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Young Beichan

No: 53; variant: 53D

  1. YOUNG BEACHEN was born in fair London, And foreign lands he langed to see; He was taen by the savage Moor, An the used him most cruellie.
  2. Through his showlder they pat a bore, And through the bore the pat a tree; They made him trail their ousen carts, And they used him most cruellie.
  3. The savage Moor had ae daughter, I wat her name was Susan Pay; And she is to the prison house, To hear the prisoner's moan.
  4. He made na his moan to a stocke, He made na it to a stone, Bit it was to the Queen of Heaven That he made his moan.
  5. 'Gin a lady wad borrow me, I at her foot wad run; An a widdow wad borrow me, I wad become her son.
  6. 'But an a maid wad borrow me, I wad wed her wi a ring; I wad make her lady of haas and bowers, An of the high towers of Line.'
  7. 'Sing oer yer sang, Young Beachen,' she says, 'Sing oer yer sang to me;' 'I never sang that sang, lady, But I wad sing to thee.
  8. 'Gin a lady wad borrow me, I at her foot wad run; An a widdow wad borrow me, I wad become her son.
  9. 'But an a maid wad borrow me, I wad wed her wi a ring; I wad make her lady of haas and bowers, An of the high towers of Line.'
  10. Saftly, [saftly] gaed she but, An saftlly gaed she ben, It was na for want of hose nor shoon, Nor time to pet them on.
  11. . . . . . . . . . . An she has staen the keys of the prison, An latten Young Beachen gang.
  12. She gae him a leaf of her white bread, An a bottle of her wine, She bad him mind on the lady's love That freed him out of pine.
  13. She gae him a steed was guid in need, A saddle of the bane, Five hundred pown in his pocket, Bad him gae speeding hame.
  14. An a leash of guid grayhounds, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  15. Whan seven lang years were come and gane, Shusie Pay thought lang, An she is on to fair London, As fast as she could gang.
  16. Whan she cam to Young Beachen's gate, . . . . . 'Is Young Beachan at hame, Or is he in this countrie?'
  17. 'He is at hame, is hear,' they said, . . . . . An sighan says her Susie Pay, Has he quite forgotten me?
  18. On every finger she had a ring, On the middle finger three; She gae the porter ane of them: 'Get a word o your lord to me.'
  19. He gaed up the stair, Fell low down on his knee: 'Win up, my proud porter, What is your will wi me?'
  20. 'I hae been porter at yer gate This thirty year and three; The fairst lady is at yer gate Mine eyes did ever see.'
  21. Out spak the bride's mither, An a haghty woman was she: 'If ye had na eccepted the bonny bride, Ye might well ha eccepted me.'
  22. 'No disparagement to you, madam, Nor none unto her Grace; The sole of yonr lady's foot Is fairer than her face.'
  23. He's gaen the table wi his foot, And couped it wi his knee: 'I wad my head and a' my land 'Tis Susie Pay, come oer the sea.'
  24. The stair was thirty steps, I wat he made them three; He took her in his arms twa: 'Susie Pay, ye'r welcome to me.'
  25. 'Gie me a shive of your white bread, An a bottle of your wine; Dinna ye mind on the lady's love That freed ye out of pine?'
  26. He took her . . . . Down to yon garden green, An changed her name fra Susie Pay, An called her bonny Lady Jean.
  27. 'Yer daughter came here on high horse-back, She sal gae hame in coaches three, An I sall double her tocher our, She's nane the war o me.'
  28. 'It's na the fashion o our countrie, Nor yet o yer nane, To wed a maid in the morning, An send her hame at een.'
  29. 'It's na the fashion o my countrie, Nor is it of my nane, But I man mind on the lady's love That freed me out of pine.'