Lord Roslin's daughter (1)/Lord Roslin's Daughter

For other versions of this work, see Captain Wedderburn's Courtship.

LORD ROSLIN'S DAUGHTER.

———

THE Lord of Roslin’s Daughter,
Walks thro’ the wood her lane,
And by came Captain Wedderburn,
A servant to the King:
He said unto his servant man,
Wer’t not against the law;
I would take her to my own bed,
And lay her next the wa’.

I’m walking here alone, she says,
Among my father’s trees,
And you may let me walk alone,
Kind Sir now if you please
The Supper bell it will be rung,
And I'll be miss’d you knaw;
So I will not ly into your bed,
Neither at stock nor wa’.

He says my pretty Lady,
I pray lend me your hand,
And you’ll have drams and trumpets,
Always at your command:
And fifty men to guard you with,
That well their swords can draw,
And we’ll both ly into ae bed,
And thou’s ly next the wa’.

Hold away from me, kind sir,
I pray let go my hand;
The supper-bell it will be rung,
No longer must I stand.
My father will no supper take,
If I be miss’d you knaw;
So I will not ly into your bed,
Neither at stock nor wa.’

Then says the pretty Lady,
I pray tell me your name ?
My name is Captain Wedderburn;
A servant to the King.
Tho’ thy father and his men were here,
Of them I'd stand no awe,
But would take thee to my own bed,
And lay thee next the wa’.

He took her to his lodging house,
His landlady look’d ben,
Says many Ladies in Embrugh I’ve seen,
But never such a one:
But such a pretty a face a this,
In it I never saw,
Go make her up a down-bed,
And lay her next the wa.

Hold away from me, kind Sir,
I pray you let me be,
For I will not go into your bed,
Till you dress me dishes three.
Dishes three you must dress to me,
If I should eat them a’.
Before I ly into your bed,
Either at stock or wa’.

O I must have to my supper,
A cherry without a stone,
And I must have to my supper,
A chicken without a bone;
And I must have to my supper,
A bird without a ga’.
Before I ly into your bed,
Either at stock or wa.’

When the cherry is in the bloom,
I am sure it hath no stone,
And when the chicken’s in it’s shell,
I am sure it hath no bone:
The dove it is a gentle bird,
It flies without a ga.’
And we both shall ly in ae bed,
And thou’s ly next the wa.’

Hold away from me, kind sir,
I pray you give me o’er
For I will not go to your bed,
Till you tell me questions four,
Questions four you must tell to me,
And that is twa and twa.
Or I will not ly into your bed,
Neither at stock nor wa.’

You must get me some winter fruit,
That in December grew :
You must get me a silk mantle,
That waft was ne’er ca’d through.
What birds sing best and woods buds first,
What dews does on them fa’.
And then I'll ly into your bed,
Either at stock or wa.’

My father hath some winter fruit,
That in December grew;
My mother has a silk mantle
That waft was ne’er ca’d through.
The Cock crows first Cyder buds first,
The dew. does on them fa’ ;
So we will ly both in ae bed,
And thou’s ly next the wa.’

Hold away from me, kind sir,
And do not me perplex;
For I will not ly in your bed,
Till you tell me questions six.
Questions six you must tell to me,
And that is four and twa,
Before I ly into your bed,
Either at stock, or wa'.

What is greener than the grass?
What's higher than the trees?
And what is worse than women’s voice?
What’s deeper than the seas?
A sparrow's horn, and priest unborn,
This night to join us twa;
Before I ly into your bed,
Either at stock or wa’.

Death is greener than the grass,
Sky’s higher than the trees;
The devil’s worse than women’s voice,
Hell’s deeper than the seas:
A sparrow’s horn you may well get,
There’s one on every pa’;
And twa upon the gap of it,
And thou shalt have them a’.

The Priest’s standing at the gate,
Just ready to come in;
No man can say that he was born,
No man without a sin;
A hole cut in his mother’s side,
He from the same did fa’;
So we shall both ly in ae bed,
And thou’s ly next the wa'.

O little did this lady think,
That morning when she raise,
It was to be the very last,
Of all her maiden days.
But there is not in the Kings realm,
To be found a blyther twa:
And now they ly into ae bed,
And she lies next the wa’.