Page images
PDF
EPUB

BOOK VI

LADY ALICE

1. LADY ALICE was sitting in her bower-window, Mending her midnight quoif,

And there she saw as fine a corpse

As ever she saw in her life.

2. 'What bear what bear

ye,

ye, ye

six men tall?

What bear ye on your shouldèrs? '– 'We bear the corpse of Giles Collins,

An old and true lover of yours.'

3. 'O lay him down gently, ye six men tall,
All on the grass so green,

And to-morrow, when the sun goes down,
Lady Alice a corpse shall be seen.

4. 'And bury me in Saint Mary's church,
All for my love so true,

And make me a garland of marjoram,
And of lemon-thyme, and rue.'

5. Giles Collins was buried all in the east,
Lady Alice all in the west,

And the roses that grew on Giles Collins's

grave,

They reached Lady Alice's breast.

6. The priest of the parish he chanced to pass, And he sever'd those roses in twain;

Sure never were seen such true lovers before, Nor e'er will there be again.

LORD LOVEL

I. LORD LOVEL he stood at his castle-gate,
Combing his milk-white steed,
When up came Lady Nancy Belle,
To wish her lover good speed.

2. 'Where are you going, Lord Lovel?' she said,
'Oh where are you going?' said she.
'I'm going, my Lady Nancy Belle,
Strange countries for to see.'

3. 'When will you be back, Lord Lovel?' she said, 'Oh when will you come back?' said she. 'In a year, or two, or three at the most, I'll return to my fair Nancy.'

4. But he had not been gone a year and a day, Strange countries for to see,

When languishing thoughts came into his head, Lady Nancy Belle he would go see.

5. So he rode, and he rode, on his milk-white steed, Till he came to London town,

And there he heard St. Pancras' bells,
And the people all mourning round.

6. 'Oh what is the matter?' Lord Lovel he said. 'Oh what is the matter?' said he; 'A lord's lady is dead,' a woman replied, 'And some call her Lady Nancy.'

7. So he order'd the grave to be open'd wide,
And the shroud he turnèd down,
And there he kiss'd her clay-cold lips,
Till the tears came trickling down.

8. Lady Nancy she died, as it might be, today, Lord Lovel he died as tomorrow;

Lady Nancy she died out of pure, pure grief,
Lord Lovel he died out of sorrow.

9. Lady Nancy was laid in St. Pancras' Church, Lord Lovel was laid in the choir;

And out of her bosom there grew a red rose,
And out of her lover's a briar.

10. They grew, and they grew, to the churchsteeple top,

And then they could grow no higher;

So there they entwined in a true-lovers' knot,
For all lovers true to admire.

BARBARA ALLEN'S CRUELTY

I. IN Scarlet town, where I was born,
There was a fair maid dwellin',
Made every youth cry Well-a-way!
Her name was Barbara Allen.

2. All in the merry month of May,
When green buds they were swellin',
Young Jemmy Grove on his death-bed lay,
For love of Barbara Allen.

3. He sent his man in to her then,

To the town where she was dwellin', 'O haste and come to my master dear, If your name be Barbara Allen.'

4. So slowly, slowly rase she up,

And slowly she came nigh him,
And when she drew the curtain by
'Young man, I think you're dyin'.'

5. 'O it's I am sick and very very sick,
And it's all for Barbara Allen.'-

'O the better for me ye'se never be,

Tho' your heart's blood were a-spillin'!

6. 'O dinna ye mind, young man,' says she,
'When the red wine ye were fillin',

That ye made the healths go round and round,
And slighted Barbara Allen?'

7. He turn'd his face unto the wall,

And death was with him dealin': ‘Adieu, adieu, my dear friends all, And be kind to Barbara Allen!'

8. As she was walking o'er the fields,
She heard the dead-bell knellin';
And every jow the dead-bell gave
Cried 'Woe to Barbara Allen.'

9. 'O mother, mother, make my bed,
O make it saft and narrow:
My love has died for me to-day,
I'll die for him to-morrow.

10. 'Farewell,' she said, 'ye virgins all,
And shun the fault I fell in:
Henceforth take warning by the fall
Of cruel Barbara Allen.'

I.

THE GARDENER

1. THE gardener stands in his bower-door, With a primrose in his hand,

And by there came a leal maiden
As jimp as a willow wand.

2. 'O lady, can you fancy me,
For to be my bride?

« PreviousContinue »