The English and Scottish Popular Ballads/Part 3/Chapter 81
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For other versions of this work, see Little Musgrove and the Lady Barnet.
The Old ballad of Little Musgrave and the Lady Barnard
[edit]Child took this version from Wit Restor'd (published 1658)
- Asit fell one holy-day, hay downe,
- As manybe in the yeare,
- When young men and maids together did goe,
- Their mattins and masse to heare,
- Little Musgrave came to the church dore,
- The preist was at private masse;
- But he had more minde of the faire women
- Then he had of our ladys grace.
- The one of them was clad in green,
- Another was clad in pall;
- And then came in my lord Bernards wife,
- The fairest amonst them all.
- She cast an eye on Little Musgrave,
- As bright as the summer sun,
- And then bethought this Little Musgrave,
- "This lady’s heart have I woonn."
- Quoth she, "I have loved thee, Little Musgrave,
- Full long and many a day:"
- "So have I loved you, fair lady,
- Yet never word durst I say."
- "I have a bower at Buckelsfordbery,
- Full daintyly it is deight;
- If thou wilt wend thither, thou Little Musgrave,
- Thou’s lig in mine armes all night."
- Quoth he, "I thank yee, faire lady,
- But whether it be to my weal or woe,
- This night I will lig with thee."
- All that heard, a little tinny page,
- By his ladyes coach as he ran:
- [Quoth he,] "Allthough I am my ladyes foot-page,
- Yet I am Lord Barnards man.
- "My lord Barnard shall knowe of this,
- Whether I sink or swimm:"
- And ever where the bridges were broake
- He laid him downe to swimme.
- "Asleepe, awake! thou Lord Barnard,
- As thou art a man of life;
- For Little Musgrave is at Bucklesfordbery,
- Abed with thy own wedded wife."
- "If this be true, thou little tinny page,
- This thing thou tellest to mee,
- Then all the land in Bucklesfordbery
- I freely will give to thee.
- "But if it be a ly, thou little tinny page,
- This thing thou tellest to me,
- On the hyest tree in Bucklesfordbery
- There hanged shalt thou be."
- He called up his merry men all:-
- "Come saddle me my steed;
- This night must I to Buckellsfordbery,
- For I never had greater need."
- And some of them whistl'd, and some of them sung,
- And some these words did say,
- Ever when my lord Barnards horn blew,
- "Away, Musgrave, away!"
- "Methinks I hear the thresel-cock,
- Methinks I hear the jaye;
- Methinks I hear my lord Barnard,-
- And I would I were away."
- "Lye still, lye still, thou Little Musgrave,
- And huggell me from the cold;
- Tis nothing but a shephards boy,
- A driving his sheep to the fold.
- "Is not thy hawke upon a perch?
- Thy steed eats oats and hay,
- And thou [a] fair lady in thine armes,-
- And wouldst thou bee away?"
- With that my lord Barnard came to the dore,
- And lit a stone upon;
- He plucked out three silver keys,
- And he open'd the dores each one.
- He lifted up the coverlett,
- He lifted up the sheet;
- "How now, how now, thou little Musgrave,
- Doest thou find my lady sweet?"
- "I find her sweet," quoth Little Musgrave,
- "The more ’tis to my paine;
- I would gladly give three hundred pounds
- That I were on yonder plaine."
- "Arise, arise, thou Littell Musgrave,
- And put thy clothes on;
- It shall ne'er be said in my country
- I have killed a naked man.
- "I have two swords in one scabberd,
- Full deere they cost my purse;
- And thou shalt have the better of them,
- And I will have the worse."
- The first stroke that Little Musgrave stroke,
- He hurt Lord Barnard sore;
- The next stroke that Lord Barnard stroke,
- Little Musgrave ne're struck more.
- With that bespake this faire lady,
- In bed whereas she lay;
- "Although thou’rt dead, thou Little Musgrave,
- Yet I for thee will pray.
- "And wish well to thy soule will I,
- So long as I have life;
- So will I not for thee, Barnard,
- Although I am thy wedded wife."
- He cut her paps from off her brest;
- (Great pity it was to see,)
- That some drops of this ladies heart’s blood
- Ran trickling downe her knee.
- "Woe worth you, woe worth [you], my mery men all
- You were ne're borne for my good;
- Why did you not offer to stay my hand,
- When ye see me wax so wood!
- "For I have slaine the bravest sir knight
- That ever rode on steed;
- So have I done the fairest lady
- That ever did womans deed.
- "A grave, a grave," Lord Barnard cryd,
- To put these lovers in;
- But lay my lady on [the] upper hand,
- For she came of the better kin."