The Tower of St. Maur
"Now hush, lady, my sweet lady.
The moon's still small and young;
If they're home before the curfew bell
They'll not ha' stayed too long."
St. Maur has ta'en his youngest son.
To the riverside they're gone.
To see the busy mason-men
Building a tower of stone.
"O why do they build the tower so strong
Against the riverside?
I never saw the wall, father,
That was so strong and wide."
"God knows the tower had need be strong
Between my foes and thee!
Should once Lord Armour enter, child.
An ill death would ye dee."
"We need not fear Lord Armour, father,
Nor any of his kin;
Since God has given us such a wall.
They cannot enter in."
"O twice, my babe, and thrice, my babe.
Ere ever that I was born.
Lord Armour's men have entered in
Betwixt the night and the morn.
"And once I found my nurse's room
Was red with bloody men . . .
I would not have thy mother die
As died my mother then.
"And 'tis not seven nights ago
I heard, clear in a dream.
The bugle cry of Armour,
Shrill over wood and stream."
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