The Fair Flower of Northumberland (Child 9B)

THE provost’s daughter went out a walking,
Refrain: A may’s love whiles is easy won
She heard a poor prisoner making his moan,
Refrain: And she was the fair flower of Northumberland.
‘If any lady would borrow me
Refrain: Out into the prison strong,
I would make her a lady of high degree,
Refrain: For I am a great lord in fair Scotland.’
She’s done her to her father’s bed-stock,
Refrain: A may’s love whiles is easy won
She’s stolen the keys o many braw lock,
Refrain: And she’s loosd him out o the prison strong.
She’s done her to her father’s stable,
Refrain: A may’s love whiles is easy won
She’s taen out a steed that was both swift and able,
Refrain: To carry them both to fair Scotland.
O when they came to the Scottish cross,
Refrain: A may’s whiles is easy won
‘Ye brazen-faced whore, light off o my horse,
Refrain: And go get you back to Northumberland!’
O when they came to the Scottish moor,
Refrain: A may’s love whiles is easy won
‘Get off o my horse, you’re a brazen-faced whore,
Refrain: So go get you back to Northumberland!’
‘O pity on me, O pity,’ said she,
Refrain: ‘O that my love was so easy won!
Have pity on me as I had upon thee,
Refrain: When I loosd you out of the prison strong.’
‘O how can I have pity on thee?
Refrain: O why was your love so easy won!
When I have a wife and children three
Refrain: More worthy than a’ Northumberland.’
‘Cook in your kitchen I will be,
Refrain: O that my love was so easy won!
And serve your lady most reverently,
Refrain: For I darena go back to Northumberland.’
‘Cook in my kitchen you shall not be,
Why was your love so easy won!
For I will have no such servants as thee,
So get you back to Northumberland.’
But laith was he the lassie to tyne,
A may’s love whiles is easy won
He’s hired an old horse and feed an old man,
To carry her back to Northumberland.
O when she came her father before,
A may’s love whiles is easy won
She fell down on her knees so low
For she was the fair flower of Northumberland.
‘O daughter, O daughter, why was ye so bold,
Or why was your love so easy won,
To be a Scottish whore in your fifteen year old?
And you the fair flower of Northumberland!’
Her mother she gently on her did smile,
O that her love was so easy won!
‘She is not the first that the Scotts have beguild,
But she’s still the fair flower of Northumberland.
‘She shanna want gold, she shanna want fee,
Altho that her love was so easy won,
She shanna want gold to gain a man wi,
And she’s still the fair flower of Northumberland.’