{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch089.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch089.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch089.htm","text":"89A.1 KING EASTER has courted her for her gowd,\nKing Wester for her fee,\nKing Honor for her lands sae braid,\nAnd for her fair body.\n89A.2 They had not been four months married,\nAs I have heard them tell,\nUntil the nobles of the land\nAgainst them did rebel.\n89A.3 And they cast kaivles them amang,\nAnd kaivles them between,\nAnd they cast kaivles them amang\nWha shoud gae kill the king.\n89A.4 O some said yea, and some said nay,\nTheir words did not agree;\nTill up it gat him Fa\u2019se Footrage,\nAnd sware it shoud be he.\n89A.5 When bells were rung, and mass was sung,\nAnd a\u2019 man boon to bed,\nKing Honor and his gay ladie\nIn a hie chamer were laid.\n89A.6 Then up it raise him Fa\u2019se Footrage,\nWhile a\u2019 were fast asleep,\nAnd slew the porter in his lodge,\nThat watch and ward did keep.\n89A.7 O four and twenty silver keys\nHang hie upon a pin,\nAnd ay as a door he did unlock,\nHe has fastend it him behind.\n89A.8 Then up it raise him King Honor,\nSays, What means a\u2019 this din!\nNow what\u2019s the matter, Fa\u2019se Footrage?\nO wha was\u2019t loot you in?\n89A.9 \u2018O ye my errand well shall learn\nBefore that I depart;\u2019\nThen drew a knife baith lang and sharp\nAnd pierced him thro the heart.\n89A.10 Then up it got the Queen hersell,\nAnd fell low down on her knee:\n\u2018O spare my life now, Fa\u2019se Footrage!\nFor I never injured thee.\n89A.11 \u2018O spare my life now, Fa\u2019se Footrage!\nUntil I lighter be,\nAnd see gin it be lad or lass\nKing Honor has left me wi.\u2019\n89A.12 \u2018O gin it be a lass,\u2019 he says,\n\u2018Well nursed she shall be;\nBut gin it be a lad-bairn,\nHe shall be hanged hie.\n89A.13 \u2018I winna spare his tender age,\nNor yet his hie, hie kin;\nBut as soon as eer he born is,\nHe shall mount the gallows-pin.\u2019\n89A.14 O four and twenty valiant knights\nWere set the Queen to guard,\nAnd four stood ay at her bower-door,\nTo keep baith watch and ward.\n89A.15 But when the time drew till an end\nThat she should lighter be,\nShe cast about to find a wile\nTo set her body free.\n89A.16 O she has birled these merry young men\nWi strong beer and wi wine,\nUntil she made them a\u2019 as drunk\nAs any wallwood swine.\n89A.17 \u2018O narrow, narrow is this window,\nAnd big, big am I grown!\u2019\nYet thro the might of Our Ladie\nOut at it she has won.\n89A.18 She wanderd up, she wanderd down,\nShe wanderd out and in,\nAnd at last, into the very swines\u2019 stye,\nThe Queen brought forth a son.\n89A.19 Then they cast kaivles them amang\nWha should gae seek the Queen,\nAnd the kaivle fell upon Wise William,\nAnd he\u2019s sent his wife for him.\n89A.20 O when she saw Wise William\u2019s wife,\nThe Queen fell on her knee;\n\u2018Win up, win up, madame,\u2019 she says,\n\u2018What means this courtesie?\u2019\n89A.21 \u2018O out of this I winna rise\nTill a boon ye grant to me,\nTo change your lass for this lad-bairn\nKing Honor left me wi.\n89A.22 \u2018And ye maun learn my gay gose-hawke\nWell how to breast a steed,\nAnd I shall learn your turtle-dow\nAs well to write and read.\n89A.23 \u2018And ye maun learn my gay gose-hawke\nTo wield baith bow and brand,\nAnd I shall learn your turtle-dow\nTo lay gowd wi her hand.\n89A.24 \u2018At kirk or market where we meet,\nWe dare nae mair avow\nBut, Dame how does my gay gose-hawk?\nMadame, how does my dow?\u2019\n89A.25 When days were gane, and years came on,\nWise William he thought long;\nOut has he taen King Honor\u2019s son,\nA hunting for to gang.\n89A.26 It sae fell out at their hunting,\nUpon a summer\u2019s day,\nThat they cam by a fair castle,\nStood on a sunny brae.\n89A.27 \u2018O dinna ye see that bonny castle,\nWi wa\u2019s and towers sae fair?\nGin ilka man had back his ain,\nOf it you shoud be heir.\u2019\n89A.28 \u2018How I shoud be heir of that castle\nIn sooth I canna see,\nWhen it belongs to Fa\u2019se Footrage,\nAnd he\u2019s nae kin to me.\u2019\n89A.29 \u2018O gin ye shoud kill him Fa\u2019se Footrage,\nYou woud do what is right;\nFor I wot he killd your father dear,\nEre ever you saw the light.\n89A.30 \u2018Gin you should kill him Fa\u2019se Footrage,\nThere is nae man durst you blame;\nFor he keeps your mother a prisoner,\nAnd she dares no take you hame.\u2019\n89A.31 The boy stared wild like a gray gose-hawke,\nSays, What may a\u2019 this mean!\n\u2018My boy, you are King Honor\u2019s son,\nAnd your mother\u2019s our lawful queen.\u2019\n89A.32 \u2018O gin I be King Honor\u2019s son,\nBy Our Ladie I swear,\nThis day I will that traytour slay,\nAnd relieve my mother dear.\u2019\n89A.33 He has sent his bent bow till his breast,\nAnd lap the castle-wa,\nAnd soon he\u2019s siesed on Fa\u2019se Footrage,\nWha loud for help gan ca.\n89A.34 \u2018O hold your tongue now, Fa\u2019se Footrage,\nFrae me you shanno flee;\u2019\nSyne pierced him through the foul fa\u2019se heart,\nAnd set his mother free.\n89A.35 And he has rewarded Wise William\nWi the best half of his land,\nAnd sae has he the turtle-dow\nWi the truth of his right hand.\n89B: Fause Foodrage\n89B.1 THE Eastmure king, and the Westmure king,\nAnd the king of Onorie,\nThey have all courted a pretty maid,\nAnd guess wha she micht be.\n89B.2 The Eastmure king courted her for gold,\nAnd the Westmure king for fee,\nThe king of Onore for womanheid,\nAnd for her fair beautie.\n89B.3 The Eastmure king swore a solemn oath,\nHe would keep it till May,\nThat he would murder the king of Onore,\nUpon his wedding day.\n89B.4 When bells was rung, and psalms was sung,\nAnd all men boune for sleep,\nUp and started the Eastmure king\nAt the king of Onore\u2019s head.\n89B.5 He has drawn the curtains by-+-\nTheir sheets was made of dorn-+-\nAnd he has murdered the king of Onore,\nAs innocent as he was born.\n89B.6 This maid she awak\u2019d in the middle of the night,\nWas in a drowsy dream;\nShe found her bride\u2019s-bed swim with blood,\nBot and her good lord slain.\n89B.7 \u2018What will the court and council say\nWhat will they say to me?\nWhat will the court and council say\nBut this night I\u2019ve murderd thee?\u2019\n89B.8 Out and speaks the Eastmure king:\n\u2018Hold your tongue, my pretty may,\nAnd come along with me, my dear,\nAnd that court ye\u2019ll never see.\u2019\n89B.9 He mounted her on a milk-white steed,\nHimself upon a gray;\nShe turnd her back against the court,\nAnd weeping rode away.\n89B.10 \u2018Now if you be with child,\u2019 he says,\n\u2018As I trew well you be,\nIf it be of a lassie-bairn,\nI\u2019ll give her nurses three.\n89B.11 \u2018If it be a lassie-bairn,\nIf you please she\u2019ll get five;\nBut if it be a bonnie boy,\nI will not let him live.\u2019\n89B.12 Word is to the city gone,\nAnd word is to the town,\nAnd word is to the city gone,\nShe\u2019s delivered of a son.\n89B.13 But a poor woman in the town\nIn the same case does lye,\nWha gived to her her woman-child,\nTook awa her bonnie boy.\n89B.14 At kirk or market, whereer they met,\nThey never durst avow,\nBut \u2018Thou be kind to my boy,\u2019 she says,\n\u2018I\u2019ll be kind to your bonnie dow.\u2019\n89B.15 This boy was sixteen years of age,\nBut he was nae seventeen,\nWhen he is to the garden gone,\nTo slay that Eastmure king.\n89B.16 \u2018Be aware, be aware, thou Eastmure king,\nBe aware this day of me;\nFor I do swear and do declare\nThy botcher I will be.\u2019\n89B.17 \u2018What aileth thee, my bonnie boy?\nWhat aileth thee at me?\nI\u2019m sure I never did thee wrang;\nThy face I neer did see.\u2019\n89B.18 \u2018Thou murdered my father dear,\nWhen scarse conceived was I;\nThou murdered my father dear,\nWhen scarse conceived was me:\u2019\nSo then he slew that Eastmure king,\nBeneath that garden tree.\n89C: Fause Foodrage\n89C.1 EASTMURE king, and Westmuir king,\nAnd king o Luve, a\u2019 three,\nIt\u2019s they coost kevils them amang,\nAboot a gay ladie.\n89C.2 Eastmuir king he wan the gowd,\nAn Wastmuir king the fee,\nBut king o Luve, wi his lands sae broad,\nHe\u2019s won the fair ladie.\n89C.3 Thae twa kings, they made an aith,\nThat, be it as it may,\nThey wad slay him king o Luve,\nUpon his waddin day.\n89C.4 Eastmuir king he brak his aith,\nAn sair penance did he;\nBut Wastmuir king he made it oot,\nAn an ill deid mat he dee!","title":"The Child Ballads: 89. Fause Foodrage","type":"page"}