Classic Poem

As : I was cast in my ffirst sleepe,
 a dreadffull draught in my mind I drew;
ffor I was dreamed of one yong man,
 some men called him yonge Andrew.

the moone shone bright, & itt cast a ffayre light;
 sayes shee, “welcome, my honey, my hart, & my sweete!
for I haue loued thee this 7 long yeere,
 & our chance itt was wee cold neuer meete.”

then he tooke her in his armes 2,
 & k[i]ssed her both cheeke & chin;
& 2 se or 3 se he pleased this may
 before they tow did p ar t in twinn;

saies, “now, good S i r, you haue had yo u r will,
 you can demand no more of mee;
Good S i r, Remember what you said before,
 & goe to the church & marry mee.”

“ffaire maid, I cannott doe as I wold;
 [Till I am got to my own country]
goe home & fett thy fathers redd gold,
 & Ile goe to the church & marry thee.”

this Ladye is gone to her ffathers hall,
 & well she knew where his red gold Lay,
and counted fforth 5 hundred pound
 besides all other Iuells & chaines,

& brought itt all to younge Andrew;
 itt was well counted vpon his knee.
then he tooke her by the Lillye white hand,
 & led her vp to one hill soe hye;

shee had vpon a gowne of blacke veluett;—
 a pittyffull sight after yee shall see;—
“put of thy clothes, bonny wenche,” he sayes,
 “for noe ffoote further thoust gang w i th mee.”

but then shee put of her gowne of veluett
 w i th many a salt teare from her eye,
And in a kirtle of ffine breaden silke
 shee stood beffore young Andrews eye.

sais, “o put off thy kirtle of silke;
 ffor some & all shall goe with mee:
& to my owne Lady I must itt beare,
 who I must needs loue better then thee”

then shee put of her kirtle of silke
 w i th many a salt teare still ffrom her eye;
in a peticoate of scarlett redd
 shee stood before young Andrewes eye.

saies, “o put of thy peticoate;
 for some & all of itt shall goe w i th mee;
& to my owne Lady I will itt beare,
 w hi ch dwells soe ffarr in a strange countrye.”

but then shee put of her peticoate
 w i th many a salt teare still from her eye;
& in a smocke of braue white silke
 shee stood before young Andrews eye.

saies, “o put of thy smocke of silke;
 for some & all shall goe w i th mee;
vnto my owne Ladye I will it beare,
  tha t dwells soe ffarr in a strange countrye.”

sayes, “o remember, young Andrew!
 once of a woman you were borne;
& ffor tha t birth tha t Marye bore,
 I pray you let my smocke be vpon!”

“yes, ffayre Ladye, I know itt well;
 once of a woman I was borne;
yett ffor noe birth tha t Mary bore,
 thy smocke shall not be left here vpon.”
but then shee put of her head geere ffine;
 shee hadd billaments worth a 100;
the hayre tha t was vpon this bony wench head,
 couered her bodye downe to the ground.

then he pulled forth a scottish brand,
 & held itt there in his owne right hand;
saies, “whether wilt thou dye vpon my swords point, Ladye,
 or thow wilt goe naked home againe?”

“my liffe is sweet, then S i r,” said shee,
 “therfore I pray you leaue mee w i th mine;
before I wold dye on yo u r swords point,
 I had rather goe naked home againe.

“my ffather,” shee sayes, “is a right good Erle
 as any remaines in his countrye;
if euer he doe yo u r body take,
 yo u r sure to fflower a gallow tree;

“& I haue 7 brethren,” shee sayes,
 “& they are all hardy men & bold;
giff euer thé doe yo u r body take,
 you must neuer gang quicke ou er the mold.”

“if yo u r ffather be a right good Erle
 as any remaines in his owne countrye,
tush! he shall neuer my body take,
 Ile gang soe ffast ouer the sea!

“if you haue 7 brethren,” he sayes,
 “if they be neu er soe hardy or bold;
tush! they shall neu er my body take;
 Ile gang soe ffast into the scottish mold!”

Now this Ladye is gone to her fathers hall
 when euery body their rest did take;
but the Erle w hi ch was her ffather [dear]
 lay waken for his deere daughters sake.

“but who is tha t,” her ffather can say,
 “ tha t soe priuilye knowes tha t pinn?”
“its Hellen, yo u r owne deere daughter, ffather!
 I pray you rise and lett me in.”

“noe, by my hood!” q uo th her ffather then,
“my [house] thoust neuer come w i thin,
w i thout I had my red gold againe.”

“nay, yo u r gold is gone, ffather!” said shee.
“then naked thou came into this world,
and naked thou shalt returne againe.”

“nay! god fforgaue his death, father!” shee sayes,
 “& soe I hope you will doe mee.”
“away, away, thou cursed woman!
 “I pray god an ill death thou may dye!”

shee stood soe long quacking on the ground
 till her hart itt burst in three,
& then shee ffell dead downe in a swoond;
 & this was the end of this bonny Ladye

ithe morning when her ffather gott vpp,
 a pittyffull sight there he might see;
his owne deere daughter was dead w i thout Clothes!
 they teares they trickeled fast ffrom his eye;

sais, “fye of gold, and ffye of ffee!
 for I sett soe much by my red gold
tha t now itt hath lost both my daughter and mee!”

but after this time he neere dought good day,
 but as flowers doth fade in the ffrost,
soe he did wast & weare away.

but let vs leaue talking of this Ladye,
 & talke some more of young Andrew,
ffor ffalse he was to this bonny Ladye;
 more pitty tha t itt had not beene true.

he was not gone a mile into the wild forrest,
 or halfe a mile into the hart of wales,
but there they cought him by such a braue wyle
  tha t hee must come to tell noe more tales.

ffull soone a wolfe did of him smell,
 & shee came roaring like a beare,
& gaping like a ffeend of hell;

soe they ffought together like 2 Lyons [there],
 & fire betweene them 2 glashet out;
thé raught eche other such a great rappe,
  tha t there young Andrew was slaine, well I wott.

but now young Andrew he is dead;
 but he was neuer buryed vnder mold;
for ther as the wolfe devoured him,
 there lyes all this great erles gold.