Lord Dernwentwater
No: 208; variant: 208[J]
- The king has written a brod letter,
An sealled it our with gould,
An sent it to Lord Darnwater,
To read it if he could.
- Whan Lord Darnwater saa the letter,
A light laughter lough he;
Bat or he read it to an end
The tear blinded his eye,
An sighan said him good Lord Darnwater,
I am near the day to dei.
- Out spak his lady,
In child-bed wher she lay;
'My d[ea]r Lord Darnweter, what is to becom of me,
An my young famely?'
- 'I will leave my young famely
As well as I cane;
For I will leave to my lady
The third part of my land,
An I will live to my e[l]dest son,
The tua part of my land.
- 'An I will live to my eldest daught[er]
Five thousand pound of gold,
An I will live to my second daughter
Three thousand pound of gold.
- 'Ye saddel to me my littel gray horse,
That I had wont to ried;
. . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . .
- The first stape Lord Darnwater staped,
He stumbled on a ston;
Said Lord Darnwater,
I feer I ill never come home.
- When he came to fair London city,
An near unt[o] the toun,
'A trater! a trater!' said they,
'A trator wee see!'
- 'A trater?' said good Lord Darnwater,
'A trator I nier could be,
Unless it was bringen three hundred men
To fight for young Jamie.'
- But when he came to Tour Hill
Befor him came a bold man,
. . . . . . . .
With a broad aix in his hand.
- . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . .
'Hear is five ginies of gold an my green velvet coat,
For to be your fee.'
- 'Ye nobels all,
Come hear to see me die,
An ye peopell of fair Sco[t]land,
Be kind to my family.'
- Lord Darnuater was dumed to die, to die,
Good Lord Darnwater was dumed to die.