Classic Poem

Off all the lords in faire Scottland
a song I will begin:
amongst them all there dweld a Lo rd
w hi ch was the vnthrifty Lo rd of linne.

his father & mother were dead him froe,
& soe was the head of all his kinne;
he did neither cease nor bl[i]nne
to the cards & dice tha t he did run,

to drinke the wine that was soe cleere,
w i th euery man he wold make merry.
and then bespake him Iohn of the Scales,
vnto the heire of Linne sayd hee,

sayes, " how dost thou, Lo rd of Linne,
doest either want gold or fee?
wilt thou not sell thy lands soe brode
to such a good fellow as me? "

" ffor . . I . . " he said,
" my land, take it vnto thee;
I draw you to record, my lord[e]s all: "
w i th tha t he cast him a good-se peny,

he told him the gold vpon the bord,
it wanted neuer a bare penny.
" tha t gold is thine, the land is mine,
the heire of Linne I wilbee. "

" heeres gold inoughe, " saithe the heire of Linne,
" both for me & my company. "
he drunke the wine tha t was soe cleere,
& w i th euery man he made Merry.

w i th-in 3 quarters of a yeere
his gold & fee it waxed thinne,
his merry men were from him gone,
& left him himselfe all alone.

he had neuer a penny left in his pursse,
neuer a penny but 3,
& one was brasse, & another was lead,
& another was white mony.

" Now well-aday! " said the heire of Linne,
" now welladay, & woe is mee!
for when I was the lord of Linne,
I neither wanted gold nor fee;

" for I haue sold my lands soe broad,
& haue not left me one penny!
I must goe now & take some read
vnto Edenborrow, & begg my bread. "

he had not beene in Edenborrow
not 3 qwarters of a yeere,
but some did giue him, & some said nay,
& some bid " to the deele gang yee!

" for if we shold hang any Land selfeer,
the first we wold begin w i th thee. "
" Now welladay! " said the heire of Linne,
no[w] welladay, & woe is mee!

" for now I have sold my lands soe broad,
tha t mery man is irke w i th mee;
but when tha t I was the Lo rd of Linne,
then on my land I liued merrily;

" & now I have sold my land soe broade
tha t I haue not left me one pennye!
god be w i th my father! " he said,
" on his land he liued merrily. "

Still in a study there as he stood,
he vnbethought him of [a] bill
[he vnbethought him of a bill]
w hi ch his father had left w i th him,

bade him he shold neuer on it looke
till he was in extreame neede,
" & by my faith, " said the heire of Linne,
" then now I had neuer more neede. "

he tooke the bill, & looked it on,
good comfort tha t he found there;
itt told him of a Castle wall
where there stood 3 chests in feare:

2 were full of the beaten gold,
the 3 was full of white mony.
he turned then downe his baggs of bread,
& filled them full of gold soe red.

then he did neuer cease nor blinne
till Iohn of the Scales house he did winne.
when tha t he came to Iohn of the Scalels,
vpp at the speere he looked then:
there sate 3 lords vpon a rowe,
and Iohn o the Scales sate at the bords head,
[and Iohn o the Scales sate at the bords head,]
because he was the Lo rd of Linne.

and then bespake the heire of Linne,
to Iohn o the Scales wiffe thus sayd hee:
sayd, " Dame, wilt thou not trust me one shott
tha t I may sitt downe in this company? "

" now, christs curse on my head, " shee said,
if I doe trust thee one pennye. "
then be-spake a good fellowe,
w hi ch sate by Iohn o the Scales his knee,

Said, " haue thou here, thou heire of linne,
40 pence I will lend thee, —
some time a good fellow thou hast beene, —
& other 40 if neede bee. "

the druken wine tha t was soe cleere,
& euery man the made merry;
& then bespake him Iohn o the Scales,
vnto the Lo rd of linne said hee:

said, " how doest thou, heire of Linne,
since I did buy thy Lands of thee?
I will sell it to thee 20 li better cheepe
nor euer I did buy it of thee. "

" I draw you to recorde, lord[e]s all; " —
w i th that he cast him gods penny;
then he tooke to his baggs of bread,
& they were full of the gold soe redd,

he told him the gold then over the borde;
it wanted neuer a broad pennye:
" tha t gold is thine, the land is mine,
& the heire of Linne againe I wilbee. "

" Now welladay! " said Iohn o the Scales wife,
" welladay, & woe is me!
yesterday I was the lady of Linne,
& now I am but Iohn o the Scales wiffe! "

saies " haue thou heere, thou good fellow,
40 pence thou did lend me,
[40 pence thou did lend me,]
& 40 I will giue thee,
Ile make thee keep er of my forrest,
both of the wild deere & the tame. "

but then bespake the heire of Linne,
these were the words, & thus said hee,
" christs curse light vpon my crowne
if ere my land stand in any Ieopardye! "