The Laird of Roslin's Daughter- 1847 Child C
[Sheldon's version (below) is printed in stanzas of four short lines. Sheldon wrote and added the last verse.]
The Laird of Roslin's Daughter- Version C; Child 46, Captain Wedderburn's Courtship
Sheldon's Minstrelsy of the English Border, p. 232, as recited "by a lady of Berwick on Tweed, who used to sing it in her childhood, and had learnt it from her nurse."
1 The laird of Roslin's daughter walked thro the wood her lane,
And by came Captain Wedderburn, a servant to the Queen;
He said unto his serving man, Wer't not agaynst the law,
I would tak her to my ain house as lady o my ha.
2 He said, My pretty ladye, I pray give me your hand;
You shall have drums and trumpets always at your command;
With fifty men to guard you, that well their swords can draw,
And I'll tak ye to my ain bed, and lay you next the wa.
3 'I'm walking in my feyther's shaws:' quo he, My charming maid,
I am much better than I look, so be you not afraid;
For I serve the queen of a' Scotland, and a gentil dame is she;
So we'se be married ere the morn, gin ye can fancy me.
4 . . . . . .
. . . . .
'The sparrow shall toot on his horn, gif naething us befa,
And I'll mak you up a down-bed, and lay you next the wa.
5 'Now hold away from me, kind sir, I pray you let me be;
I wont be lady of your ha till you answer questions three;
Questions three you must answer me, and that is one and twa,
Before I gae to Woodland's house, and be lady o your ha.
6 'You must get me to my supper a chicken without a bone;
You must get me to my supper a cherry without a stone;
You must get me to my supper a bird without a ga,
Before I go to Woodland's house and be lady of your ha.'
7 'When the cherry is in the bloom, I'm sure it has no stone;
When the chicken's in the shell, I'm sure it has nae bone;
The dove she is a gentil bird, and flies without a ga;
So I've answered you your questions three, and you're lady of my ha.'
* * * * *
8 'Questions three you must answer me: What's higher than the trees?
And what is worse than woman's voice? What's deeper than the seas?'
. . . . . .
. . . . .
9 He answered then so readily: Heaven's higher than the trees;
The devil's worse than woman's voice; hell's deeper than the seas;
. . . . . .
. . . . .
10 'One question still you must answer me, or you I laugh to scorn;
Go seek me out an English priest, of woman never born;'
. . . . . .
. . . . .
11 'Oh then,' quo he, 'My young brother from mother's side was torn,
And he's a gentil English priest, of woman never born;'
. . . . . .
. . . . .
12 Little did his lady think, that morning when she raise,
It was to be the very last of all her mayden days;
______________
[From Sheldon's Minstrelsy of the English Border, p. 232. The s (appearing as f) letters have been edited.]
The Laird of Roslin's Daughter
THIS is a fragment of an apparently ancient Ballad, related to me by a lady of Berwick on Tweed, who used to sing it in her childhood. I have given all that she was able to furnish me with. The same lady assures me that she never remembers having seen it in print, and that she had learnt it from her nurse, together with the Ballad of Sir Patrick Spens and several Irish legends, since forgotten.
The Queen, the mistress of Captain Wedderburn, was probably Mary Queen of Scotland. Roslin is six or seven miles from Edinburgh, and the Laird's mansion was probably not far from Drummond of Hawthornden's.
The sparrow shall toot on his horn.
The sparrow is considered an amorous bird, and the first to pair on St. Valentine's day—hence the allusion.
He answered then so readily.
The custom of gaining a mate by solving a riddle is very old. In the Arabian Nights, the Prince of Persia gains the Sultan of Cashmere's daughter by answering a conundrum. Pericles, Prince of Tyre, discovers his intended wife's criminality by her riddle; and Samson forfeited his
Thirty changes of raiment,
Of woman never born,
by incautiously trusting his wife with the answer to the riddle, which he had put to his wife's kindred. "If ye had not ploughed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle."
Julius Cæsar owed his existence to an operation, which has since been called after him; and Shakspere speaks of Macduff as being w from his mother's womb untimely ripped." The "gentil English Priest," we may suppose was introduced to the world in a similar manner.
The Laird of Roslin's Daughter
HE Laird of Roslin's daughter
Walked thro' the wood her lane;
And by came Captain Wedderburn,
A servant to the Queen.
He said unto his serving man,
''Wer't not agaynst the law,
I would tak' her to my ain house,
As lady o' my ha'."
He said, " My pretty ladye,
I pray give me your hand;
You shall have drums and trumpets
Always at your command:
"With fifty men to guard you,
That well their fwords can draw;
And I'll tak ye to my ain bed,
And lay you next the wa'.
"I'm walking in my feyther's fhaws,"
Quo he, " my charming Maid,
I am much better than I look,
So be you not afraid;
"For I ferve the Queen of a' Scotland,
And a gentil dame is fhe;
So wefe be married ere the morn,
Gin ye can fancy me.
"The sparrow mall toot on his horn,
Gif naething us befa',
And I'll mak you up a down bed,
And lay you next the wa'."
*****
"Now hold away frome me, kind Sir,
I pray you let me be;
I wont be lady of your ha',
Till you answer queftions three.
"Questions three you must answer me,
And that is one and twa,
Before I gae to Woodland's house,
And be lady o' your ha'.
"You must get me to my supper
A chicken without a bone,
You must get me to my supper
A cherry without a stone.
"You must get me to my supper
A bird without a ga';
Before I go to Woodland's house,
And be lady of your ha'."
"When the cherry is in the bloom,
I'm sure it has no stone,
When the chicken's in the shell,
I'm sure it has nae bone;
"The dove she is a gentil bird,
And flies without a ga';
So I've answer'd you your questions three,
And you're lady of my ha'."
"Questions three you must answer me,
What's higher than the trees?
And what is worse than Woman's voice?
What's deeper than the seas?"
He answered then so readily,
"Heaven's higher than the trees,
The devil's worse than woman's voice,
Hell's deeper than the seas."
"One question still you must answer me,
Or you I laugh to scorn;
Go seek me out an English priest
Of woman never born?"
"Oh then," quo he, "my young brother
From mother's side was torn;
And he's a gentil English priest,
Of woman never born."
* * * * *
Little did this lady think,
That morning when she raise,
It was to be the very last
Of all her may den days.