{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch266.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch266.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch266.htm","text":"Sacred Texts\u00a0\n Legends & Sagas\u00a0\n England\u00a0\n Index\u00a0\n Previous\u00a0\n Next\u00a0\n \n \n \n 266A: John Thomson and the Turk\n \n \n 266A.1 John Thomson fought against the Turks\n Three years into a far country,\n And all that time, and something more,\n Was absent from his gay lady.\n 266A.2 But it fell ance upon a time,\n As this young chieftain sat alane,\n He spied his lady in rich array,\n As she walkd oer a rural plain.\n 266A.3 \u2018What brought you here, my lady gay,\n So far awa from your own country?\n I\u2019ve thought lang, and very lang,\n And all for your fair face to see.\u2019\n 266A.4 For some days she did with him stay,\n Till it fell ance upon a day,\n \u2018Farewell for a time,\u2019 she said,\n \u2019For now i must bound home away.\u2019\n 266A.5 He\u2019s gien to her a jewel fine,\n Was set with pearl and precious stone;\n Says, My love, beware fo these savages bold,\n That\u2019s on your way as ye go home.\n 266A.6 Ye\u2019ll take the road, my lady fair,\n That leads you fair across the lee;\n That keeps you from wild Hind Soldan,\n And likewise from base Violentrie.\n 266A.7 With heavy heart these two did part,\n And minted as she would go home;\n Hind Soldan by the Greeks was slain,\n But to base Violentrie she\u2019s gone.\n 266A.8 When a twelvemonth had expired,\n John Thomson he thought wondrous lang,\n And he has written a broad letter,\n And seald it well with his own hand.\n 266A.9 He sent it along with a small vessel\n That there was quickly going to sea,\n And sent it on to fair Scotland,\n To see about his gay ladie.\n 266A.10 But the answer he received again,\n The lines did grieve his heart right sair;\n None of her friends there had her seen\n For a twelvemonth and something mair.\n 266A.11 Then he put on a palmer\u2019s weed,\n And took a pikestaff in his hand;\n To Violentrie\u2019s castle he hied,\n But slowly, slowly he did gang.\n 266A.12 When within the hall he came,\n He joukd and couchd out-oer his tree:\n \u2018If ye be lady of this hall,\n Some of your good bountieth give me.\u2019\n 266A.13 \u2018What news, what news, palmer?\u2019 she said,\n \u2018And from what countrie came ye?\u2019\n \u2018I\u2019m lately come from Grecian plains,\n Where lys some of the Scots army.\u2019\n 266A.14 \u2018If ye be come from Grecian plains,\n Some more news I will ask of thee;\n Of one of the chieftains that lies there,\n If he have lately seen his gay ladie.\u2019\n 266A.15 \u2018It is twelve months and something more\n Since we did part in yonder plain;\n And now this knight has begun to fear\n One of his foes he has her taen.\u2019\n 266A.16 \u2018He has not taen me by force nor might,\n It was all by my own free will;\n He may tarry in the fight,\n For here I mean to tarry still.\n 266A.17 \u2018And if John Thomson ye do see,\n Tell him I wish him silent sleep;\n His head was not so cozelie\n Nor yet so well as lies at my feet.\u2019\n 266A.18 h that he threw [aff] his strange disguise,\n Laid by the mask that he had on;\n Said, Hide me now, my ladie fair,\n For Violentrie will soon be home.\n 266A.19 \u2018For the love I bare thee once,\n I\u2019ll strive to hide you if I can;\u2019\n Then put him down to a dark cellar,\n Where there lay mony a new slain man.\n 266A.20 But he hadna in the cellar been\n Not an hour but barely three,\n Till hideous was the sound he heard;\n Then in at the gates came Violentrie.\n 266A.21 Says, I wish you well, my lady fair,\n It\u2019s time for us to sit and dine;\n Come, serve me with the good white bread,\n And likewise with the claret wine.\n 266A.22 \u2018That Scots chieftain, our mortal foe,\n So oft from field has made us flee,\n Ten thousand sequins this day I\u2019d give\n That I his face could only see.\u2019\n 266A.23 \u2018Of that same gift would ye give me,\n If I could bring him unto thee?\n I fairly hold you at your word;\n Come ben, John Thomson, to my lord.\u2019\n 266A.24 Then from the vault John Thomson came,\n Wringing his hands most piteouslie;\n \u2018What would ye do,\u2019 the Turk he cried,\n \u2018If ye had me, as I have thee?\u2019\n 266A.25 \u2018If I had you, as ye have me,\n I\u2019ll tell you what I\u2019d do to thee;\n I\u2019d hang you up in good greenwood,\n And cause your own hand wile the tree.\n 266A.26 \u2018I meant to stick you with my knife,\n For kissing my beloved wife;\u2019\n \u2018But that same weed ye\u2019ve shaped for me,\n It quickly shall be sewed for thee.\u2019\n 266A.27 Then to the wood they both are gone,\n John Thomson clamb from tree to tree;\n And aye he sighd, and said, Ohon!\n Here comes the day that I must die!\n 266A.28 He tied a ribbon on every branch,\n Put up a flag his men might see;\n But little did his false foe ken\n He meant them any injurie.\n 266A.29 He set his horn to his mouth,\n And he has blawn baith loud and shrill;\n And then three thousand armed men\n Came tripping all out-oer the hill.\n 266A.30 \u2018Deliver us our chief!\u2019 they all did cry,\n \u2018It\u2019s by our hand that ye must die!\u2019\n \u2018Here is your chief,\u2019 the Turk replied,\n With that fell on his bended knee.\n 266A.31 \u2018O mercy, mercy, good fellows all,\n Mercy I pray you\u2019ll grant to me!\u2019\n \u2018Such mercy as ye meant to give,\n Such mercy we shall give to thee.\u2019\n 266A.32 This Turk they in his castle burnt,\n That stood upon yon hill so hie;\n John Thomson\u2019s gay lady they took,\n And hangd her on yon greenwood tree.\n \n \n \n 266B: John Thomson and the Turk\n \n \n 266B.1 O cam ye in by the House o Rodes,\n Or cam ye there away?\n Or have [ye] seen Johne Tamson?\n They say his wife has run away.\n * * * * * *\n 266B.2 \u2018O what wad ye do, Johne Tamson,\n Gin ye had me as I hae thee?\u2019\n \u2018I wad tak ye to the gude green-wood,\n And gar your ain hand weil the tree.\u2019\n * * * * * * *\n 266B.3 Johne Tamson peeped and poorly spake\n Untill he did his ain men see;\n \u2018O by my sooth,\u2019 quo Johne Tamson,\n \u2018Methinks I see a coming tree.\u2019\n * * * * * * *\n 266B.4 And they hae hanged that grim Soudan,\n For a\u2019 his mirth and meikle pride,\n And sae hae they that ill woman,\n Upon a scrogg-bush him beside.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Next: 267. The Heir of Linne","title":"The Child Ballads: 266. John Thomson and the Turk","type":"page"}