King Henry was my father dear, Queen Esther was my mother, Prince Henry was my brother dear, And Fanny Flower my sister." "If King Henry was your father dear, And Queen Esther was your mother, If Prince Henry was your brother dear, Then surely I'm your sister. "Come to your bed, my sister dear, Bot an ae kiss of his merry mouth, 'Awa, awa, ye forenoon bride, Awa, awa, frae me; I wudna hear my Annie greet, For a' the gold I got wi' thee. "There were five ships of gay Cam owre the seas with me, red gold It's twa o' them will tak me hame, And three I'll leave wi' thee. "Seven ships o' white monie And twa will take me hame; And my mother will make my portion up BILLIE ARCHIE Is a North Country version of a popular Border Ballad. "SEVEN years have I loved my love, And seven years my love's loved me; But now to-morrow is the day That Billie Archie, my love, must die." Out then spoke him Little Dickie, "Had I but five men and mysell Then we would borrow Billie Archie." Out it spoke him Caff o' Lin, And still the worst fellow was he, "You shall have five men and yoursell, And I will bear you companie. "We will not go like to dragoons, Nor yet will we like grenadiers; But we will go like corn-dealers, And lay our brechams on our meares. "And twa of us will watch the road, And other twa between will gang, And I will go to jail-house door, And hold the prisoner unthought lang." "Wha is this at the jail-house door, "Awa, awa, now Little Dickie, If the Lord Lieutenant come on you, "Hold you, hold you, Billie Archie, Awa, awa, now Little Dickie, An hundred pounds of Spanish irons. Wi' plough coulters and gavelocks They made the jail-house door to flee; And in God's name," said Little Dickie, Cast you the prisoner behind me.' 66 They had not rade a great way off, With all the haste that ever could be, Till they espied the Lord Lieutenant, With a hundred men in companie. But when they cam to wan water, It now was rumbling like the sea, Then out did speak him Caff o' Lin, "My horse is young, he cannot swim ; The water's deep, and will not wade; My children must be fatherless, My wife a widow whate'er betide." Oh! then cried out him Little Dickie, Now they have taken the wan water, "Come thro', come thro', now Lord Lieutenant, Oh! do come thro', I pray of thee; There is an alehouse not far off, We'll dine you and your companie.” |