25 'Now chuse,' quoth he, 'thou wanton flower, Whe'r thou wilt be my paramour, Or get thee home to Northumberland.
26 'For I have wife, and children five, In Edenborow they be alive; Then get thee home to faire England.
27 'This favour shalt thou have to boote, Ile have thy horse, go thou on foote, Go, get thee home to Northumberland.'
28 'O false and faithlesse knight,' quoth shee, 'And canst thou deale so bad with me, And I the faire flower of Northumberland?
29 'Dishonour not a ladie's name, But draw thy sword and end my shame, And I the faire flower of Northumberland.'
30 He tooke her from her stately steed, And left her there in extreme need, And she the faire flower of Northumberland.
31 Then sate she downe full heavily; At length two knights came riding by, Two gallant knights of faire England.
32 She fell downe humbly on her knee, Saying, 'Courteous knights, take pittie on me, And I the faire flower of Northumberland.
33 'I have offended my father deere, And by a false knight that brought me heere, From the good Earle of Northumberland.'
34 They tooke her up behind them then, And brought her to her father's againe, And he the good Earle of Northumberland.
35 All you faire maidens be warned by me, Scots were never true, nor never will be, To lord, nor lady, nor faire England.
#a.# Kinloch MSS, V, 49, in the handwriting of J. Beattie. #b.# Kinloch's Ancient Scottish Ballads, p. 134, from the recitation of Miss E. Beattie.
1 The provost's daughter went out a walking, A may's love whiles is easy won She heard a poor prisoner making his moan, And she was the fair flower of Northumberland.
2 'If any lady would borrow me Out into the prison strong, I would make her a lady of high degree, For I am a great lord in fair Scotland.'
3 She's done her to her father's bed-stock, A may's love whiles is easy won She's stolen the keys o many braw lock, And she's loosd him out o the prison strong.
4 She's done her to her father's stable, A may's love whiles is easy won She's taen out a steed that was both swift and able, To carry them both to fair Scotland.
5 O when they came to the Scottish cross, A may's love whiles is easy won 'Ye brazen-faced whore, light off o my horse, And go get you back to Northumberland!'