No. 297: Earl Rothes
[There are no known US or Canadian traditional versions of this ballad.]
CONTENTS:
1. Child's Narrative
2. Footnotes (There are no footnotes for this ballad)
3. Child's Ballad Text A
ATTACHED PAGES (see left hand column):
1. Recordings & Info: 297. Earl Rothes
A. Roud No. 4025: Earl Rothes (2 Listings)
2. Sheet Music: 297. Earl Rothes (Bronson gives no music examples or texts)
3. English and Other Versions (Including Child version A)
Child's Narrative: 297. Earl Rothes
A. 'Earl Rothes,' Kinloch Manuscripts, I, 333.
Lady Ann has an adulterous connection with Earl Rothes, and her youthful brother seeks to sunder it. He offers to pay a tocher for her if she will forsake the earl's company; to keep her in his castle till she is safely brought to bed, and make her a marquis's lady; she rejects all his offers with scorn. The boy declares that when he is old enough to wear a sword he will thrust it through Earl Rothes for using his sister so badly.
Child's Ballad Text
'Earl Rothes'- Version A; Child 297 Earl Rothes
'Earl Rothes,' Kinloch Manuscripts, I, 333.
1 'O Earl Rothes, an thou wert mine,
And I were to be thy ladie,
I wad drink at the beer, and tipple at the wine,
And be my bottle with any.'
2 'Hold thy tongue, sister Ann,' he says,
'Thy words they are too many;
What wad ye do wi sae noble a lord,
When he has so noble a ladie?
3 'O I'll pay you your tocher, Lady Ann,
Both in gear and money,
If ye'll forsake Earl Rothes's companie,
And mind that he has a ladie.'
4 'I do not value your gold,' she says,
'Your gear it's no sae readie;
I'll neer forsake Earl Rothes's companie,
And I don't gie a fig for his ladie.'
5 'I'll keep ye i the caslte, Lady Ann,
O servants ye shall hae monie;
I'll keep ye till ye're safely brocht to bed,
And I'll mak you a marquis's ladie.'
6 'I do not value your castle,' she says,
'Your servants are no sae readie;
Earl Rothes will keep me till I'm brocht to bed,
And he'll mak me a marquis's ladie.'
7 'Woe be to thee, Earl Rothes,' he says,
'And the mark o the judge be upon thee,
For the using o this poor thing sae,
For the using my sister so badly.
8 'When I'm come to the years of a man,
And able a sword to carry,
I'll thrust it thro Earl Rothes' bodie
For the using my sister sae basely.
9 'Fare thee well, Lady Ann,' he says,
'No longer will I tarry;
You and I will never meet again,
Till we meet at the bonny town o Torry.'