Lord William, or Lord Lundy
No: 254; variant: 254C
- LORD WILLIAM has gane oer the sea
For to seek after lear;
Lord Lundie had but ae daughter,
And he'd wed nane but her.
- Upon a book they both did read,
And in ae bed did ly:
'But if my father get word o this,
I'll soon be taen away.'
- 'Your father's gotten word of this,
Soon married then ye'll be;
'Set trysts, set trysts wi me, Janet,
Set trysts, set trysts wi me.
- 'Set trysts, set trysts wi me, Janet,
When your wedding-day's to be;
'On Saturday, the first that comes,
Must be my wedding-day.'
- 'Bad news, bad news is come, Janet,
Bad news is come to me;
Your father's gotten word of this,
Soon married then ye'll be.'
- 'O will ye marry the young prince, daughter,
The queen of England to be?
Or will ye marry Lord William,
And die immediately?'
- 'O I will marry the young prince, father,
Because it is your will;
But I wish it was my burial-day,
For my grave I could gang till.'
- When they gaed in into the kirk,
And ae seat they sat in,
The minister took up the book,
The marriage to begin.
- 'Lay down the book, O dear, kind sir,
And wait a little wee;
I have a lday to welcome yet,
She's been a good friend to me.'
- Out then spake the minister,
An angry man was he;
'You might have had your ladies welcomd
Before ye came to me.'
- She looked oer her left shoulder,
And tears did blind her ee;
But she looked oer her right shoulder,
And a blythe sight saw she,
For in there came him Lord William,
And his valiant company.
- And in ther came him Lord William,
His armour shining clear,
And in it came him Lord William,
And many glittering spear.
- 'Stand by, stand by, ye bonny bridegroom,
Stand by, stand by,' said he;
'Stand by, stand by, ye bonny bridegroom,
Bride, ye maun join wi me.
- 'Let the young prince clap his coffer of gold
When he gangs to his bed;
Let the young prince clap his coffer of gold,
But I'll clap my bonny bride.'
- Out it spake him Lord Lundie,
And an angry man was he;
'My daughter will marry him Lord William,
It seems, in spite of me.'