I love you well, my queen, my dame,\n\u2019Tis truth that I do tell;\nAnd for to lye a night with you,\nThe salt seas I would sail.\u2019\n59B.5 \u2018Away, away, O Rodingham!\nYou are both stark and stoor;\nWould you defile the king\u2019s own bed,\nAnd make his queen a whore?\n59B.6 \u2018To-morrow you\u2019d be taken sure,\nAnd like a traitor slain,\nAnd I\u2019d be burned at a stake,\nAltho I be the queen.\u2019\n59B.7 All in an angry mood,\nUntill he met a leper-man,\nJust by the hard way-side.\n59B.8 He intoxicate the leper-man,\nWith liquors very sweet,\nAnd gave him more and more to drink,\nUntil he fell asleep.\n59B.9 He took him in his arms two,\nAnd carried him along,\nTill he came to the queen\u2019s own bed,\nAnd there he laid him down.\n59B.10 He then steppd out of the queen\u2019s bower,\nAs swift as any roe,\nTill he came to the very place\nWhere the king himself did go.\n59B.11 The king said unto Rodingham,\nWhat news have you to me?\nHe said, Your queen\u2019s a false woman,\nAs I did plainly see.\n59B.12 He hastend to the queen\u2019s chamber,\nSo costly and so fine,\nUntil he came to the queen\u2019s own bed,\nWhere the leper-man was lain.\n59B.13 He looked on the leper-man,\nWho lay on his queen\u2019s bed;\nHe lifted up the snaw-shite sheets,\nAnd thus he to him said.\n59B.14 \u2018Plooky, plooky are your cheeks,\nAnd plooky is your chin,\nAnd plooky are your armis twa,\nMy bonny queen\u2019s layne in.\n59B.15 \u2018Since she has lain into your arms,\nShe shall not lye in mine;\nSince she has kissd your ugsome mouth,\nShe never shall kiss mine.\u2019\n59B.16 In anger he went to the queen,\nWho fell upon her knee;\nHe said, You false, unchaste woman,\nWhat\u2019s this you\u2019ve done to me?\n59B.17 The queen then turnd herself about,\nThe tear blinded her ee:\n\u2018There\u2019s not a knight in a\u2019 your court\nDare give that name to me.\u2019\n59B.18 He said, \u2019Tis true that I do say;\nFor I a proof did make;\nYou shall be taken from my bower,\nAnd burned at a stake.\n59B.19 \u2018Perhaps I\u2019ll take my word again,\nAnd may repent the same,\nIf that you\u2019ll get a Christian man\nTo fight that Rodingham.\u2019\n59B.20 \u2018Alass! alass!\u2019 then cried our queen,\n\u2018Alas, and woe to me!\nThere\u2019s not a man in all Scotland\nWill fight with him for me.\u2019\n59B.21 She breathed unto her messengers,\nSent them south, east, and west;\nThey could find none to fight with him,\nNor enter the contest.\n59B.22 She breathed on her messengers,\nShe sent them to the north;\nAnd there they found Sir Hugh le Blond,\nTo fight him he came forth.\n59B.23 When unto him they did unfold\nThe circumstance all right,\nHe bade them go and tell the queen\nThat for her he would fight.\n59B.24 The day came on that was to do\nThat dreadful tragedy;\nSir hugh le Blond was not come up,\nTo fight for our lady.\n59B.25 \u2018Put on the fire,\u2019 the monster said,\n\u2018It is twelve on the bell;\u2019\n\u2019\u2019Tis scarcely ten, now,\u2019 said the king,\n\u2018I heard the clock mysell.\u2019\n59B.26 Before the hour the queen is brought,\nThe burning to proceed;\nIn a black velvet chair she\u2019s set,\nA token for the dead.\n59B.27 She saw the flames ascending high,\nThe tears blinded her ee:\n\u2018Where is the worthy knight,\u2019 she said,\n\u2018Who is to fight for me?\u2019\n59B.28 Then up and spak the king himsell:\n\u2018My dearest, have no doubt,\nFor yonder comes the man himsel,\nAs bold as eer set out.\u2019\n59B.29 They then advanced to fight the duel,\nWith swords of temperd steel;\nTill down the blood of Rodingham\nCame running to his heel.\n59B.30 Sir Hugh took out a lusty sword,\n\u2019Twas of the metal clear,\nAnd he has pierced Rodingham\nTill\u2019s heart-blood did appear.\n59B.31 \u2018Confess your treachery, now,\u2019 he said,\n\u2018This day before you die;\u2019\n\u2018I do confess my treachery,\nI shall no longer lye.\n59B.32 \u2018I like to wicked Haman am,\nThis day I shall be slain:\u2019\nThe queen was brought to her chamber,\nA good woman again.\n59B.33 The queen then said unto the king,\nArbattle\u2019s near the sea;\nGive it unto the northern knight,\nThat this day fought for me.\n59B.34 Then said the king, Come here, Sir Knight,\nAnd drink a glass of wine,\nAnd, if Arbattle\u2019s not enough,\nTo it we\u2019ll Fordoun join.\n59C: Sir Aldingar\nDr Joseph Robertson\u2019s Note-Book, January 1, 1830, p. 6.\n59C.1 THEY\u2019VE putten her into prison strang,\nA twalmon lang and mair,\nUntil the mice and wild rattens\nDid tear her yallow hair.\n59C.2 \u2019\u2019 \u2019\u2019 \u2019\u2019 \u2019\u2019 \u2019\u2019\n\u2018One shake o your han,\u2019 said Rodingham,\n\u2018One shak o your han gie me:\u2019\n\u2018I cam na here for shaking hans,\nBut to fight maist desperatelie.\u2019\n59C.3 \u2018It\u2019s nae ten strucken on the clock,\nNor eleven on the bell:\u2019\n\u2018We\u2019ll doe ill deeds anew ere night,\nTho it were strucken twall.\u2019","title":"The Child Ballads: 59. Sir Aldingar","type":"page"}