CAPTAIN CAR, OR EDOM O' GORDON.
It befell at Martinmas
When weather waxed cold,
Captain Car said to his men,
"We must go take a hold."
Sick, sick, and too-too sick,
And sick and like to die;
The sickest night that ever I abode,
God Lord have mercy on me.
"Hail, master, and whither you will,
And whither ye like it best."
"To the castle of Craickernbrough;
And there we will take our rest.
"I know where is a gay castle,
Is builded of lime and stone,
Within there is a gay lady,
Her lord is ridden and gone."
The lady she leaned on her castle-wall,
She looked up and down;
There was she ware of an host of men,
Come riding to the town.
"See now, my merry men all,
And see you what I see;
Yonder I see an host of men,
I muse who they be."
She thought he had been her wed lord,
As he comed riding home;
Then was it traitor Captain Car,
The lord of Ester-town.
They were no sooner at supper set,
Then after said the grace,
Or Captain Car and all his men
Were light about the place.
"Give over this house, thou lady gay,
And I will make thee a band;
To-night thou shall lie within my arms,
To-morrow thou shall heir my land."
Then bespake the eldest son,
That was both white and red,
"O mother dear, give over your house,
Or else we shall be dead."
"I will not give over my house," she saith,
"Not for fear of my life;
It shall be talked throughout the land,
The slaughter of a wife.
"Fetch me my pestilet,
And charge me my gun,
That I may shoot at yonder bloody butcher,
The lord of Ester-town."
Stiffly upon her wall she stood,
And let the pellets flee,
But then she missed the bloody butcher,
And she slew other three.
"[I will] not give over my house," she saith,
"Neither for lord nor loon,
Nor yet for traitor Captain Car,
The lord of Ester-town.
band, bond. pestilet, pistols.
"I desire of Captain Car,
And all his bloody band,
That he would save my eldest son,
The heir of all my land."
"Lap him in a sheet," he saith,
"And let him down to me,
And I shall take him in my arms,
His warrant shall I be."
The captain said unto himself,
With speed before the rest;
He cut his tongue out of his head,
His heart out of his brest.
He lapt them in a handerchief,
And knit it of knots three,
And cast them over the castle-wall
At that gay lady.
"Fie upon thee, Captain Car,
And all thy bloody band,
For thou hast slain my eldest son,
The heir of all my land."
Then bespake the youngest son,
That sat on the nurses knee,
Saith, "Mother gay, give over your house,
It smouldereth me."
"I would give my gold," she saith,
"And so I would my fee,
For a blast of the western wind
To drive the smoke from thee.
"Fie upon thee, John Hamilton,
That ever I paid thee hire,
For thou hast broken my castle-wall,
And kindled in the fire."
The lady gat to her close parlor,
The fire fell about her head;
She took up her children three,
Saith, "Babes, we are all dead."
Then bespake the high steward,
That is of high degree;
Saith, "Lady gay, you are enclosed,
Whether ye fight or flee."
Lord Hamilton dreamed in his dream,
In Carvall where he lay,
His hall was all of fire,
His lady slain or day.
"Busk and boun, my merry men all,
Even and go ye with me,
For I dreamed that my hall was on fire
My lady slain or day."
or day, before day.
He busked him and bouned him,
And like a worthy knight,
And when he saw his hall burning,
His heart was no deal light.
He set a trumpet till his mouth,
He blew as it pleased his grace;
Twenty score of Hamiltons
Was light about the place.
"Had I known as much yesternight
As I do to-day,
Captain Car and all his men
Should not have gone so quite [away|.
"Fie upon thee, Captain Car,
And all thy bloody band;
Thou hast slain my lady gay,
More worth then all thy land.
"If thou had ought any ill will," he saith,
"Thou should have taken my life,
And have saved my children three,
All and my lovesome wife."
bouned, prepared.