The Duke of Athole’s Nurse
No: 212; variant: 212B
- 'YE are the Duke of Athol's nurse,
And I'm the new-come darling;
I'll gie you my gay gold rings
To get ae word of my leman.'
- 'I am the Duke Athol's nurse,
And ye're the new-come darling;
Keep well your gay gold rings,
Ye sall get twa words o your leman.'
- He leand oure his saddle-bow,
It was not for to kiss her:
'Anither woman has my heart,
And I but come here to see ye.'
- 'If anither woman has your heart,
O dear, but I am sorry!
Ye hie you down to yon ale house,
And stay untill 't be dawing,
And if I be a woman true
I'll meet you in the dawing.'
- He did him down to yon ale-house,
And drank untill 't was dawing;
He drank the bonnie lassie's health
That was to clear his lawing.
- He lookit out of a shot-window,
To see if she was coming,
And there he seed her seven brithers,
So fast as they were running!
- He went up and down the house,
Says, 'Landlady, can you save me?
For yonder comes her seven brithers,
And they are coming to slay me.'
- So quick she minded her on a wile
How she might protect him!
She dressd him in a suit of woman's attire
And set him to her baking.
- 'Had you a quarterer here last night,
Or staid he to the dawing?
Shew us the room the squire lay in,
We are come to clear his lawing.'
- 'I had a quarterer here last night,
But he staid not to the dawing;
He called for a pint, and paid as he went,
You have nothing to do with his lawing.'
- They searchd the house baith up and down,
The curtains they spaird not to rive em,
And twenty times they passd
The squire at his baking.