A Tragical BALLAD;
Or, The Unfortunate Love of Lord Thomas
and fair Ellinor
With the Downfal of the Brown Girl,
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LORD Thomas he was a bold Forrester,
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And a Ckaser of the King's Deer
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Fair Ellinor she was a fair Woman
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And Lord Thomas he loved her dear
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Come riddle my Riddle, dear Mother he said
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And riddle us both as one;
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Whether I shall marry with fair Ellinor,
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And let the Brown Girl alone.
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The Brown Girl she has got Houses and Lands
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And fair Ellinor she has got none;
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Therefore I charge You on my Blessing
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To bring me the Brown Girl home.
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And as it befel on a high Holliday,
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As many did more beside;
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Lord Thomas he went to fair Ellinor,
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That shou'd have been his Bride.
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But when he came to fair Ellinors Bower,
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He knocked there at the Ring;
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But who was so ready as fair Ellinor,
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For to let Lord Thomas in.
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What News, what News, Lord Thomas she said
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What News hast thou brought unto me
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I am come to bid thee to my Wedding
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And that is bad News for thee.
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O God forbid, Lord Thomas she said,
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That such a thing shou'd be done;
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I thought to have been the Bride my ownself
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And You to have been the Bridegroom
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Come riddle my Riddle, dear Mother she said,
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And riddle it all in one;
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Whether I shall go to Lord Thomas's Wedding,
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Or whether I shall tarry at home
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Tkere's many that are Your Friends Daughter,
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And many that are Your Foe;
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Therefore I charge You on my Blessing
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To Lord Thomas's Wedding don't go.
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There's many that are my Friends Mother
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If a thousand more were my Foe;
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Betide my Life, betide my Death,
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To Lord Thomas's Wedding I'll go.
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She cloathed herself in gallant Attire,
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And her merry Men all in Green;
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And as they rid through every Town,
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They took her to have been a Queen.
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But when she came to Lord Thomas's Gate,
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she knocked there at the Ring;
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But who was so ready as Lord Thomas
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To let fair Ellinor in.
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[I]s this Your Bride fair Ellinor said,
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Methinks she looks wonderful wan;
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[Y]ou might have had as fair a Woman,
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As ever trod on the Ground.
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Despise her not, fair Ellin he said
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Despise her not unto me;
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For better I love thy Little Finger,
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Than all her whole Body.
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This Brown Bride had a Little Pen-knife
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That was both long and sharp;
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And betwixt the shors Ribs and the long
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Prickt fair Ellinor to the Heart
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O Christ now save thee, Lord Thomas he said
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Methinks thou look'st wondrous wan;
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Thou us'd for to look with as fresh a Colour
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As ever the Sun shin'd on
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O art thou blind, Lord Thomas, she said,
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Or can'st thou not very well see;
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Or dost thou not see my own Hearts Blood
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Run trickling down my Knee.
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Lord Thomas he had a Sword by his side,
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A[s] he walkt about the Hall,
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H[e] cut off his Brides Head from her Shoulders
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A[nd] threw it against the Wall.
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He set the Hilt against the Ground,
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And the Point against his Heart,
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There was never three Lovers that ever met
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More sooner they did part.
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