THE FAIR FLOWER OF NORTHUMBERLAND.
Ritson's Ancient Songs and Ballads, ii. 75.
Preserved in Thomas Deloney's History of Jack of Newbery, whence it was extracted by Ritson. In that extraordinary book, The Minstrelsy of the English Border, (p. 201,) Ritson's copy is inserted without acknowledgment, and with a few alterations for the worse. Scottish versions of this ballad are given by Kinloch, ([The Provost's Dochter], p. 131,) and by Buchan, (The Betrayed Lady, ii. 208.) The former of these is printed in our Appendix.
It was a Knight in Scotland born,
Follow, my love, come over the strand,
Was taken prisoner, and left forlorn,
Even by the good Earl of Northumberland.
Then was he cast in prison strong,5
Follow, my love, 'come' over the strand,
Where he could not walk nor lye along,
Even by the good Earl of Northumberland.
And as in sorrow thus he lay,
Follow, my love, come over the strand,10
The Earl sweet daughter walks that way,
And she is the fair Flower of Northumberland.
And passing by like an angel bright,
Follow, my love, come over the strand,
The prisoner had of her a sight,15
And she the fair Flower of Northumberland.
And aloud to her this knight did cry,
Follow, my love, come over the strand,
The salt tears standing in his eye,
And she the fair Flower of Northumberland.