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Lord Dernwentwater

No: 208; variant: 208[J]

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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?'
  4. '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.
  5. '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.
  6. 'Ye saddel to me my littel gray horse, That I had wont to ried; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  7. The first stape Lord Darnwater staped, He stumbled on a ston; Said Lord Darnwater, I feer I ill never come home.
  8. When he came to fair London city, An near unt[o] the toun, 'A trater! a trater!' said they, 'A trator wee see!'
  9. 'A trater?' said good Lord Darnwater, 'A trator I nier could be, Unless it was bringen three hundred men To fight for young Jamie.'
  10. But when he came to Tour Hill Befor him came a bold man, . . . . . . . . With a broad aix in his hand.
  11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 'Hear is five ginies of gold an my green velvet coat, For to be your fee.'
  12. 'Ye nobels all, Come hear to see me die, An ye peopell of fair Sco[t]land, Be kind to my family.'
  13. Lord Darnuater was dumed to die, to die, Good Lord Darnwater was dumed to die.