Then Lamkin's tane a sharp knife, That hung down by his gaire, And he has gi'en 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 ta'en 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 ne'er 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?'

'It is your lady's heart's blood; 'T is 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 condemn'd 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.

[Annotations: 6.1: 'limmer,' wretch, rascal.

7.3: 'shot-window': see special section of the Introduction.

12.2: 'gaire'; _i.e._ by his knee: see special section of the Introduction.

13.3: 'bore,' hole, crevice.

14.4: 'greeting,' crying.

23.3: 'dowie,' sad.

24.2: 'chamer,' chamber.

24.4: 'lamer,' amber.

25.4: 'ava,' at all.

26.3: 'grat,' greeted, wept.]

FAIR MARY OF WALLINGTON

+The Text+ is from _Lovely Jenny's Garland_, as given with emendations by Professor Child. There is also a curiously perverted version in Herd's manuscript, in which the verses require rearrangement before becoming intelligible.

+The Story+ can be gathered from the version here given without much difficulty. It turns on the marriage of Fair Mary, who is one of seven sisters fated to die of their first child. Fair Mary seems to be a fatalist, and, after vowing never to marry, accepts as her destiny the hand of Sir William Fenwick of Wallington. Three-quarters of a year later she sends to fair Pudlington for her mother. Her mother is much affected at the news (st. 22), and goes to Wallington. Her daughter, in travail, lays the blame on her, cuts open her side to give birth to an heir, and dies.

In a Breton ballad Pontplancoat thrice marries a Marguerite, and each of his three sons costs his mother her life.

In the Scottish ballad, a 'scope' is put in Mary's mouth when the operation takes place. In the Breton ballad it is a silver spoon or a silver ball. 'Scope,' or 'scobs' as it appears in Herd, means a gag, and was apparently used to prevent her from crying out. But the silver spoon and ball in the Breton ballad would appear to have been used for Marguerite to bite on in her anguish, just as sailors chewed bullets while being flogged.

FAIR MARY OF WALLINGTON

1.

When we were silly sisters seven, Sisters were so fair, Five of us were brave knights' wives, And died in childbed lair.

2.

Up then spake Fair Mary, Marry woud she nane; If ever she came in man's bed, The same gate wad she gang.

3.

'Make no vows, Fair Mary, For fear they broken be; Here's been the Knight of Wallington, Asking good will of thee.'

4.

'If here's been the knight, mother, Asking good will of me, Within three quarters of a year You may come bury me.'

5.

When she came to Wallington, And into Wallington hall, There she spy'd her mother dear, Walking about the wall.

6.

'You're welcome, daughter dear, To thy castle and thy bowers'; 'I thank you kindly, mother, I hope they'll soon be yours.'