A Pretty Ballad of the Lord of Lorn, and the False Steward.
To the Tune of, Green Sleeves.
Licens'd according to Order.
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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-master,
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to him most tenderly:
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In faith thou art the honestest Boy,
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as e're 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 marvel'd 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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God's blessing give to me:
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Thou art welcome, my Son, he said,
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God's 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 liked it may be:
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There's ne'er 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 call'd 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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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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whate're betide my Body:
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Now pull off thy fair Cloathing,
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and give it me anon;
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So pull 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 Shepherd's 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 Shepherd's 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 his Eye,
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I have no Child, i'll make thee my Heir,
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thou shalt have my Goods perdye.
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And then bespoke the Shepherd's 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 we'll 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 a Lord might have seem'd to worn;
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He went a Wooing to the Duke's 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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i'll 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 Shepherd's Boy,
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with Sheep on a love Lovely:
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And ever he sighed and made moan,
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and cryed out pittifully,
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My Father is the Lord of Lorn,
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and knows not what's 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 Shepherd's 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 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, and 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 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 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 Groom of Stable thou shalt be.
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The Child ply'd 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 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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Woe worth the Horse, then said the Child,
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that ever Mare foaled 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 Duke's 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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I'll 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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i'll 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 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 serv'd, 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 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, 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 judg'd
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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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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 mo,
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Sir Duke if you be as willing as we,
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we'll 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 to Day than to Morrow,
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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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I'll 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 Rebbels 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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