{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch211.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch211.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch211.htm","text":"211A.1 OLD Grahame [he] is to Carlisle gone,\nWhere Sir Robert Bewick there met he;\nIn arms to the wine they are gone,\nAnd drank till they were both merry.\n211A.2 Old Grahame he took up the cup,\nAnd said, \u2018Brother Bewick, here\u2019s to thee;\nAnd here\u2019s to our two sons at home,\nFor they live best in our country.\u2019\n211A.3 \u2018Nay, were thy son as good as mine,\nAnd of some books he could but read,\nWith sword and buckler by his side,\nTo see how he could save his head,\n211A.4 \u2018They might have been calld two bold brethren\nWhere ever they did go or ride;\nThey might [have] been calld two bold brethren,\nThey might have crackd the Border-side.\n211A.5 \u2018Thy son is bad, and is but a lad,\nAnd bully to my son cannot be;\nFor my son Bewick can both write and read,\nAmd sure I am that cannot he.\u2019\n211A.6 \u2018I put him to school, but he would not learn,\nI bought him books, but he would not read;\nBut my blessing he\u2019s never have\nTill I see how his hand can save his head.\u2019\n211A.7 Old Grahame called for an account,\nAnd he askd what was for to pay;\nThere he paid a crown, so it went round,\nWhich was all for good wine and hay.\n211A.8 Old Grahame is into the stable gone,\nWhere stood thirty good steeds and three;\nHe\u2019s taken his own steed by the head,\nAnd home rode he right wantonly.\n211A.9 When he came home, there did he espy,\nA loving sight to spy or see,\nThere did he espy his own three sons,\nYoung Christy Grahame, the foremost was he.\n211A.10 There did he espy his own three sons,\nYoung Christy Grahame, the foremost was he:\n\u2018Where have you been all day, father,\nThat no counsel you would take by me?\u2019\n211A.11 \u2018Nay, I have been in Carlisle town,\nWhere Sir Robert Bewick there met me;\nHe said thou was bad, and calld thee a lad,\nAnd a baffled man by thou I be.\n211A.12 \u2018He said thou was bad, and calld thee a lad,\nAnd bully to his son cannot be;\nFor his son Bewick can both write and read,\nAnd sure I am that cannot thee.\n211A.13 \u2018I put thee to school, but thou would not learn,\nI bought thee books, but thou would not read;\nBut my blessing thou\u2019s never have\nTill I see with Bewick thou can save thy head.\u2019\n211A.14 \u2018Oh, pray forbear, my father dear;\nThat ever such a thing should be!\nShall I venture my body in field to fight\nWith a man that\u2019s faith and troth to me?\u2019\n211A.15 \u2018What\u2019s that thou sayst, thou limmer loon?\nOr how dare thou stand to speak to me?\nIf thou do not end this quarrel soon,\nHere is my glove thou shalt fight me.\u2019\n211A.16 Christy stoopd low unto the ground,\nUnto the ground, as you\u2019ll understand:\n\u2018O father, put on your glove again,\nThe wind hath blown it from your hand.\u2019\n211A.17 \u2018What\u2019s that thou sayst, thou limmer loon?\nOr how dare thou stand to speak to me?\nIf thou do not end this quarrel soon,\nHere is my hand thou shalt fight me.\u2019\n211A.18 Christy Grahame is to his chamber gone,\nAnd for to study, as well might be,\nWhether to fight with his father dear,\nOr with his bully Bewick he.\n211A.19 \u2018If it be [my] fortune my bully to kill,\nAs you shall boldly understand,\nIn every town that I ride through,\nThey\u2019ll say, There rides a brotherless man!\n211A.20 \u2018Nay, for to kill my bully dear,\nI think it will be a deadly sin;\nAnd for to kill my father dear,\nThe blessing of heaven I neer shall win.\n211A.21 \u2018O give me your blessing, father,\u2019 he said,\n\u2018And pray well for me to thrive;\nIf it be my fortune my bully to kill,\nI swear I\u2019ll neer come home alive.\u2019\n211A.22 He put on his back a good plate-jack,\nAnd on his head a cap of steel,\nWith sword and buckler by his side;\nO gin he did not become them well!\n211A.23 \u2018O fare thee well, my father dear!\nAnd fare thee well, thou Carlisle town!\nIf it be my fortune my bully to kill,\nI swear I\u2019ll neer eat bread again.\u2019\n211A.24 Now we\u2019ll leave talking of Christy Grahame,\nAnd talk of him again belive;\nBut we will talk of bonny Bewick,\nWhere he was teaching his scholars five.\n211A.25 Now when he had learnd them well to fence,\nTo handle their swords without any doubt,\nHe\u2019s taken his own sword under his arm,\nAnd walkd his father\u2019s close about.\n211A.26 He lookd between him and the sun,\nTo see what farleys he could see;\nThere he spy\u2019d a man with armour on,\nAs he came riding over the lee.\n211A.27 \u2018I wonder much what man yon be\nThat so boldly this way does come;\nI think it is my nighest friend,\nI think it is my bully Grahame.\n211A.28 \u2018O welcome, O welcome, bully Grahame!\nO man, thou art my dear, welcome!\nO man, thou art my dear, welcome!\nFor I love thee best in Christendom.\u2019\n211A.29 \u2018Away, away, O bully Bewick,\nAnd of thy bullyship let me be!\nThe day is come I never thought on;\nBully, I\u2019m come here to fight with thee.\u2019\n211A.30 \u2018O no! not so, O bully Grahame!\nThat eer such a word should spoken be!\nI was thy master, thou was my scholar:\nSo well as I have learn d thee.\u2019\n211A.31 My father he was in Carlisle town,\nWhere thy father Bewick there met he;\nHe said I was bad, and he calld me a lad,\nAnd a baffled man by thou I be.\u2019\n211A.32 \u2018Away, away, O bully Grahame.\nAnd of all that talk, man, let us be!\nWe\u2019ll take three men of either side\nTo see if we can our fathers agree.\u2019\n211A.33 \u2018Away, away, O bully Bewick,\nAnd of thy bullyship let me be!\nBut if thou be a man, as I trow thou art,\nCome over this ditch and fight with me.\u2019\n211A.34 \u2018O no! not so, my bully Grahame!\nThat eer such a word should spoken be!\nShall I venture my body in field to fight\nWith a man that\u2019s faith and troth to me?\u2019\n211A.35 \u2018Away, away, O bully Bewick,\nAnd of all that care, man, let us be!\nIf thou be a man, as I trow thou art,\nCome over this ditch and fight with me.\u2019\n211A.36 \u2018Now, if it be my fortune thee, Grahame, to kill,\nAs God\u2019s will\u2019s, man, it all must be;\nBut if it be my fortune thee, Grahame, to kill,\n\u2019Tis home again I\u2019ll never gae.\u2019\n211A.37 \u2018Thou art of my mind then, bully Bewick,\nAnd sworn-brethren will we be;\nIf thou be a man, as I trow thou art,\nCome over this ditch and fight with me.\u2019\n211A.38 He flang his cloak from [off] his shoulders,\nHis psalm-book out of his hand flang he,\nHe clapd his hand upon the hedge,\nAnd oer lap he right wantonly.\n211A.39 When Grahame did see his bully come,\nThe salt tear stood long in his eye:\n\u2018Now needs must I say that thou art a man,\nThat dare venture thy body to fight with me.\n211A.40 \u2018Now I have a harness on my back;\nI know that thou hath none on thine;\nBut as little as thou hath on thy back,\nSure as little shall there be on mine.\u2019\n211A.41 He flang his jack from off his back,\nHis steel cap from his head flang he;\nHe\u2019s taken his sword into his hand,\nHe\u2019s tyed his horse unto a tree.\n211A.42 Now they fell to it with two broa[d swords],\nFor two long hours fought Bewick [and he];\nMuch sweat was to be seen on them both,\nBut never a drop of blood to see.\n211A.43 \u2018Now Grahame gave Bewick an ackward stroke,\nAn ackward stroke surely struck he;\nHe struck him now under the left breast,\nThen down to the ground as dead fell he.\n211A.44 \u2018Arise, arise, O bully Bewick,\nArise, and speak three words to me!\nWhether this be thy deadly wound,\nOr God and good surgeons will mend thee.\u2019\n211A.45 \u2018O horse, O horse, O bully Grahame,\nAnd pray do get thee far from me!\nThy sword is sharp, it hath wounded my heart,\nAnd so no further can I gae.\n211A.46 \u2018O horse, O horse, O bully Grahame,\nAnd get thee far from me with speed!\nAnd get thee out of this country quite!\nThat none may know who\u2019s done the deed.\u2019\n211A.47 \u2018O if this be true, my bully dear,\nThe words that thou dost tell to me,\nThe vow I made, and the vow I\u2019ll keep;\nI swear I\u2019ll be the first that die.\n211A.48 Then he stuck his sword in a moody-hill,\nWhere he lap thirty good foot and three;\nFirst he bequeathed his soul to God,\nAnd upon his own sword-point lap he.\n211A.49 Now Grahame he was the first that died,\nAnd then came Robin Bewick to see;\n\u2018Arise, arise, O son!\u2019 he said,\n\u2018For I see thou\u2019s won the victory.\n211A.50 \u2018Arise, arise, O son!\u2019 he said,\n\u2018For I see thou\u2019s won the victory:\u2019\n\u2018[Father, co]uld ye not drunk your wine at home,\n[And le]tten me and my brother be?\n211A.51 \u2018Nay, dig a grave both low and wide,\nAnd in it us two pray bury;\nBut bury my bully Grahame on the sun-side,\nFor I\u2019m sure he\u2019s won the victory.\u2019\n211A.52 Now we\u2019ll leave talking of these two brethren,\nIn Carlisle town where they lie slain,\nAnd talk of these two good old men,\nWhere they were making a pitiful moan.\n211A.53 With that bespoke now Robin Bewick:\n\u2018O man, was I not much to blame?\nI have lost one of the liveliest lads\nThat ever was bred unto my name.\u2019\n211A.54 With that bespoke my good lord Grahame:\n\u2018O man, I have lost the better block;\nI have lost my comfort and my joy,\nI have lost my key, I have lost my lock.\n211A.55 \u2018Had I gone through all Ladderdale,\nAnd forty horse had set on me,\nHad Christy Grahame been at my back,\nSo well as he woud guarded me.\u2019\n211A.56 I have no more of my song to sing,\nBut two or three words to you I\u2019ll name;\nBut \u2019twill be talk\u2019d in Carlisle town\nThat these two [old] men were all the blame.","title":"The Child Ballads: 211. Bewick and Graham","type":"page"}