A Pretty Ballad of the Lord of Lorn, and the false Steward.
The Tune is, Green Sleeves
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IT was a worthy Lord of Lorn,
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a Lord of high degree,
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He sent his Son unto the School,
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to learn 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 then bespake the School-Master
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unto him tenderly:
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In Faith thou art the honestest Boy
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that ere I lookd on with my Eye,
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I hope thou art some Easterling Born,
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the Holy Ghost is within 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 then he did swage:
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He marvelled the Child could speak so wise,
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he being of so tender an Age.
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He girded the Saddle to the Steed,
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the Bridle of the best Gold shone,
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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 upon his Knee,
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Im come to you, Father, he said,
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Gods Blessing give you me.
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Thou art welcome my Son, he said,
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Gods Blessing I give thee;
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What Tydings hast thou brought my Son,
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being come so hastily?
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Ive brought Tydings, Father, he said,
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if that well liked it may be,
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Theres neer a Book in all Scotland,
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but I can read it truly.
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And 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 Letter 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 to France go,
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to learn the Speeches of that 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, said he, my head Steward,
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he hath been ever true to me.
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She called the Steward to an account,
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a thousand Pounds she gave him anon,
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Says, good Steward be good to my Child,
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when he is far from home.
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If I be false to my young Lord,
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then God be like to 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 Frances 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 his Purse to spend.
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The Child runs to the River side,
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he was fain to drink 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 pitifully,
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Good Steward let me have my Life,
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what eer betide my Body.
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Now put off thy fair Cloathing,
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and give it unto me anon,
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So put thee off thy Silken 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, white as the Lilly Flower,
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He might have been seen for his Body,
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a Princess 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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and keep Sheep on a love lovely
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The Child said what shall be my Name,
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good Steward 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 Shepheards House,
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and asked mercy piteously,
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Says, good Shepherd take me in,
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to keep your Sheep on a love lovely.
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But when the Shepherd saw the Child,
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he was so pleasant to 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 bespake the Shepherds Wife,
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unto the Child so tenderly,
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Thou must take the Sheep, and to the Field,
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and get them on a love lovely.
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Now let us leave talking of the Child,
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that is keeping of Sheep on a 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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that any Lord might seem 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 welcomes 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 sate,
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with dainty delicates that were there,
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The Duke said, if thou wilt 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 Eeansel 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 often he sighd and made great moan,
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and cryed out piteously:
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My Father is the Lord of Lorn,
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and knows not whats become of me
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And then bespake the Lady gay,
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and to her Maid she spake anon.
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O 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 born thou bonny Child,
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for whose sake makst 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 to me thou bonny Child,
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tell me truth and dont lye,
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Knowst thou not the young Lord of Lorn,
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he is come a Wooing unto me?
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Yes forsooth, said the Child,
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I know 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 bewaild him Villanously,
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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 calld 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 that young Lord of Lord that comes,
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will think no good of thee and me.
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When the Duke had lookt upon the Child,
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he seemd so pleasant to the Eye:
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Child, because thou lovest Horses well,
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my Groom of Stable thou shalt be.
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The Child plyed the Horses well,
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a Twelve-month to an end,
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He was so courteous and so true,
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every Man becomes his Friend:
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He led a fair Gelding to the Water,
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where he may drink Water verily,
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The Gelding up with his Head,
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and hit the Child above the Eye:
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Wo worth the Horse then said the Child,
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that ever Mare foled thee,
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Thou little knowst 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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Ile 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 thou bonny Child,
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Ile put my Wedding off Months three,
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The Lady did write a Letter then,
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full pitiful 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 did 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 calld up his merry Men,
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and all that he gave Cloth 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 aware of the Lord of Lorn,
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with a Porters Staff in his Hand:
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The Lords they moved Hat and Hand,
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the Serving-Men fell on their Knees,
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What Folks be yonder said the Steward,
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that makes the Porters courtesie?
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Thou art a false Thief, quoth 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 came hastily,
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But when the Quest was ended,
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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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and then was sodden Breast and Bone.
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And then bespake the Lord of Lorn,
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with many Lords more:
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Sir Duke if you be as willing as we,
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well have a Marriage before you go,
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These Children both they did rejoice,
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to hear the Lord his Tale so ended:
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They had rather to Day then to Morrow,
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so we would not be offended.
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But when the Wedding ended was,
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there was delicate dainty chear,
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Ile 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 Wine.
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Five set of Musicians 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 what trouble 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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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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