Lady Maisry
No: 65; variant: 65G
- 'MY father was the first good man
Who tied me to a stake;
My mother was the first good woman
Who did the fire make.
- 'My brother was the next good man
Who did the fire fetch;
My sister was the next good woman
Who lighted it with a match.
- 'They blew the fire, they kindled the fire,
Till it did reach my knee:
'O mother, mother, quench the fire!
The smoke will smother me.'
- 'O had I but my little foot-page,
My errand he would run;
He would run unto gay London,
And bid my lord come home.'
- Then there stood by her sister's child,
Her own dear sister's son:
'O many an errand I've run for thee,
And but this one I'll run.'
- He ran, where the bridge was broken down
He bent his bow and swam;
He swam till he came to the good green turf,
He up on his feet and ran.
- He ran till he came at his uncle's hall;
His uncle sat at his meat:
'Good mete, good mete, good uncle, I pray,
O if you knew what I'd got to say,
How little would you eat!'
- 'O is my castle broken down,
Or is my tower won?
Or is my gay lady brought o bed,
Of a daughter or a son?'
- 'Your castle is not broken down,
Your tower it is not won;
Your gay lady is not brought to bed,
Of a daughter or a son.
- 'But she has sent you a gay gold ring,
With a posy round the rim,
To know, if you have any love for her,
You'll come to her burning.'
- He called down his merry men all,
By one, by two, by three;
He mounted on his milk-white steed,
To go to Margery.
- They blew the fire, they kindled the fire,
Till it did reach her head:
'O mother, mother, quench the fire!
For I am nearly dead.'
- She turned her head on her left shoulder,
Saw her girdle hang on the tree:
'O God bless them that gave me that!
They'll never give more to me.'
- She turned her head on her right shoulder,
Saw her lord come riding home:
'O quench the fire, my dear mother!
For I am nearly gone.'
- He mounted off his milk-white steed,
And into the fire he ran,
Thinking to save his gay ladye,
But he had staid too long.