Mary Hamilton
Anonymous
| The Four Maries: Child #173u (IV, 509) | |
| MARY HAMILTON Word is to the kitchen gone, And word is to the hall And word is up to madam the queen, And that's the worst of all. That Mary Hamilton has borne a babe To the highest Stuart of all. Oh rise, arise Mary Hamilton Arise and tell to me What thou hast done with thy wee babe I saw and heard weep by thee I put him in a tiny boat And cast him out to sea That he might sink or he might swim But he'd never come back to me Oh rise arise Mary Hamilton Arise and come with me There is a wedding in Glasgow town This night we'll go and see She put not on her robes of black Nor her robes of brown But she put on her robes of white To ride into Glasgow town And as she rode into Glasgow town The city for to see The bailiff's wife and the provost's wife Cried alack, and alas for thee Oh you need not weep for me, she cried You need not weep for me For had I not slain my own wee babe This death I would not dee Oh little did my mother think When first she cradled me The lands I was to travel in And the death I was to dee Last night I washed the queen's feet Put the gold in her hair And the only reward I find for this The gallows to be my share Cast off, cast off my gown, she cried But let my petticoat be And tie a napkin round my face The gallows, I would not see Then by and come the king himself Looked up with a pitiful eye Come down, come down Mary Hamilton Tonight you will dine with me Oh hold your tongue, my sovereign liege And let your folly be For if you'd a mind to save my life You'd never have shamed me here Last night there were four Marys Tonight there'll be but three It was Mary Beaton and Mary Seton And Mary Carmichael, and me. | 173[U].1 ‘My father was the Duke of York, My mother a gay ladye, And I myself a daintie dame; The queen she sent for me. 173[U.2] ‘But the queen’s meat it was sae sweet, And her clothing was sae rare, It made me long for a young man’s bed, And I rued it evermair.’ 173[U.3] But worid is up, and word is down, Amang the ladyes a’, That Marie’s born a babe sin yestreen, That babe it is awa. 173[U.4] But the queen she gat wit of this, She calld for a berry-brown gown, And she’s awa to Marie’s bower, The bower that Marie lay in. 173[U.5] ‘Open your door, my Marie,’ she says, ‘My bonny and fair Marie; They say you have born a babe sin yestreen, That babe I fain wad see.’ 173[U.6] ‘It is not sae wi me, madam, It is not sae wi me; It is but a fit of my sair sickness, That oft times troubles me.’ 173[U.7] ‘Get up, get up, my Marie,’ she says, ‘My bonny and fair Marie, And we’ll away to Edinburgh town, And try the verity.’ 173[U.8] Slowly, slowly, gat she up, And slowly pat she on, And slowly went she to that milk-steed, To ride to Edinburgh town. 173[U.9] But when they cam to Edinburgh, And in by the Towbooth stair, There was mony a virtuous ladye Letting the tears fa there. 173[U.10] ‘Why weep ye sae for me, madams? Why weep ye sae for me? For sin ye brought me to this town This death ye gar me die.’ 173[U.11] When she cam to the Netherbow Port, She gae loud laughters three; But when she cam to the gallows-foot The tear blinded her ee. 173[U.12] ‘Yestreen the queen had four Maries, The night she’ll hae but three; There was Marie Seton, and Marie Beatoun, And Marie Carmichael, and me. 173[U.13] ‘My love he was a pottinger, Mony drink he gae me, And a’ to put back that bonnie babe, But alas! it wad na do. 173[U.14] ‘I pat that bonny babe in a box, And set it on the sea; O sink ye, swim ye, bonny babe! Ye’s neer get mair o me. 173[U.15] ‘O all ye jolly sailors, That sail upon the sae, Let neither my father nor mother ken The death that I maun die. 173[U.16] ‘But if my father and mother kend The death that I maun die, O mony wad be the good red guineas That wad be gien for me.’ |
