EDWARD BALLAD



It was in the Mid-Lothian Country

Up near the Pentland hills

Two brothers met one summer's day

To test their strength and skill



Edward was the eldest one

And John was the younger man

They were equally matched in every way

To try what valor can



"Shall we go to the school grounds?

Or will we remain at the Hall?

But, better we go to the greenwood

To see which of us must fall"



"No, we'll not go to the school grounds

Nor will we remain at the Hall

But we will go to Roslyn woods

To see which of us will fall"



They struggled long for the mastery

'Till shadows told the end of the day

When Edward waxed wroth at his failure

And with his sword did his brother slay



"Brother, raise me up and help me to walk

Take me to yon stream so fair

Wash the blood from out my wounds

So they will bleed no more"



He raised his brother upon his feet

And helped him to the stream so fair

Frantically he bathed his bloody wounds

But they bled more and more



"Now Brother, I know that I must die

And I conjure you ere I go

That you will not tell the folks at home

How this happened, nor let them know



"Now lift me up upon your back

And take me to the churchyard fair

Dig my grave both broad and deep

And lay my body there



"You will place my arrows at my head

My bow put at my feet

My sword and buckler at my side

As though I were asleep



"When you go home to my true love

She'll ask for her lover John

Say you left me in the churchyard fair

But you fear I'll never come home



"When you go home to our sister

She'll ask for her brother John

Tell her I've gone to Stirling Carse

To see the King upon his throne



"When you go home to our parents

They'll ask you, 'Where is John?'

Tell them I'm at the Abbot's house

Studying there alone"



When he came home to John's true love

She asked for her lover John

He said, "I left him in the fair churchyard

And I fear he will never come home"



When he came home to his sister

She asked for her brother John

He told her he had gone to the Carse of Stirling

To the king upon the throne



When he came home to his parents

They asked for their son John

"I left him at the Abbot's school

To study there alone"



"What blood is that on thy coat front, Edward?

It's as red as it can be"

"It's the blood of my great hawk

That uncle gave to me"



"Hawk's blood was never so red, son

Come and tell the truth to me"

"It is the blood of my greyhound, mother

He would not run for me"



"That's not the blood of a hound, son

That is very plain to see

Is it not the blood of thy brother John?

Come and tell the truth to me"



"It is the blood of brother John

Oh mother, woe is me

I slew him in a fit of rage

Now the truth I have told to thee



"You have always told me, mother

Eldest sons must ne'er give in

The family name and title

Must always be sure to win"



"What penance will you do, son

To wipe away the stain?"

"I'll sail away across the seas

And never come home again."



"What will you leave your wife and son

If you sail beyond the sea?"

"I'll leave them my towers and hall, mother

Which mean nothing now to me."



"What will you leave your mother, Edward

Who has been so fond of thee?"

"I'll leave with her the memory of

Wrong counsel given me."



"When will you return, my son?

I shall long thy face to see."

"When the sunlight and moonbeams meet on the green

And that will never be."



Collected by Helen H. Flanders from George Edwards of Burlington,

VT. This has portions of Child numbers 12, 13, 49, and 51.

Child #13

@England @murder @FAMILY @ballad

filename[ EDWARD1

play.exe EDWARD1

SF

===DOCUMENT BOUNDARY