A pretty Ballad of the Lord of Lorn, and the False Steward.
The Tune is, Green Sleeve
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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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then 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 blinkt on with mine 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 Schoolmaster turned round about,
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his angry Mood he could not swage:
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He marvelled 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 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 upon his knee,
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I am come to you father, he said,
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Gods blessing give you me:
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Thou art wescome my son, he said,
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Gods blessing I thee give:
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What tidings hast thou brought my Son,
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being come so hastily,
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I have brought tidings Father, he said,
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and so liked it may be:
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Theres ner 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 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 anon,
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Says, good sir-Steward be good to my child
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when he is far from home:
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If I be false unto my young Lord,
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then God be like unto 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 in Land,
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not three weeks to an end,
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But meat nor drink the child got none,
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nor money in Purse to spend.
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The child runs to the Rivers 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 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 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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to 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 Shepherds house,
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and asked mercy pitifully,
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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, Ile 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 & go to the field,
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and get them on a love lovely:
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Now let us leave talk of the child,
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that is keeping sheep on a love lovely,
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And wel 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 Lor[d] might a seemd to worn,
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He went a wooing to the Dukes daughter
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and cald himself the Lord of Lorn.
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The Duke he welcomes the young Lord,
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with three ba[k]ed stags anon,
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If he had wist hi[m] the false Steward,
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to the devil h[e] should have gone:
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But when they were at supper set,
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with dainty de[l]icates that were there,
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The Duke said, if th[o]u wilt wed my daughter
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Ile give thee three thousand pound a year:
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The Lady would see the red buck run,
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and also for to [h]unt the Doe,
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And with a hund[r]ed lusty men,
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the Lady did a hunting go.
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The Lady is a h[u]nting gone,
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over Feanfel t[h]at is so high,
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There was she she [w]are of a shepherds boy,
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with sheep on [a] love lovely:
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And ever he sigh[e]d and made moan,
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and cryed out [p]ittyfully,
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My Father is th[e] Lord of Lorn
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and knows not whats become of me.
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And then bespak[e] the Lady gay,
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and to her ma[i]d she spake anon,
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Go fetch me hither the Shepherds boy,
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why maketh h[e] all this mone?
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But when he ca[m]e 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 y[e]ars agon.
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Tell thou to me thou bonny child,
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tell me the truth and do not lie,
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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 cald 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 Abardine beyond the Sea,
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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 young Lord of Lorn he comes a woo-ing,
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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 verily,
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The Gelding up with his head
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and bit the Child above the eyr:
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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 my 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 pitifully 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 Countrey.
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The old Lord cald 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 wear 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 knee,
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What folks be yonder said the steward,
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that make the Porter 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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whither 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 ended was,
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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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and 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 more,
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Sir Duke if you be as willing as we,
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wel have a Marriage before we go:
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These 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 then 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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their was delicate dainty cheer,
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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 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 what 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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