University of Virginia Library

Search this document 
The English and Scottish Popular Ballads

Edited by Francis James Child.

expand sectionI. 
expand sectionII. 
expand sectionIII. 
expand sectionIV. 
expand sectionV. 
expand sectionVI. 
expand sectionVII. 
expand sectionVIII. 
collapse sectionIX. 
expand section266. 
expand section267. 
expand section268. 
expand section269. 
expand section270. 
expand section271. 
expand section272. 
expand section273. 
expand section274. 
expand section275. 
expand section276. 
expand section277. 
expand section278. 
expand section279. 
expand section280. 
expand section281. 
expand section282. 
expand section283. 
expand section284. 
expand section285. 
expand section286. 
expand section287. 
expand section288. 
expand section289. 
expand section290. 
expand section291. 
expand section292. 
expand section293. 
expand section294. 
expand section295. 
expand section296. 
expand section297. 
collapse section298. 
  
expand section299. 
expand section300. 
expand section301. 
expand section302. 
expand section303. 
expand section304. 
expand section305. 


321

Lamkin

LAMKIN—A

[_]

Jamieson's Popular Ballads, I, 176, communicated by Mrs Brown.

1

It's Lamkin was a mason good
as ever built wi stane;
He built Lord Wearie's castle,
but payment got he nane.

2

‘O pay me, Lord Wearie,
come, pay me my fee:’
‘I canna pay you, Lamkin,
for I maun gang oer the sea.’

3

‘O pay me now, Lord Wearie,
come, pay me out o hand:’

322

‘I canna pay you, Lamkin,
unless I sell my land.’

4

‘O gin ye winna pay me,
I here sall mak a vow,
Before that ye come hame again,
ye sall hae cause to rue.’

5

Lord Wearie got a bonny ship,
to sail the saut sea faem;
Bade his lady weel the castle keep,
ay till he should come hame.

6

But the nourice was a fause limmer
as eer hung on a tree;
She laid a plot wi Lamkin,
whan her lord was oer the sea.

7

She laid a plot wi Lamkin,
when the servants were awa,
Loot him in at a little shot-window,
and brought him to the ha.

8

‘O whare's a' the men o this house,
that ca me Lamkin?’
‘They're at the barn-well thrashing;
'twill be lang ere they come in.’

9

‘And whare's the women o this house,
that ca me Lamkin?’
‘They're at the far well washing;
'twill be lang ere they come in.’

10

‘And whare's the bairns o this house,
that ca me Lamkin?’
‘They're at the school reading;
'twill be night or they come hame.’

11

‘O whare's the lady o this house,
that ca's me Lamkin?’
‘She's up in her bower sewing,
but we soon can bring her down.’

12

Then Lamkin's tane a sharp knife,
that hang down by his gaire,
And he has gien the bonny babe
a deep wound and a sair.

13

Then Lamkin he rocked,
and the fause nourice sang,
Till frae ilkae bore o the cradle
the red blood out sprang.

14

Then out it spak the lady,
as she stood on the stair:
‘What ails my bairn, nourice,
that he's greeting sae sair?

15

‘O still my bairn, nourice,
O still him wi the pap!’
‘He winna still, lady,
for this nor for that.’

16

‘O still my bairn, nourice,
O still him wi the wand!’
‘He winna still, lady,
for a' his father's land.’

17

‘O still my bairn, nourice,
O still him wi the bell!’
‘He winna still, lady,
till ye come down yoursel.’

18

O the firsten step she steppit,
she steppit on a stane;
But the neisten step she steppit,
she met him Lamkin.

19

‘O mercy, mercy, Lamkin,
hae mercy upon me!
Though you've taen my young son's life,
ye may let mysel be.’

20

‘O sall I kill her, nourice,
or sall I lat her be?’
‘O kill her, kill her, Lamkin,
for she neer was good to me.’

21

‘O scour the bason, nourice,
and mak it fair and clean,
For to keep this lady's heart's blood,
for she's come o noble kin.’

22

‘There need nae bason, Lamkin,
lat it run through the floor;
What better is the heart's blood
o the rich than o the poor?’

23

But ere three months were at an end,
Lord Wearie came again;
But dowie, dowie was his heart
when first he came hame.

24

‘O wha's blood is this,’ he says,
‘that lies in the chamer?’

323

‘It is your lady's heart's blood;
'tis as clear as the lamer.’

25

‘And wha's blood is this,’ he says,
‘that lies in my ha?’
‘It is your young son's heart's blood;
'tis the clearest ava.’

26

O sweetly sang the black-bird
that sat upon the tree;
But sairer grat Lamkin,
when he was condemnd to die.

27

And bonny sang the mavis,
out o the thorny brake;
But sairer grat the nourice,
when she was tied to the stake.