Lord Thomas- Harrison (NS) 1928 Mackenzie A
[From Ballads and Sea Songs from Nova Scotia by William Roy Mackenzie - 1928; Lord Thomas version A.
R. Matteson 2014]
LORD THOMAS AND FAIR ANNET
(Child, No. 73)
The two Nova Scotia versions are both closely related to Child's D. Cox prints several texts of the same version from West Virginia, pp. 46-64, and gives references for American texts, pp. 45-46.
A. "Lord Thomas and Fair Ellinor." From the singing and recitation of Alexander Harrison, Maccan, Cumberland County.
1 Lord Thomas he was a bold forester
And a chaser of the king's deer.
Fair Ellinor was a fine woman
And Lord Thomas he loved her dear.
2 " Come riddle my riddle, dear mother," he said,
"And riddle us both in one,
Whether I shall marry with Fair Ellinor
And let the brown girl alone."
3 "The brown girl she has got money,
Fair Ellinor she has nonel
Therefore I charge thee on my blessing,
Bring the brown girl home."
4 And as it befell on a holiday
As many more do beside,
Lord Thomas he went to Fair Ellinor,
That should have been his bride.
5 But when he came to Fair Ellinor's home,
He knocked at the ring,
Then who was so ready as Fair Ellinor
To let Lord Thomas in.
6 "What news, what news, Lord Thomas?" she said,
"What news hast thou brought unto me?"
"I am come to bid thee to my wedding,
And that is sad news for thee."
7. "O God forbid, Lord Thomas," she said,
"That such thing should ever be done!
I thought to have been thy bride myself,
And thou to have been the bridegroom."
8. " Come riddle my riddle, dear mother," she said,
"And riddle it all in one,
Whether I shall go to Lord Thomas's wedding,
Or whether I shall let it alone."
9 "There's many that are our friends, daughter,
And many that are our foes;
Therefore I charge thee on my blessing
To Lord Thomas's wedding don't go."
10 "There's many that are our friends, mother,
If a thousand were our foes.
Betide me life, betide me death,
To Lord Thomas's wedding I'll go!"
11 She clothed herself in gallant attire,
And her merry men all was seen.
As she rode through every place
They took her to be some queen.
12 When she came to Lord Thomas's gate
She knocked at the ring,
And who was so ready as Lord Thomas
To let Fair Ellinor in.
13 He took her by the lily-white hand
And led her through the hail,
And he sat her in the noblest chair
Among the ladies all.
14 "Is this your bride?" Fair Ellinor said,
"Methinks she looks wondrous brown.
Thou mightst have had as fair a woman
As ever had trod the ground."
15 "Despise her not," Lord Thomas he said,
"Despise her not unto me;
For better I love her little finger
Than all your whole body!"
16 This brown girl had a little pen-knife
Which was both keen and sharp,
And betwixt the short ribs and the long
She pricked Fair Ellinor to the heart.
17 "O Christ now save me, Lord Thomas," she said,
"Methinks you look wondrous wan;
Thou usedst to look as good a colour
As ever the sun shone on.
18 "O art thou blind, Lord Thomas," she said,
"Or canst thou not very well see?
O dost thou not see my own heart's blood,
Run trickling down my knee?"
19 "O dig my grave," Lord Thomas replied,
"Dig it both wide and deep;
And lay Fair Ellinor by my side,
And the brown girl at my feet."
20 Lord Thomas he had a sword by his side
As he walked about the hall;
He cut his bride's head from off her shoulders
And flung it against the wall.
21 He set his sword upon the ground
And the point against his heart.
There never was three lovers, sure,
That sooner did depart.