{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch185.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch185.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch185.htm","text":"185A.1 NOW Liddisdale has lain long in,\nFa la\nThere is no rideing there a ta;\nFa la\nTheir horse is growing so lidder and fatt\nThat are lazie in the sta.\nFa la la didle\n185A.2 Then John Armstrang to Willie can say,\nBillie, a rideing then will we;\nEngland and us has been long at a feed;\nPerhaps we may hitt of some bootie.\n185A.3 Then they\u2019r comd on to Hutton Hall,\nThey rade that proper place about;\nBut the laird he was the wiser man,\nFor he had left nae gear without.\n185A.4 Then he had left nae gear to steal,\nExcept six sheep upon a lee;\nSays Johnie, I\u2019de rather in England die\nBefore their six sheep good to Liddesdale with me.\n185A.5 \u2018But how cald they the man we last with mett,\nBillie, as we came over the know?\u2019\n\u2018That same he is an innocent fool,\nAnd some men calls him Dick o the Cow.\u2019\n185A.6 \u2018That fool has three as good kyne of his own\nAs in a\u2019 Cumberland, billie,\u2019 quoth he:\n\u2018Betide my life, betide my death,\nThese three kyne shal go to Liddisdaile with me.\u2019\n185A.7 Then they\u2019re comd on to the poor fool\u2019s house,\nAnd they have broken his wals so wide;\nThey have loosd out Dick o the Cow\u2019s kyne three,\nAnd tane three coerlets off his wife\u2019s bed.\n185A.8 Then on the morn, when the day grew light,\nThe shouts and crys rose loud and high:\n\u2018Hold thy tongue, my wife,\u2019 he says,\n\u2018And of thy crying let me bee.\n185A.9 \u2018Hald thy tongue, my wife,\u2019 he says,\n\u2018And of thy crying let me bee,\nAnd ay that where thou wants a kow,\nGood sooth that I shal bring the three.\u2019\n185A.10 Then Dick\u2019s comd on to lord and master,\nAnd I wate a drerie fool [was] he:\n\u2018Hald thy tongue, my fool,\u2019 he says,\n\u2018For I may not stand to jest with thee.\u2019\n185A.11 \u2018Shame speed a your jesting, my lord,\u2019 quo Dickie,\n\u2018For nae such jesting grees with me;\nLiddesdaile has been in my house this last night,\nAnd they have tane my three kyne from me.\n185A.12 \u2018But I may nae langer in Cumberland dwel,\nTo be your poor fool and your leel,\nUnless ye give me leave, my lord,\nTo go to Liddisdale and steal.\u2019\n185A.13 \u2018To give thee leave, my fool,\u2019 he says,\n\u2018Thou speaks against mine honour and me;\nUnless thou give me thy trouth and thy right hand\nThou\u2019l steal frae nane but them that sta from thee.\u2019\n185A.14 \u2018There is my trouth and my right hand;\nMy head shal hing on Hairibie,\nI\u2019le never crose Carlele sands again,\nIf I steal frae a man but them that sta frae me.\u2019\n185A.15 Dickie has tane leave at lord and master,\nAnd I wate a merrie fool was he;\nHe has bought a bridle and a pair of new spurs,\nAnd has packed them up in his breek-thigh.\n185A.16 Then Dickie\u2019s come on for Puddinburn,\nEven as fast as he may drie;\nDickie\u2019s come on for Puddinburn,\nWhere there was thirty Armstrongs and three.\n185A.17 \u2018What\u2019s this comd on me!\u2019 quo Dick,\n\u2018What meakle wae\u2019s this happend on me,\u2019 quo he,\n\u2018Where here is but ae innocent fool,\nAnd there is thirty Armstrongs and three!\u2019\n185A.18 Yet he\u2019s comd up to the hall among them all;\nSo wel he became his courtisie:\n\u2018Well may ye be, my good Laird\u2019s Jock!\nBut the deil bless all your companie.\n185A.19 \u2018I\u2019m come to plain of your man Fair Johnie Armstrong,\nAnd syne his billie Willie,\u2019 qou he;\n\u2018How they have been in my house this last night,\nAnd they have tane my three ky frae me.\u2019\n185A.20 Quo Johnie Armstrong, We\u2019ll him hang;\n\u2018Nay,\u2019 thain quo Willie, \u2019we\u2019ll him slae;\u2019\nBut up bespake another young man, We\u2019le nit him in a four-nooked sheet,\nGive him his burden of batts, and lett him gae.\n185A.21 Then up bespake the good Laird\u2019s Jock,\nThe best falla in the companie:\nFitt thy way down a little while, Dick,\nAnd a peice of thine own cow\u2019s hough I\u2019l give to thee.\n185A.22 But Dicki\u2019s heart it grew so great\nThat never a bitt of it he dought to eat;\nBut Dickie was warr of ane auld peat-house,\nWhere there al the night he thought for to sleep.\n185A.23 Then Dickie was warr of that auld peat-house,\nWhere there al the night he thought for to ly;\nAnd a\u2019 the prayers the poor fool prayd was,\n\u2018I wish I had a mense for my own three kye!\u2019\n185A.24 Then it was the use of Puddinburn,\nAnd the house of Mangertoun, all haile!\nThese that came not at the first call\nThey gott no more meat till the next meall.\n185A.25 The lads, that hungry and aevery was,\nAbove the door-head they flang the key;\nDickie took good notice to that;\nSays, There\u2019s a bootie younder for me.\n185A.26 Then Dickie\u2019s gane into the stable,\nWhere there stood thirty horse and three;\nHe has ty\u2019d them a\u2019 with St Mary knot,\nAll these horse but barely three.\n185A.27 He has ty\u2019d them a\u2019 with St Mary knott,\nAll these horse but barely three;\nHe has loupen on one, taken another in his hand,\nAnd out at the door and gane is Dickie.\n185A.28 Then on the morn, when the day grew light,\nThe shouts and cryes rose loud and high;\n\u2018What\u2019s that theife?\u2019 quo the good Laird\u2019s Jock;\n\u2018Tel me the truth and the verity.\n185A.29 \u2018What\u2019s that theife?\u2019 quo the good Laird\u2019s Jock;\n\u2018See unto me ye do not lie:\u2019\n\u2018Dick o the Cow has been in the stable this last night,\nAnd has my brother\u2019s horse and mine frae me.\u2019\n185A.30 \u2018Ye wad never be teld it,\u2019 quo the Laird\u2019s Jock;\n\u2018Have ye not found my tales fu leel?\nYe wade never out of England bide,\nTill crooked and blind and a\u2019 wad steal.\u2019\n185A.31 \u2018But will thou lend me thy bay?\u2019 Fair John Armstrong can say,\n\u2018There\u2019s nae mae horse loose in the stable but he;\nAnd I\u2019le either bring ye Dick o the Kow again,\nOr the day is come that he must die.\u2019\n185A.32 \u2018To lend thee my bay,\u2019 the Laird\u2019s Jock can say,\n\u2018He\u2019s both worth gold and good monie;\nDick o the Kow has away twa horse,\nI wish no thou should no make him three.\u2019\n185A.33 He has tane the Laird\u2019s jack on his back,\nThe twa-handed sword that hang lieugh by his thigh;\nHe has tane the steel cap on his head,\nAnd on is he to follow Dickie.\n185A.34 Then Dickie was not a mile off the town,\nI wate a mile but barely three,\nTill John Armstrang has oertane Dick o the Kow,\nHand for hand on Cannobei lee.\n185A.35 \u2018Abide th[e], bide now, Dickie than,\nThe day is come that thow must die;\u2019\nDickie looked oer his left shoulder;\n\u2018Johnie, has thow any mo in thy company?\n185A.36 \u2018There is a preacher in owr chapell,\nAnd a\u2019 the lee-lang day teaches he;\nWhen day is gane, and night is come,\nThere\u2019s never a word I mark but three.\n185A.37 \u2018The first and second\u2019s Faith and Conscience;\nThe third is, Johnie, Take head of thee;\nBut what faith and conscience had thow, traitor,\nWhen thou took my three kye frae me?\n185A.38 \u2018And when thou had tane my three kye,\nThou thought in thy heart thou was no wel sped;\nBut thou sent thi billie Willie oer the know,\nAnd he took three coerlets of my wife\u2019s bed.\u2019\n185A.39 Then Johne lett a spear fa leaugh by his thigh,\nThought well to run the innocent through;\nBut the powers above was more than his,\nHe ran but the poor fool\u2019s jerkin through.\n185A.40 Together they ran or ever they blan-+--+-\nThis was Dickie, the fool, and hee-+--+-\nDickie could not win to him with the blade of the sword,\nBut he feld [him] with the plummet under the eye.\n185A.41 Now Dickie has [feld] Fair John Armstrong,\nThe prettiest man in the south countrey;\n\u2018Gramercie,\u2019 then can Dickie say,\n\u2018I had twa horse, thou has made me three.\u2019\n185A.42 He has tane the laird\u2019s jack off his back,\nThe twa-handed sword that hang leiugh by his thigh;\nHe has tane the steel cape off his head:\n\u2018Johnie, I\u2019le tel my master I met with thee.\u2019\n185A.43 When John wakend out of his dream,\nI wate a dreiry man was he:\n\u2018Is thou gane now, Dickie, than?\nThe shame gae in thy company!\n185A.44 \u2018Is thou gane now, Dickie, than?\nThe shame go in thy companie!\nFor if I should live this hundred year,\nI shal never fight with a fool after thee.\u2019\n185A.45 Then Dickie comed home to lord and master,\nEven as fast as he may driee:\n\u2018Now Dickie, I shal neither eat meat nor drink\nTill high hanged that thou shall be!\u2019\n185A.46 \u2018The shame speed the liars, my lord!\u2019 quo Dickie,\n\u2018That was no the promise ye made to me;\nFor I\u2019d never gane to Liddesdale to steal\nTill that I sought my leave at thee.\u2019\n185A.47 \u2018But what gart thow steal the Laird\u2019s-Jock\u2019s horse?\nAnd, limmer, what gart thou steal him?\u2019 quo he;\n\u2018For lang might thow in Cumberland dwelt\nOr the Laird\u2019s Jock had stoln ought frae thee.\u2019\n185A.48 \u2018Indeed I wate ye leed, my lord,\nAnd even so loud as I hear ye lie;\nI wan him frae his man, Fair John Armstrong,\nHand for hand on Cannobie lee.\n185A.49 \u2018There\u2019s the jack was on his back,\nThe twa-handed sword that hung lewgh by his thigh;\nThere\u2019s the steel cap was on his head;\nI have a\u2019 these takens to lett you see.\u2019\n185A.50 \u2018If that be true thou to me tels-+--+-\nI trow thou dare not tel a lie-+--+-\nI\u2019le give thee twenty pound for the good horse,\nWel teld in thy cloke-lap shall be.\n185A.51 \u2018And I\u2019le give thee one of my best milk-kye,\nTo maintain thy wife and children three;\n[And that may be as good, I think,\nAs ony twa o thine might be.\u2019\n185A.52 \u2018The shame speed the liars, my lord!\u2019 quo Dicke,\n\u2018Trow ye ay to make a fool of me?\nI\u2019le either have thirty pound for the good horse,\nOr els he\u2019s gae to Mattan fair wi me:\u2019\n185A.53 Then he has given him thirty pound for the good horse,\nAll in gold and good monie;\nHe has given him one of his best milk-kye,\nTo maintain his wife and children three.\n185A.54 Then Dickie\u2019s come down through Carlile town,\nEven as fast as he may drie:\nThe first of men that he with mett\nWas my lord\u2019s brother, Bailife Glazenberrie.\n185A.55 \u2018Well may ye be, my good Ralph Scrupe!\u2019\n\u2018Welcome, my brother\u2019s fool!\u2019 quo he;\n\u2018Where did thou gett Fair Johnie Armstrong\u2019s horse?\u2019\n\u2018Where did I get him but steall him,\u2019 quo he.\n185A.56 \u2018But will thou sell me Fair Johnie Armstrong[\u2019s] horse?\nAnd, billie, will thou sel him to me?\u2019 quo he:\n\u2018Ay, and tel me the monie on my cloke-lap,\nFor there\u2019s not one fathing I\u2019le trust thee.\u2019\n185A.57 \u2018I\u2019le give thee fifteen pound for the good horse,\nWel told on thy cloke-lap shal be;\nAnd I\u2019le give [thee] one of my best milk-kye,\nTo maintain thy wife and children three.\u2019\n185A.58 \u2018The shame speed the liars, my lord!\u2019 quo Dick,\n\u2018Trow ye ay to make a fool of me?\u2019 quo he:\n\u2018I\u2019le either have thirty pound for the good horse,\nOr else he\u2019s to Mattan Fair with me.\u2019\n185A.59 He has given him thirty pound for the good horse,\nAll in gold and good monie;\nHe has given him one of his best milk-kye,\nTo maintain his wife and children three.\n185A.60 Then Dickie lap a loup on high,\nAnd I wate a loud laughter leugh he:\n\u2018I wish the neck of the third horse were browken,\nFor I have a better of my own, and onie better can be.\u2019\n185A.61 Then Dickie comd hame to his wife again;\nJudge ye how the poor fool he sped;\nHe has given her three score of English pounds\nFor the three auld coerlets was tane of her bed.\n185A.62 \u2018Hae, take thee there twa as good kye,\nI trow, as al thy three might be;\nAnd yet here is a white-footed naigg;\nI think he\u2019le carry booth thee and me.\n185A.63 \u2018But I may no longer in Cumberland dwell;\nThe Armstrongs the\u2019le hang me high:\u2019\nBut Dickie has tane leave at lord and master,\nAnd Burgh under Stanemuir there dwels Dickie.","title":"The Child Ballads: 185. Dick o the Cow","type":"page"}