95
THE MAID FREED FROM THE GALLOWS
THE MAID FREED FROM THE GALLOWS—A
[_]
Communicated to Percy, April 7, 1770, by the Rev. P.
Parsons, of Wey, from oral tradition.
1
‘O good Lord Judge, and sweet Lord Judge,
Peace for a little while!
Methinks I see my own father,
Come riding by the stile.
2
‘Oh father, oh father, a little of your gold,
And likewise of your fee!
To keep my body from yonder grave,
And my neck from the gallows-tree.’
3
‘None of my gold now you shall have,
Nor likewise of my fee;
For I am come to see you hangd,
And hanged you shall be.’
4
‘Oh good Lord Judge, and sweet Lord Judge,
Peace for a little while!
Methinks I see my own mother,
Come riding by the stile.
5
‘Oh mother, oh mother, a little of your gold,
And likewise of your fee,
To keep my body from yonder grave,
And my neck from the gallows-tree!’
6
‘None of my gold now shall you have,
Nor likewise of my fee;
For I am come to see you hangd,
And hanged you shall be.’
7
‘Oh good Lord Judge, and sweet Lord Judge,
Peace for a little while!
Methinks I see my own brother,
Come riding by the stile.
8
‘Oh brother, oh brother, a little of your gold,
And likewise of your fee,
To keep my body from yonder grave,
And my neck from the gallows-tree!’
9
‘None of my gold now shall you have,
Nor likewise of my fee;
For I am come to see you hangd,
And hanged you shall be.’
10
‘Oh good Lord Judge, and sweet Lord Judge,
Peace for a little while!
Methinks I see my own sister,
Come riding by the stile.
11
‘Oh sister, oh sister, a little of your gold,
And likewise of your fee,
To keep my body from yonder grave,
And my neck from the gallows-tree!’
12
‘None of my gold now shall you have,
Nor likewise of my fee;
For I am come to see you hangd,
And hanged you shall be.’
13
‘Oh good Lord Judge, and sweet Lord Judge,
Peace for a little while!
Methinks I see my own true-love,
Come riding by the stile.
14
‘Oh true-love, oh true-love, a little of your gold,
And likewise of your fee,
To save my body from yonder grave,
And my neck from the gallows-tree.’
15
‘Some of my gold now you shall have,
And likewise of my fee,
For I am come to see you saved,
And saved you shall be.’
The Broom o the Cathery Knowes
THE MAID FREED FROM THE GALLOWS—B
[_]
Motherwell MS., p. 290, from the recitation of Widow
McCormick; learned in Dumbarton.
1
‘It's hold your hand, dear judge,’ she says,
‘O hold your hand for a while!
For yonder I see my father a coming,
Riding many's the mile.
2
‘Have you any gold, father?’ she says,
‘Or have you any fee?
Or did you come to see your own daughter a hanging,
Like a dog, upon a tree?’
3
‘I have no gold, daughter,’ he says,
‘Neither have I any fee;
But I am come to see my ain daughter hanged,
And hanged she shall be.’
4
‘Hey the broom, and the bonny, bonny broom,
The broom o the Cauthery Knowes!
I wish I were at hame again,
Milking my ain daddie's ewes.
5
‘Hold your hand, dear judge,’ she says,
‘O hold your hand for a while!
For yonder I see my own mother coming,
Riding full many a mile.
6
‘Have you any gold, mother?’ she says,
‘Or have you any fee?
Or did you come to see your own daughter hanged,
Like a dog, upon a tree?’
7
‘I have no gold, daughter,’ she says,
‘Neither have I any fee;
But I am come to see my own daughter hanged,
And hanged she shall be.’
8
‘Hey the broom, the bonnie, bonnie broom,
The broom o the Cauthery Knowes!
I wish I were at hame again,
Milking my ain daddie's ewes.
9
‘Hold your hand, dear judge,’ she says,
‘O hold your hand for a while!
For yonder I see my ae brother a coming,
Riding many's the mile.
10
‘Have you any gold, brother?’ she says,
‘Or have you any fee?
Or did you come to see your ain sister a hanging,
Like a dog, upon a tree?’
11
‘I have no gold, sister,’ he says,
‘Nor have I any fee;
But I am come to see my ain sister hanged,
And hanged she shall be.’
12
‘Hey the broom, the bonnie, bonnie broom,
The broom o the Cathery Knowes!
I wish I were at hame again,
Milking my ain daddie's ewes.
13
‘Hold your hand, dear judge,’ she says,
‘O hold your hand for a while!
For yonder I see my own true-love coming,
Riding full many a mile.
14
‘Have you any gold, my true-love?’ she says,
‘Or have you any fee?
Or have you come to see your own love hanged,
Like a dog, upon a tree?’
[OMITTED]
THE MAID FREED FROM THE GALLOWS—C
[_]
Notes and Queries, Sixth Series, VII, 275, 1883: communicated
by the Rev. E. Venables, Precentor of Lincoln, as
sung by a nurse-maid from Woburn, near High Wycombe,
Buckinghamshire, “between fifty and sixty years ago.”
1
‘Hold up thy hand, most righteous judge,
Hold up thy hand a while!
For here I see my own dear father,
Come tumbling over the stile.
2
‘Oh hast thou brought me silver or gold,
Or jewels, to set me free?
Or hast thou come to see me hung?
For hanged I shall be.
[OMITTED]
3
‘If I could get out of this prickly bush,
That prickles my heart so sore,
If I could get out of this prickly bush,
I'd never get in it no more.’
4
‘Oh I have brought nor silver nor gold,
Nor jewels, to set thee free;
But I have come to see thee hung,
For hanged thou shall be.
[OMITTED]
5
It's I have brought thee silver and gold,
And jewels, to set thee free;
I have not come to see thee hung,
For hanged thou shall not be.’
6
‘Now I have got out of this prickly bush,
That prickled my heart so sore,
And I have got out of this prickly bush,
I'll never get in it no more.’
THE MAID FREED FROM THE GALLOWS—D
[_]
Skene MSS, p. 61, stanzas 19-24: taken down in the north
or northeast of Scotland, 1802-03.
1
[OMITTED]
‘O had your hand a while!
For yonder comes my father,
I'm sure he'l borrow me.
2
‘O some of your goud, father,
An of your well won fee!
To save me [frae the high hill],
[And] frae the gallow-tree.’
3
‘Ye's get nane of my goud,
Nor of my well won fee,
For I would gie five hundred poun
To see ye hangit hie.’
4
[OMITTED]
‘O had yer hand a while!
Yonder is my love Willie,
Sure he will borrow me.
5
‘O some o your goud, my love Willie,
An some o yer well won fee!
To save me frae the high hill,
And frae the gallow-tree.’
6
‘Ye's get a' my goud,
And a' my well won fee,
To save ye fra the headin-hill,
And frae the gallow-tree.’
Lady Maisry; or, Warenston and the Duke of York's Daughter
THE MAID FREED FROM THE GALLOWS—E
[_]
Buchan's MSS, II, 186, stanzas 16-22.
1
‘Hold your hands, ye justice o peace,
Hold them a little while!
For yonder comes my father and mother,
That's travelld mony a mile.
2
‘Gie me some o your gowd, parents,
Some o your white monie,
To save me frae the head o yon hill,
Yon greenwood gallows-tree.’
3
‘Ye'll get nane o our gowd, daughter,
Nor nane o our white monie,
For we have travelld mony a mile,
This day to see you die.’
4
‘Hold your hands, ye justice o peace,
Hold them a little while!
For yonder comes him Warenston,
The father of my chile.
5
‘Give me some o your gowd, Warenston,
Some o your white monie,
To save me frae the head o yon hill,
Yon greenwood gallows-tree.’
6
‘I bade you nurse my bairn well,
And nurse it carefullie,
And gowd shoud been your hire, Maisry,
And my body your fee.’
7
He's taen out a purse o gowd,
Another o white monie,
And he's tauld down ten thousand crowns,
Says, True-love, gang wi me.
THE MAID FREED FROM THE GALLOWS—F
[_]
Notes and Queries, Sixth Series, VI, 476, 1882: “sung in
Forfarshire, forty years ago.”
1
‘Stop, stop, [OMITTED]
[OMITTED]
I think I see my father coming,
[OMITTED]
2
‘O hae ye brocht my silken cloak,
Or my golden key?
Or hae ye come to see me hanged,
On this green gallows-tree?’
3
‘I've neither brocht your silken cloak,
Nor your golden key,
But I have come to see you hanged,
On this green gallows-tree.’
[OMITTED]
4
‘I've neither brocht your silken cloak,
Nor your golden key,
But I am come to set you free
From this green gallows-tree.’
The Golden Key
THE MAID FREED FROM THE GALLOWS—G
[_]
a. Notes and Queries, Sixth Series, VI, 415, 1882. b.
The same, p. 269.
1
‘Hangman, hangman, stop a minute,
[OMITTED]
I think I see my father coming,
[OMITTED]
2
‘Father, father, have you found the key,
And have you come to set me free?
Or have you come to see me hanged,
Upon this gallows-tree?’
3
‘I have not come to see you hanged,
Upon the gallows-tree,
For I have found the golden key,’
[OMITTED]
The Golden Ball
THE MAID FREED FROM THE GALLOWS—H
[_]
a. Baring-Gould's Appendix to Henderson's Notes on the
Folk Lore of the Northern Counties of England and the Borders,
1866, p. 333, Yorkshire. b. Notes and Queries, Sixth
Series, X, 354, 1884.
1
‘Stop, stop! [OMITTED]
[OMITTED]
I think I see my mother coming,
[OMITTED]
2
‘Oh mother, hast brought my golden ball,
And come to set me free?
[OMITTED]
[OMITTED]
3
‘I've neither brought thy golden ball,
Nor come to set thee free,
But I have come to see thee hung,
Upon this gallows-tree.’
4
‘Stop, stop! [OMITTED]
[OMITTED]
I think I see my father coming,
[OMITTED]
5
‘O father, hast brought my golden ball,
And come to set me free?
[OMITTED]
[OMITTED]
6
‘I've neither brought thy golden ball,
Nor come to set thee free,
But I have come to see thee hung,
Upon this gallows-tree.’
7
‘Stop, stop! [OMITTED]
[OMITTED]
I see my sweet-heart coming,
[OMITTED]
8
‘Sweet-heart, hast brought my golden ball,
And come to set me free?
[OMITTED]
[OMITTED]
9
‘Aye, I have brought thy golden ball,
And come to set thee free;
I have not come to see thee hung,
Upon this gallows-tree.’
THE MAID FREED FROM THE GALLOWS—I
[_]
“Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy,” No
127, Abbotsford. Sent to John Leyden, by whom and when
does not appear.
1
‘Hold your tongue, Lord Judge,’ she says,
‘Yet hold it a little while;
Methinks I see my ain dear father
Coming wandering many a mile.
2
‘O have you brought me gold, father?
Or have you brought me fee?
Or are you come to save my life
From off this gallows-tree?’
3
‘I have not brought you gold, daughter,
Nor have I brought you fee,
But I am come to see you hangd,
As you this day shall be.’
[_]
[“The verses run thus untill she has seen her mother,
her brother, and her sister likewise arrive, and then
Methinks I see my ain dear lover, etc.”]
4
‘I have not brought you gold, true-love,
Nor yet have I brought fee,
But I am come to save thy life
From off this gallows-tree.’
5
‘Gae hame, gae hame, father,’ she says,
‘Gae hame and saw yer seed;
And I wish not a pickle of it may grow up,
But the thistle and the weed.
6
‘Gae hame, gae hame, gae hame, mother,
Gae hame and brew yer yill;
And I wish the girds may a' loup off,
And the Deil spill a' yer yill.
7
‘Gae hame, gae hame, gae hame, brother,
Gae hame and lie with yer wife;
And I wish that the first news I may hear
That she has tane your life.
8
‘Gae hame, gae hame, sister,’ she says,
‘Gae hame and sew yer seam;
I wish that the needle-point may break,
And the craws pyke out yer een.’
THE MAID FREED FROM THE GALLOWS—J
[_]
Communicated by Dr George Birkbeck Hill, May 10, 1890,
as learned forty years before from a schoolfellow, who came
from the north of Somersetshire and sang it in the dialect
of that region. Given from memory.
1
‘Hold up, hold up your hands so high!
Hold up your hands so high!
For I think I see my own father
Coming over yonder stile to me.
2
‘Oh father, have you got any gold for me?
Any money for to pay me free?
To keep my body from the cold clay ground,
And my neck from the gallows-tree?’
3
‘Oh no, I've got no gold for thee,
No money for to pay thee free,
For I've come to see thee hangd this day,
And hangëd thou shalt be.’
4
‘Oh the briers, prickly briers,
Come prick my heart so sore;
If ever I get from the gallows-tree,
I'll never get there any more.’
[_]
[“The same verses are repeated, with mother, brother,
and sister substituted for father. At last the sweet-heart
comes. The two first verses are the same, and
the third and fourth as follows.”]
5
‘Oh yes, I've got some gold for thee,
Some money for to pay thee free;
I'll save thy body from the cold clay ground,
And thy neck from the gallows-tree.’
6
‘Oh the briers, prickly briers,
Don't prick my heart any more;
For now I've got from the gallows-tree
I'll never get there any more.’
The Prickly Bush
THE MAID FREED FROM THE GALLOWS—K
[_]
Mr Heywood Sumner, in English
County Songs, by Lucy E. Broadwood and J. A. Fuller
Maitland, p. 112. From Somersetshire.
1
‘O hangman, hold thy hand,’ he cried,
‘O hold thy hand awhile,
For I can see my own dear father
Coming over yonder stile.
2
‘O father, have you brought me gold?
Or will you set me free?
Or be you come to see me hung,
All on this high gallows-tree?’
3
‘No, I have not brought thee gold,
And I will not set thee free,
But I am come to see thee hung,
All on this high gallows-tree.’
4
‘Oh, the prickly bush, the prickly bush,
It pricked my heart full sore;
If ever I get out of the prickly bush,
I'll never get in any more.’
[_]
The above is repeated three times more, with the
successive substitution of ‘mother,’ ‘brother,’ ‘sister,’
for ‘father.’ Then the first two stanzas are repeated,
with ‘sweetheart’ for ‘father,’ and instead of 3 is
sung:
5
‘Yes, I have brought thee gold,’ she cried,
‘And I will set thee free,
And I am come, but not to see thee hung
All on this high gallous-tree.’
‘Oh, the prickly bush,’ etc.
