The Flower of Northumberland
(Child#9) Recorded on Rhymer's Tower: Ballads of the Anglo-Scottish Border.
Northumberland’s daughter went walking alone,
Maids’ love sometimes is easily won;
When she heard a poor prisoner making his moan,
& she was the fair flower of Northumberland.
‘Fair maid, will you pity me?”
Maids’ love sometimes is easily won;
”If you’ll steal the keys, and let me go free,
I’ll make you my lady in fair Scotland.”
”I’m sure you have no need of me,”
Maids’ love sometimes is easily won;
”If you have a wife and child or three,
That live at home in fair Scotland.”
He swore by him that was crowned with thorn,
Maids’ love sometimes is easily won;
That he never had a wife since the day he was born,
But lived a free lord in fair Scotland.
She went unto her father’s bed-stock,
Maids’ love sometimes is easily won;
She’s stolen the keys to the dungeon lock,
And she’s let him out of the prison strong.
Now she’s gone to her father’s coffer,
Maids’ love sometimes is easily won;
And she took out his gold like a common robber,
Though she was the heir of Northumberland.
And then she went in to her father’s stable,
Maids’ love sometimes is easily won;
She’s stolen a steed both sturdy and able,
To carry them both to fair Scotland.
O when they came to the Scottish cross,
Maids’ love sometimes is easily won;
He bade her light off of her father’s best horse,
And turn back again to Northumberland.
”O pity on me, O pity,” said she,
Maids’ love sometimes is easily won;
”Have pity on me as I had upon thee,
When I let you out of the prison strong.”
"O how can I have pity on thee?”
Maids’ love sometimes is easily won;
”When I have a wife and children three,
That live in my castle in fair Scotland.”
"A cook in your kitchen I’m willing to be,”
Maids’ love sometimes is easily won;
”And I’ll serve your lady most reverently,
For I dare not go back to Northumberland.”
“A cook in my kitchen, ye shall not be,”
Maids’ love sometimes is easily won;
“For I may not have such a servant as thee,
So get ye back home to Northumberland.”
“Or take me by the middle so small,”
Maids’ love sometimes is easily won;
“And throw me over your castle wall,
For I dare not go home to Northumberland.”
So loath was he further this lassie to pain,
Maids’ love sometimes is easily won;
That he hired a horse and paid an old man,
To carry her back to Northumberland.
When she went through her father’s hall,
Maids’ love sometimes is easily won;
She bowed her low amongst them all,
Even the flower o Northumberland.
Out spoke her stepmother, and she spoke so bold,
Maids’ love sometimes is easily won;
”A thief and a whore at just fifteen years old,
Ye shall not be heir of Northumberland.”
Out spoke her father, and he spoke so mild,
Maids’ love sometimes is easily won;
”She is not the first maid a false Scot has beguiled,
But she’s still the Flower of Northumberland.
‘She shall not want houses, she shall not want land,
Maids’ love sometimes is easily won;
She shall not want gold to gain her a husband,
For she is the heir of Northumberland.”