The Fair Flower of Northumberland
No: 9; variant: 9[G]
- 'Why, fair maid, have pity on me,'
Waly's my love wi the life that she wan
'For I am bound in prison strong,
And under the heir o Northumberland.'
- 'How can I have pity on thee,'
Waly's my love, etc.
'When thou hast a wife and children three,
All dwelling at home in fair Scotland?'
- Now he has sworn a solemn oath,
An it was by eternity,
That wife and children he had none,
All dwelling at home in fair Scotland.
- Now she's gone to her father's bedstock,
Waly's my love, etc.
And has stolen the key of the dungeon-lock,
And she the great heir o Northumberland.
- And she's gone to her father's chest,
She has stolen away a suit of the best,
Altho she was heir o Northumberland.
- Now she's gone to her father's coffer,
And has taen out gold nane kens how meickle,
Altho she, etc.
- She's gane to her father's stable,
And taen out a steed baith lusty and able,
For a' she was heir, etc.
- The rade till they came to Crafurdmoor,
He bade her light down for an English whore,
Altho she, etc.
- The rade till the came to the water o Clyde,
He bade her light down, nae farer she should ride,
'For now I am at hame in fair Scotland.'
- 'Yonder view my castle,' said he;
'There I hae a wife and children three,
All dwelling at home,' etc.
- 'O take me by the middle sae sma
And thro me oer your castle-wa,
For I darena gang hame to Northumberland.'
- When she came to her father's yett,
She durst hardly rapp thereat,
Altho she was, etc.
- Out then spoke her stepmother sour,
She bad her pack off for an impudent whore,
'For thou shalt not be heir o Northumberland.'
- Out then spock her bastard brother;
'She'll hae nae mair grace than God has gien her,
And she shall be heir o Northumberland.'
- Out and spoke her father sae mild,
'She's no the first maid a false Scot has beguild,
And she shall be,' etc.