Lord Ingram and Childe Vyet
LORD INGRAM AND CHIEL WYET—E
[_]
Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, I, 234.
1
Lord Ingram and Childe Vyet
Were baith born in ae bower;
They fell in love wi ae lady,
Their honour was but poor.
2
Lord Ingram and Childe Vyet
Were baith bred in ae ha;
They laid their love on Lady Maisry,
The waur did them befa.
3
Lord Ingram gained Lady Maisry
Frae father and frae mother;
Lord Ingram gained Lady Maisry
Frae sister and frae brother.
4
Lord Ingram gained Lady Maisry
Frae a' her kith and kin;
Lord Ingram courted Lady Maisry
But she said nay to him.
5
Lord Ingram courted Lady Maisry
In the garden amo the flowers;
Childe Vyet courted Lady Maisry
Amo her ha's and bowers.
6
Lord Ingram sent to Lady Maisry
A steed paced fu well;
She wishes he were ower the sea,
If Childe Vyet were well.
7
Lord Ingram courted Lady Maisry
Frae her relations a';
Childe Vyet courted Lady Maisry
Amo the sheets sae sma.
8
Lord Ingram bought to Lady Maisry
The siller knapped gloves;
She wishd his hands might swell in them,
Had she her ain true love.
9
Lord Ingram bought to Lady Maisry
The brands garnishd wi steel;
She wishd the same might pierce his heart,
Gin Childe Vyet were weell.
10
Childe Vyet bought to Lady Maisry
The fancy ribbons sma;
She had mair delight in her sma fancy
Than o Lord Ingram, gowd and a'.
11
Lord Ingram's gane to her father,
And thus he did complain:
‘O am I doomd to die for love,
And nae be loved again?
12
‘I hae sent to your daughter
The steed paced fu well;
She wishes I were ower the sea,
Gin Childe Vyet were well.
13
‘I hae bought to your daughter
The siller knapped gloves;
She wishd my hands might swell in them,
Had she her ain true love.
14
‘I hae bought to your daughter
The brands garnishd wi steel;
She wishd the same might pierce my heart,
Gin Childe Vyet were weell.
15
‘Childe Vyet bought to your daughter
The fancy ribbons sma;
She's mair delight in her sma fancy
Nor o me, gowd and a'.’
16
Her father turnd him round about,
A solemn oath sware he,
Saying, She shall be the bride this night,
And you bridegroom shall be.
17
‘O had your tongue, my father dear,
Let a' your passion be;
The reason that I love this man,
It is unknown to thee.’
18
Sweetly played the merry organs,
Intill her mother's bower;
But still and dum stood Lady Maisry,
And let the tears down pour.
19
Sweetly played the harp sae fine,
Intill her fathers ha;
But still and dum stood Lady Maisry,
And let tears down fa.
20
Tween Marykirk and her mother's bower,
Was a' clad ower wi gowd,
For keeping o her snaw-white feet
Frae treading o the mould.
21
Lord Ingram gaed in at ae church-door,
Childe Vyet at another,
And lightly leugh him Childe Vyet
At Lord Ingram, his brother.
22
‘O laugh ye at my men, brother?
Or do ye laugh at me?
Or laugh ye at young Lady Maisry,
This night my bride's to be?’
23
‘I laugh na at your men, brother,
Nor do I laugh at thee;
But I laugh at the knightless sport
That I saw wi my ee.
24
‘It is a ring on ae finger,
A broach on ae breast-bane;
And if ye kent what's under that,
Your love woud soon be dane.’
25
Lord Ingram and his merry young men
Out ower the plains are gane,
And pensively walkd him Childe Vyet,
Him single self alane.
26
When they had eaten and well drunken,
And a' men bound for bed,
Lord Ingram and Lady Maisry
In ae chamber were laid.
27
He laid his hand upon her breast,
And thus pronounced he:
‘There is a bairn within your sides,
Wha may the father be?
28
‘Wha ever be your bairn's father,
Ye will father it on me;
The fairest castle o Snowdown
Your morning gift shall be.’
29
‘Wha ever be my bairn's father,
I'll neer father it on thee;
For better love I my bairn's father
Nor ever I'll love thee.’
30
Then he's taen out a trusty brand,
Laid it between them tway;
Says, Lye ye there, ye ill woman,
A maid for me till day.
31
Next morning her father came,
Well belted wi a brand;
Then up it starts him Lord Ingram,
He was an angry man.
32
‘If your daughter had been a gude woman,
As I thought she had been,
Cauld iron shoud hae never lien
The lang night us between.’
33
‘Ohon, alas! my daughter dear,
What's this I hear o thee?
I thought ye was a gude woman
As in the north countrie.’
34
‘O had your tongue, my father dear,
Let a' your sorrows be;
I never liked Lord Ingram,
Ye ken ye forced me.’
35
Then in it came him Childe Vyet,
Well belted wi a brand;
Then up it raise him Lord Ingram,
He was an angry man.
36
‘Win up, win up, now Lord Ingram,
Rise up immediately,
That you and I the quarrel try,
Who gains the victory.
37
‘I hae twa brands in ae scabbard,
That cost me mony pound;
Take ye the best, gie me the warst,
And I'll fight where I stand.’
38
Then up it starts him Childe Vyet,
Shook back his yellow hair;
The first an stroke Childe Vyet drew,
He wounded Ingram sair.
39
Then up it starts him Lord Ingram,
Shed back his coal-black hair;
The first an stroke Lord Ingram drew,
Childe Vyet needed nae mair.
40
Nae meen was made for these twa knights,
Whan they were lying dead,
But a' for her Lady Maisry,
That gaes in mournfu weed.
41
Says, ‘If I hae been an ill woman,
Alas and wae is me!
And if I've been an ill woman,
A gude woman I'll be!
42
‘Ye'll take frae me my silk attire,
Bring me a palmer's weed,
And thro the world, for their sakes,
I'll gang and beg my bread.
43
‘If I gang a step for Childe Vyet,
For Lord Ingram I'll gang three;
All for the honour that he paid
At Marykirk to me.
44
‘I'll gang a step for Childe Vyet,
For Lord Ingram I'll gang three;
It was into my mother's bower
Childe Vyet wronged me.’
