A Pretty Ballad of the Lord of Lorn, and the False Steward.
Tune is, Green Sleeves.
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IT was a worthy Lord of Lorn,
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he was a Lord of high degree,
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He sent his Son unto the School
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to learn some Civility.
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He learned more in one day,
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than other Children did in three:
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And thus bespake the School-mastor,
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to him tenderly:
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In faith thou art the honestest boy,
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as ere I blinkt on with my eye:
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I hope thou art some Easterling born,
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the Holy Ghost is with thee:
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He said he was no Easterling born,
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the Child thus answered courteously,
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My Father is the Lord of Lorn,
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and I his Son perdye.
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The School-master turned round about,
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his angry mood he could not swage,
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He marveld the Child could speak so wise,
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he being of so tender Age.
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He girt the Saddle to the Steed,
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the Bridle of the best Gold shown,
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He took his leave of his fellows all,
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and quickly he was gone.
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And when he came to his Father dear,
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he kneeled down on his knee,
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I am come to you Father he said,
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Gods blessing give to me:
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Thou art welcome my son, he said,
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Gods blessing I thee give:
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What tydings hast thou brought my son,
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being come so hastily?
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I have brought tydings, Father, he said,
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and so likes it may be:
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Theres ner a Doctor in all the Realm,
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for all he goes in rich Array,
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I can write him a Lesson soon,
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to learn in seven years day.
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That is good tydings, said the Lord,
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all in the place where I do stand,
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My son thou shalt into France go,
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to learn the speeches of each Land:
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Who shall go with him? said the Lady,
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Husband we have none but he;
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Madam, he said, my head steward,
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he hath been true to me.
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she calld the steward to an account,
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a thousand pound she gave him annon;
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says good sir steward be good to my child,
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while he is far from home.
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If I be false to my young Lord,
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may God justly punish me indeed.
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And now to France they both are gone,
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and God be their good speed.
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They had not been in France land,
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not three weeks to an end,
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But meat and drink the Child got none,
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nor money in Purse to spend:
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The Child run to the River side,
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he was fain to drink the water then,
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And after followed the false steward,
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to put the Child therein:
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But nay marry, said the Child,
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he asked mercy pittifully,
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Good steward let me have my life,
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what ere betide my body:
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Now put off thy fair Cloathing,
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and give it me anon,
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so put thee off thy silking shirt,
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with many a golden seam
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But when the child was stript naked,
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his body as white as the Lilly flower,
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He might have been seen for his body,
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a Princes Paramour,
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He put him on an old kelter Coat,
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and Hose of the same above the knee,
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he bid him go to the shepherds house,
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to keep sheep on a love lovely.
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The child said, what shall be my name?
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good stweard tell to me;
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Thy name shall be poor dost thou wear,
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that thy name shall be.
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The child came to the shepherds house.
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and asked mercy pittifully;
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says, good shepherd take me in,
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to keep sheep on a love lovely:
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But when the shepherd saw the child,
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he was so pleasant in the eye,
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I have no child, ill make thee my heir,
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thou shalt have my goods perdye.
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And then bespoke the shepherds wife,
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unto the child so tenderly,
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Thou must take the sheep, and go to field,
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and keep them on a love lovely.
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Now let us leave talking of the Child,
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that is keeping sheep on the love lovely,
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And well talk more of the false steward,
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and of his false treachery.
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He bought himself three suits of Apparel,
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th[a]t a Lord might have seemd to worn,
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He went a wooing to the Dukes daughter
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and called himself the Lord of Lorn.
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The Duke he welcomed the young Lord,
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with three baked Stags anon,
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If he had wist him the false Steward,
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to the devil he should have gone:
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But when they were at supper set,
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with dainty delicates that were there,
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The Duke said, if you will wed my daughter,
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ile give thee a thousand pound a year:
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The Lady would see the red Buck run,
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and also for to hunt the Doe,
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And with an hundred lusty men
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the Lady did a hunting go:
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The Lady is a hunting gone
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over feanser that is so high,
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There was she aware of a shepherds boy,
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with sheep on a love lovely:
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And ever he sighed & made moan,
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& cryed out pittifully,
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My father is the Lord of Lorn,
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& knows not whats become of me:
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And then bespake the Lady gay,
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unto her Maid anon,
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Go fetch me hither the shepherds boy,
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why maketh he all this moan?
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But when he came before the Lady,
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he was not to learn his Courtesie,
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Where wast thou bo[r]n, thou bonny child
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for whose sake makest thou all this moan[?]
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My dearest friend Lady, he said,
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is Dead many Years agon.
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Tell thou me, thou bonny child,
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tell me the truth & do not lie,
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Knowest thou not the Young Lord of Lorn
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he is come a Wooing unto me:
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Yes forsooth[,] saith the child.
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I now the Lord then verily,
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The Young Lord is a valiant Lord,
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at home in his own Country.
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Wilt leave thy sheep, thou bonny child
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and come in service unto me?
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Yes forsooth then said the child,
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at your bidding will I be.
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When the steward lookt upon the child,
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he bewailed him villianously,
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Where wast thou born thou vagabond?
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or where is thy country?
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Ha down, ha down, said the Lady,
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she called the steward then presently,
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Without you bear him more good-will
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you get no love of me.
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Then bespake the false Steward
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unto the Lady hastily,
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At Aberdine beyond the Seas
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his Father Robbed thousands three.
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BUt then bespake the Lady gay,
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unto her father courteously,
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Saying, I have found a bonny child
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my Chamberlain to be.
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Not so, not so, then said the Duke,
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for so it may not be,
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For the Lord of Lorn that comes a wooing
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will think no good of thee nor me.
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When the Duke lookt upon the child,
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he seemed so pleasant in the eye,
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Child, because thou lovest Horses well,
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my room of Stable thou shalt be.
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The child plyd the Horses well,
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a twelve month to an end,
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He was so courteous & so true,
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every man became his friend;
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He led a fair Gelding to the water,
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where he might drink verily,
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The Gelding up with his heel
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and hit the child above the eye;
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Wo worth thee horse, then said the child,
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that ever Mare foled thee,
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Thou little knowest what thou hast done,
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thou hast stricken a Lord of high degree
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The Dukes daughter was in her garden green
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she heard the child make great moan,
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She ran to the child all weeping,
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and left her Maidens all alone:
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Sing on thy song, thou bonny child,
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I will release thee of thy pain,
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I have made an Oath, Lady, he said,
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I dare not tell my tale again.
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Tell the Horse thy tale, thou bonny child,
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and so thy Oath shall saved be,
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But when he told the Horse his tale,
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the Lady wept most tenderly,
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Ill do for thee, my bonny child,
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in faith I will do more for thee,
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And for thy sake, my bonny child,
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ill put my wedding off months three.
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The Lady did write a letter then,
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full pittifully with her own hand,
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She sent it to the Lord of Lorn.
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whereas he dwelt in fair Scotland,
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But when the Lord had read the letter,
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his Lady wept most tenderly,
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I knew what would become of my child,
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in such a far Country.
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The old Lord called up his merry men,
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and all that he gave cloath and fee,
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With seven Lords by his side,
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and into France rides he.
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The wind servd and they did sail
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so far into France land,
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They were ware of the Lord of Lorn,
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with a Porters staff in his hand,
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The Lord they moved hat and hand,
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the serving men fell on their knee,
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What folks be yonder, said the steward,
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that makes the Porter Courtesie?
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Thou art a false thief, quod the Lord of Lorn,
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no longer might I bear with thee,
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By the Law of France thou shalt be judgd
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whether it be to live or dye.
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A Quest of Lords there chosen was,
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to bench they come hastily,
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But when the Quest was ended,
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the false steward must dye.
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First they did him half hang,
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and then they took him down anon,
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And then put him in boyling lead,
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& then was sodden breast and bone.
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And then bespake the Lord of Lorn,
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with many other Lords mo.
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Sir Duke if you be as willing as we,
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well have a Marriage before we go:
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Those children both they did rejoyce,
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to hear the Lord his tale so ended.
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They had rather today than tomorrow,
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so he would not be offended.
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But when the wedding ended was,
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there was delicate dainty cheer,
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Ill tell you how long the wedding did last,
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full three quarters of a year:
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Such a banquet there was wrought,
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the like was never seen,
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The King of France brought with him then,
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a hundred tun of good red wine:
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Five set of Musitians were to be seen,
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that never rested night nor day.
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Also Italians there did sing,
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full pleasantly with great joy.
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Thus have you heard how troubles great,
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unto successive joys did turn,
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And happy News amongst the rest,
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unto the worthy Lord of Lorn.
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Let Rebels therefore warned be,
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how mischief once they do pretend,
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For God may suffer for a time,
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but will disclose it in the end.
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