Peter Robins, his website

The Maid Freed From the Gallows

Variant 95A

1
`O GOOD Lord Judge, and sweet Lord Judge,
Peace for a little while!
Methinks I see my own father,
Come riding by the stile.
2
`Oh father, oh father, a little of your gold,
And likewise of your fee!
To keep my body from yonder grave,
And my neck from the gallows-tree.'
3
`None of my gold now you shall have,
Nor likewise of my fee;
For I am come to see you hangd,
And hanged you shall be.'
4
`Oh good Lord Judge, and sweet Lord Judge,
Peace for a little while!
Methinks I see my own mother,
Come riding by the stile.
5
`Oh mother, oh mother, a little of your gold,
And likewise of your fee,
To keep my body from yonder grave,
And my neck from the gallows-tree!'
6
`None of my gold now shall you have,
Nor likewise of my fee;
For I am come to see you hangd,
And hanged you shall be.'
7
`Oh good Lord Judge, and sweet Lord Judge,
Peace for a little while!
Methinks I see my own brother,
Come riding by the stile.
8
`Oh brother, oh brother, a little of your gold,
And likewise of your fee,
To keep my body from yonder grave,
And my neck from the gallows-tree!'
9
`None of my gold now shall you have,
Nor likewise of my fee;
For I am come to see you hangd,
And hanged you shall be.'
10
`Oh good Lord Judge, and sweet Lord Judge,
Peace for a little while!
Methinks I see my own sister,
Come riding by the stile.
11
`Oh sister, oh sister, a little of your gold,
And likewise of your fee,
To keep my body from yonder grave,
And my neck from the gallows-tree!'
12
`None of my gold now shall you have,
Nor likewise of my fee;
For I am come to see you hangd,
And hanged you shall be.'
13
`Oh good Lord Judge, and sweet Lord Judge,
Peace for a little while!
Methinks I see my own true-love,
Come riding by the stile.
14
`Oh true-love, oh true-love, a little of your gold,
And likewise of your fee,
To save my body from yonder grave,
And my neck from the gallows-tree.'
15
`Some of my gold now you shall have,
And likewise of my fee,
For I am come to see you saved,
And saved you shall be.'

The Maid Freed From the Gallows

Variant 95B

1
`IT'S hold your hand, dear judge,' she says,
`O hold your hand for a while!
For yonder I see my father a coming,
Riding many's the mile.
2
`Have you any gold, father?' she says,
`Or have you any fee?
Or did you come to see your own daughter a hanging,
Like a dog, upon a tree?'
3
`I have no gold, daughter,' he says,
`Neither have I any fee;
But I am come to see my ain daughter hanged,
And hanged she shall be.'
4
`Hey the broom, and the bonny, bonny broom,
The broom o the Cauthery Knowes!
I wish I were at hame again,
Milking my ain daddie's ewes.
5
`Hold your hand, dear judge,' she says,
`O hold your hand for a while!
For yonder I see my own mother coming,
Riding full many a mile.
6
`Have you any gold, mother?' she says,
`Or have you any fee?
Or did you come to see your own daughter hanged,
Like a dog, upon a tree?'
7
`I have no gold, daughter,' she says,
`Neither have I any fee;
But I am come to see my own daughter hanged,
And hanged she shall be.'
8
`Hey the broom, the bonnie, bonnie broom,
The broom o the Cauthery Knowes!
I wish I were at hame again,
Milking my ain daddie's ewes.
9
`Hold your hand, dear judge,' she says,
`O hold your hand for a while!
For yonder I see my ae brother a coming,
Riding many's the mile.
10
`Have you any gold, brother?' she says,
`Or have you any fee?
Or did you come to see your ain sister a hanging,
Like a dog, upon a tree?'
11
`I have no gold, sister,' he says,
`Nor have I any fee'
But I am come to see my ain sister hanged,
And hanged she shall be.'
12
`Hey the broom, the bonnie, bonnie broom,
The broom o the Cathery Knowes!
I wish I were at hame again,
Milking my ain daddie's ewes.
13
`Hold your hand, dear judge,' she says,
`O hold your hand for a while!
For yonder I see my own true-love coming,
Riding full many a mile.
14
`Have you any gold, my true-love?' she says,
`Or have you any fee?
Or have you come to see your own love hanged,
Like a dog, upon a tree?'
* * * * *

The Maid Freed From the Gallows

Variant 95C

1
`HOLD up thy hand, most righteous judge,
Hold up thy hand a while!
For here I see my own dear father,
Come tumbling over the stile.
2
`Oh hast thou brought me silver or gold,
Or jewels, to set me free?
Or hast thou come to see me hung?
For hanged I shall be.
3
`If I could get out of this prickly bush,
That prickles my heart so sore,
If I could get out of this prickly bush,
I'd never get in it no more.'
4
`Oh I have brought nor silver nor gold,
Nor jewels, to set thee free;
But I have come to see thee hung,
For hanged thou shall be.
* * * * *
5
`It's I have brought thee silver and gold,
And jewels, to set thee free;
I have not come to see thee hung,
For hanged thou shall not be.'
6
`Now I have got out of this prickly bush,
That prickled my heart so sore,
And I have got out of this prickly bush,
I'll never get in it no more.'

The Maid Freed From the Gallows

Variant 95D

1
. . . . .
`O had your hand a while!
For yonder comes my father,
I'm sure he'l borrow me.
2
`O some of your goud, father,
An of your well won fee!
To save me [frae the high hill],
[And] frae the gallow-tree.'
3
`Ye'se get nane of my goud,
Nor of my well won fee,
For I would gie five hundred poun
To see ye hangit hie.'
4
. . . . .
`O had yer hand a while!
Yonder is my love Willie,
Sure he will borrow me.
5
`O some o your goud, my love Willie,
An some o yer well won fee!
To save me frae the high hill,
And frae the gallow-tree.'
6
`Ye'se get a' my goud,
And a' my well won fee,
To save ye fra the headin-hill,
And frae the gallow-tree.'

The Maid Freed From the Gallows

Variant 95E

1
`HOLD your hands, ye justice o peace,
Hold them a little while!
For yonder comes my father and mother,
That's travelld mony a mile.
2
`Gie me some o your gowd, parents,
Some o your white monie,
To save me frae the head o yon hill,
Yon greenwood gallows-tree.'
3
`Ye'll get nane o our gowd, daughter,
Nor nane o our white monie,
For we have travelld mony a mile,
This day to see you die.'
4
`Hold your hands, ye justice o peace,
Hold them a little while!
For yonder comes him Warenston,
The father of my chile.
5
`Give me some o your gowd, Warenston,
Some o your white monie,
To save me frae the head o yon hill,
Yon greenwood gallows-tree.'
6
`I bade you nurse my bairn well,
And nurse it carefullie,
And gowd shoud been your hire, Maisry,
And my body your fee.'
7
He's taen out a purse o gowd,
Another o white monie,
And he's tauld down ten thousand crowns,
Says, True-love, gang wi me.

The Maid Freed From the Gallows

Variant 95F

1
`STOP, stop, . . .
. . . . .
I think I see my father coming,
. . . . .
2
`O hae ye brocht my silken cloak,
Or my golden key?
Or hae ye come to see he hanged,
On this green gallows-tree?'
3
`I've neither brocht your silken cloak,
Nor your golden key,
But I have come to see you hanged,
On this green gallows-tree.'
* * * * *
4
`I've neither brocht your silken cloak,
Nor your golden key,
But I am come to set you free
From this green gallows-tree.'

The Maid Freed From the Gallows

Variant 95G

1
`HANGMAN, hangman, stop a minute,
. . . . .
I think I see my father coming,
. . . . .
2
`Father, father, have you found the key,
And have you come to set me free?
Or have you come to see me hanged,
Upon this gallows-tree?'
* * * * *
3
`I have not come to see you hanged,
Upon the gallows-tree,
For I have found the golden key,'
. . . . .

The Maid Freed From the Gallows

Variant 95H

1
`STOP, stop! . . .
. . . . .
I think I see my mother coming,
. . . . .
2
`Oh mother, hast brought my golden ball,
And come to set me free?
. . . . .
. . . . .
3
`I've neither brought thy golden ball,
Nor come to set thee free,
But I have come to see thee hung,
Upon this gallows-tree.'
4
`Stop, stop! . . .
. . . . .
I think I see my father coming,
. . . . .
5
`O father, hast brought my golden ball,
And come to set me free?
. . . . .
. . . . .
6
`I've neither brought thy golden ball,
Nor come to set thee free,
But I have come to see thee hung,
Upon this gallows-tree.'
7
`Stop, stop! . . .
. . . . .
I see my sweet-heart coming,
. . . . .
8
`Sweet-heart, hast brought my golden ball,
And come to set me free?
. . . . .
. . . . .
9
`Aye, I have brought thy golden ball,
And come to set thee free;
I have not come to see thee hung,
Upon this gallows-tree.'

The Maid Freed From the Gallows

Variant 95[I]

1
`Hold your tongue, Lord Judge,' she says,
`Yet hold it a little while;
Methinks I see my ain dear father
Coming wandering many a mile.
2
`O have you brought me gold, father?
Or have you brought me fee?
Or are you come to save my life
From off this gallows-tree?'
3
`I have not brought you gold, daughter,
Nor have I brought you fee,
But I am come to see you hangd,
As you this day shall be.'
* * * * *
4
`I have not brought you gold, true-love,
Nor yet have I brought fee,
But I am come to save thy life
From off this gallows-tree.'
5
`Gae hame, gae hame, father,' she says,
`Gae hame and saw yer seed;
And I wish not a pickle of it may grow up,
But the thistle and the weed.
6
`Gae hame, gae hame, gae hame, mother,
Gae hame and brew yer yill;
And I wish the girds may a' loup off,
And the Deil spill a' yer yill.
7
`Gae hame, gae hame, gae hame, brother,
Gae hame and lie with yer wife;
And I wish that the first news I may hear
That she has tane your life.
8
`Gae hame, gae hame, sister,' she says,
`Gae hame and sew yer seam;
I wish that the needle-point may break,
And the craws pyke out yer een.'

The Maid Freed From the Gallows

Variant 95[J]

1
`Hold up, hold up your hands so high!
Hold up your hands so high!
For I think I see my own father
Coming over yonder stile to me.
2
`Oh father, have you got any gold for me?
Any money for to pay me free?
To keep my body from the cold clay ground,
And my neck from the gallows-tree?'
3
`Oh no, I've got no gold for thee,
No money for to pay thee free,
For I've come to see thee hangd this day,
And hange:d thou shalt be.'
4
`Oh the briers, prickly briers,
Come prick my heart so sore;
I ever I get from the gallows-tree,
I'll never get there any more.'
* * * * *
5
`Oh yes, I've got some gold for thee,
Some money for to pay thee free;
I'll save thy body from the cold clay ground,
And thy neck from the gallows-tree.'
6
`Oh the briers, prickly briers,
Don't prick my heart any more;
For now I've got from the gallows'tree
I'll never get there any more.'

The Maid Freed From the Gallows

Variant 95[K]

1
`O hangman, hold thy hand,' he cried,
`O hold thy hand awhile,
For I can see my own dear father
Coming over yonder stile.
2
`O father, have you brought me gold?
Or will you set me free?
Or be you come to see me hung,
All on this high gallows-tree?'
3
`No, I have not brought thee gold,
And I will not set thee free,
But I am come to see thee hung,
All on this high gallows-tree.'
4
`Oh, the prickly bush, the prickly bush,
It pricked my heart full sore;
If ever I get out of the prickly bush,
I'll never get in any more.'
5
`Yes, I have brought thee gold,' she cried,
`And I will set thee free,
And I am come, but not to see thee hung
All on this high gallous-tree.'
`Oh, the prickly bush,' etc.

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