{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch196.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch196.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch196.htm","text":"196A.1 THE eighteenth of October,\nA dismal tale to hear\nHow good Lord John and Rothiemay\nWas both burnt in the fire.\n196A.2 When steeds was saddled and well bridled,\nAnd ready for to ride,\nThen out it came her false Frendraught,\nInviting them to bide.\n196A.3 Said, \u2018Stay this night untill we sup,\nThe morn untill we dine;\nRR\u2019rrtwill be a token of good greement\nRR\u2019rrtwixt your good lord and mine.\u2019\n196A.4 \u2018We\u2019ll turn again,\u2019 said good Lord John;\n\u2018But no,\u2019 said Rothiemay,\n\u2018My steed\u2019s trapand, my bridle\u2019s broken,\nI fear the day I\u2019m fey.\u2019\n196A.5 When mass was sung, and bells was rung,\nAnd all men bound for bed,\nThen good Lord John and Rothiemay\nIn one chamber was laid.\n196A.6 They had not long cast off their cloaths,\nAnd were but now asleep,\nWhen the weary smoke began to rise,\nLikewise the scorching heat.\n196A.7 \u2018O waken, waken, Rothiemay!\nO waken, brother dear!\nAnd turn you to our Saviour;\nThere is strong treason here.\u2019\n196A.8 When they were dressed in their cloaths,\nAnd ready for to boun,\nThe doors and windows was all secur\u2019d,\nThe roof-tree burning down.\n196A.9 He did him to the wire-window,\nAs fast as we could gang;\nSays, Wae to the hands put in the stancheons!\nFor out we\u2019ll never win.\n196A.10 When he stood at the wire-window,\nMost doleful to be seen,\nHe did espy her Lady Frendraught,\nWho stood upon the green.\n196A.11 Cried, Mercy, mercy, Lady Frendraught!\nWill ye not sink with sin?\nFor first your husband killed my father,\nAnd now you burn his son.\n196A.12 O then out spoke her Lady Frendraught,\nAnd loudly did she cry;\n\u2018It were grteat pity for good Lord John,\nBut none for Rothiemay;\nBut the keys are casten in the deep draw-well,\nYe cannot get away.\u2019\n196A.13 While he stood in this dreadful plight,\nMost piteous to be seen,\nThere called out his servant Gordon,\nAs he had frantic been:\n196A.14 \u2018O loup, O loup, my dear master!\nO loup and come to me!\nI\u2019ll catch you in my arms two,\nOne foot I will not flee.\n196A.15 \u2018O loup, O loup, my dear master!\nO loup and come away!\nI\u2019ll catch you in my arms two,\nBut Rothiemay may lie.\u2019\n196A.16 \u2018The fish shall never swim in the flood,\nNor corn grow through the clay,\nNor the fiercest fire that ever was kindled\nTwin me and Rothiemay.\n196A.17 \u2018But I cannot loup, I cannot come,\nI cannot win to thee;\nMy head\u2019s fast in the wire-window,\nMy feet burning from me.\n196A.18 \u2018My eyes are seething in my head,\nMy flesh roasting also,\nMy bowels are boiling with my blood;\nIs not that a woeful woe?\n196A.19 \u2018Take here the rings from my white fingers,\nThat are so long and small,\nAnd give them to my lady fair,\nWhere she sits in her hall.\n196A.20 \u2018So I cannot loup, I cannot come,\nI cannot loup to thee;\nMy earthly part is all consumed,\nMy spirit but speaks to thee.\u2019\n196A.21 Wringing her hands, tearing her hair,\nHis lady she was seen,\nAnd thus addressed his servant Gordon,\nWhere he stood on the green.\n196A.22 \u2018O wae be to you, George Gordon!\nAn ill death may you die!\nSo safe and sound as you stnad there,\nAnd my lord bereaved from me.\u2019\n196A.23 \u2018I bad him loup, I bad him come,\nI bad him loup to me;\nI\u2019d catch him in my arms two,\nA foot I should not flee. &c.\n196A.24 \u2018He threw me the rings from his white fingers,\nWhich were so long and small,\nTo give to you, his lady fair,\nWhere you sat in your hall.\u2019 &c.\n196A.25 Sophia Hay, Sophia Hay,\nO bonny Sophia was her name,\nHer waiting maid put on her cloaths,\nBut I wot she tore them off again.\n196A.26 And aft she cried, Ohon! alas! alas!\nA sair heart\u2019s ill to win;\nI wan a sair heart when I married him,\nAnd the day it\u2019s well returnd again.\n196B: The Fire of Frendruahgt\n196B.* * * *\n\u2018YERR\u2019rrLL stay this night wi me, Lord John,\nYe\u2019ll stay this night wi me,\nFor there is appearence of good greement\nBetwixt Frendraught and thee.\u2019\n196B.2 \u2018How can I bide, or how shall I bide,\nOr how can I bide wi thee,\nSin my lady is in the lands of Air,\nAnd I long till I her see?\u2019\n196B.3 \u2018Oh stay this night wi me, Lord John,\nOh stay this night wi me,\nAnd bonny [\u2019s] be the morning-gift\nThat I will to you gie.\n196B.4 \u2018I\u2019ll gie you a Strathboggie lands,\nAnd the laigh lands o Strathray,\n. . . . .\n. . . . .\n196B.5 \u2018Ye\u2019ll saty this night wi me, Lord John,\nYe\u2019ll stay this night wi me,\nAnd I\u2019ll lay you in a bed of down,\nAnd Rothiemay you wi.\u2019\n196B.6 When mass was sung, and bells were rung,\nAnd a\u2019 men bun to bed,\nGude Lord John and Rothiemay\nIn one chamber were laid.\n* * * * *\n196B.7 Out hes he taen his little psalm-buik,\nAnd verses sang he three,\nAnd aye at every verse\u2019s end,\n\u2018God end our misery!\u2019\n196B.8 The doors were shut, the keys were thrown\nInto a vault of stone,\n. . . . .\n. . . . .\n196B.9 He is dune him to the weir-window,\nThe stauncheons were oer strong;\nThere he saw him Lord George Gordon\nCome haisling to the town.\n196B.10 \u2018What news, what news now, George Gordon?\nWhats news hae you to me?\n. . . . .\n. . . . .\n196B.11 He\u2019s dune him to the weir-window,\nThe stauncheons were oer strang;\nAnd there he saw the Lady Frendraught,\nWas walking on the green.\n196B.12 \u2018Open yer doors now, Lady Frendraught,\nYe\u2019ll open yer doors to me;\nAnd bonny\u2019s be the mornin-gift\nThat I shall to you gie.\n196B.13 \u2018I\u2019ll gie you a\u2019 Straboggie lands,\nAnd the laigh lands o Strathbrae,\n. . . . .\n. . . . .\n196B.14 \u2018Now there\u2019s the rings frae my fingers,\nAnd the broach frae my breast-bone;\nYe\u2019ll gae that to my gude ladye\n. . . . .\n* * * * *\n196B.15 \u2018How can I loup, or how shall I loup?\nHow can I loup to thee?\nWhen the blood is boiling in my body,\nAnd my feet burnin frae me?\u2019\n* * * * *\n196B.16 \u2018If I was swift as any swallow,\nAnd then had wings to fly,\nI could fly on to fause Frendraught\nAnd cry vengeance till I die.\u2019\n196C: The Fire of Frendruahgt\n196C.1 IT was in October the woe began-+--+-\nIt lasts for now and aye,-+--+-\nThe burning o the bonny house o fause Frendraught,\nLord John and Rothiemay.\n196C.2 When they were in their saddles set,\nAnd ready to ride away,\nThe lady sat down on her bare knees,\nBeseeching them to stay.\n196C.3 \u2018Ye\u2019s hae a firlot o the gude red gowd,\nWell straiket wi a wan;\nAnd if that winna please you well,\nI\u2019ll heap it wi my han.\u2019\n196C.4 Then out it spake the gude Lord John,\nAnd said to Rothiemay,\n\u2018It is a waman that we\u2019re come o,\nAnd a woman we\u2019ll obey.\u2019\n196C.5 When a\u2019 man was well drunken,\nAnd a\u2019 man bound for bed,\nThe doors were lockd, the windows shut,\nAnd the keys were casten by.\n196C.6 When a\u2019 man was well drunken,\nAnd a\u2019 man bound for sleep,\nThe dowy reek began to rise,\nAnd the joists began to crack.\n196C.7 He\u2019s deen him to the wire-window,\nAnd ruefu strack and dang;\nBut they would neither bow nor brack,\nThe staunchions were so strang.\n196C.8 He\u2019s deen him back and back again,\nAnd back to Rothiemay;\nSays, Waken, waken, brother dear!\nWaken, Rothiemay!\n196C.9 \u2018Come let us praise the Lord our God,\nThe fiftieth psalm and three;\nFor the reek and smoke are us about,\nAnd there\u2019s fause treason tee.\n196C.10 \u2018O mercy, mercy, Lady Frendraught!\nAs ye walk on the green:\u2019\n\u2018The keys are in the deep draw-well,\nThe doors were lockt the streen.\u2019\n196C.11 \u2018O woe be to you, Lady Frendraught!\nAnd ill death may you die!\nFor think na ye this a sad torment\nYour own flesh for to burn?\u2019\n196C.12 George Chalmers was a bonny boy;\nHe leapt the stanks so deep,\nAnd he is on to Rothiemay,\nHis master for to help.\n196C.13 Colin Irving was a bonny boy,\nAnd leapt the stanks so deep:\n\u2018Come down, come down, my master dear!\nIn my arms I\u2019ll thee kep.\u2019\n196C.14 \u2018Come down? come down? how can I come?\nHow can I come to thee?\nMy flesh is burning me about,\nAnd yet my spirit speaks to thee.\u2019\n196C.15 He\u2019s taen a purse o the gude red gowd,\nAnd threw it oer the wa:\n\u2018It\u2019s ye\u2019ll deal that among the poor,\nBid them pray for our souls a\u2019.\u2019\n196C.16 He\u2019s taen the rings off his fingers,\nAnd threw them oer the wa;\nSays, Ye\u2019ll gie that to my lady dear,\nFrom me she\u2019ll na get more.\n196C.17 \u2018Bid her make her bed well to the length,\nBut no more to the breadth,\nFor the day will never dawn\nThat I\u2019ll sleep by her side.\u2019\n196C.18 Ladie Rothiemay came on the morn,\nShe kneeled it roun and roun:\n\u2018Restore your lodgers, fause Frendraught,\nThat ye burnd here the streen.\n196C.19 \u2018O were I like yon trutle-dove,\nHad I wings for to flie,\nI\u2019d fly about fause Frendraught\nCrying vengeance till I die.\n196C.20 \u2018Frendraught fause, all thro the ha\u2019s,\nBoth back and every side;\nFor ye\u2019ve betrayd the gay Gordons,\nAnd lands wherein they ride.\n196C.21 \u2018Frendraught fause, all thro the ha\u2019s;\nI wish you\u2019d sink for sin;\nFor first you killd my own good lord,\nAnd now you\u2019ve burnd my son.\n196C.22 \u2018I caredna sae muckle for my good lord\nI saw him in battle slain,\nBut a\u2019 is for my own son dear,\nThe heir o a\u2019 my lan.\n196C.23 \u2018I caredna sae muckle for my good lord\nI saw him laid in clay,\nBut a\u2019 is for my own son dear,\nThe heir o Rothiemay.\u2019\n196D: The Fire of Frendruahgt\n196D.1 THE reek it rose, and the flame it flew,\nAnd oh! the fire augmented high,\nUntil it came to Lord John\u2019s chamber-window,\nAnd to the bed where Lord John lay.\n196D.2 \u2018O help me, help me, Lady Frennet!\nI never ettled harm to thee;\nAnd if my father slew thy lord,\nForget the deed and rescue me.\u2019\n196D.3 He looked east, he looked west,\nTo see if any help was nigh;\nAt length his little page he saw,\nWho to his lord aloud did cry:\n196D.4 \u2018Loup doun, loup doun, my master dear!\nWhat though the window\u2019s dreigh and hie?\nI\u2019ll catch you in my arms twa,\nAnd never a foot from you I\u2019ll flee.\u2019\n196D.5 \u2018How can I loup, you little page?\nHow can I leave this window hie?\nDo you not see the blazing low,\nAnd my twa legs burnt to my knee?\u2019\n196E: The Fire of Frendruahgt\n196E.1 NOW wake, now wake you, Rothiemay!\nI dread you sleep oer soun;\nThe bed is burnin us about\nAnd the curtain\u2019s faain down.","title":"The Child Ballads: 196. The Fire of Frendruahgt","type":"page"}