Tom Potts

All you lords of Scottland ffaire,
And ladyes alsoe, bright of blee,
There is a ladye amongst them all,
Of her report you shall heare of me.

Of her bewtye shee is soe bright,
And of her colour soe bright of blee;
Shee is daughter to the Lord Arrndell,
His heyre apparrant ffor to bee.

" I 'le see tha t bryde," Lo rd Phenix sayes,
" Tha t is a ladye of hye degree,
And iff I like her countenance well,
The heyre of all my land shee'st bee."

To tha t ladye ffayre Lord Phenix came,
And to tha t like-some dame said hee,
Now God thee saue, my ladye ffaire,
The heyre of all my land tho'st bee.

" Leaue of yo u r suite," the ladye sayd;
" You are a lord of honor ffree;
You may gett ladyes enowe att home,
And I haue a loue in mine owne countrye.

" I haue a loner true of mine owne,
A servinge-man of a small degree;
Thomas a Pott, itt is his name,
He is the ffirst loue tha t euer I had,
and the last tha t hee shalbee."

" Giue Thomas a Pott then be his name,
I wott I ken him soe readilye;
I can spend forty pounds by weeke,
And hee cannott spend pounds three."

" God giue you good of yo u r gold," said the ladye,
" And alsoe, s i r, of yo u r ffee!
Hee was the ffirst loue tha t euer I had,
And the last, s i r, shall hee bee."

W i th tha t Lord Phenix was sore amoued;
Vnto her ffather then went hee;
Hee told her ffather how itt was proued,
How tha t his daughter's mind was sett.

" Thou art my daughter," the Erle of Arrndell said,
" The heyre of all my land to bee;
Thou 'st be bryde to the Lord Phenix,
Daughter, giue thou 'le be heyre to mee."

For lacke of her loue this ladye must lose,
Her foolish wooing lay all aside;
The day is appoynted, and ffriends are agreede;
Shee is fforcte to be the Lo rd Phenix bryde.

W i th tha t the lady began to muse —
A greeued woman, God wott, was shee —
How shee might Lo rd Phenix beguile,
And scape vnmarryed ffrom him tha t day.

Shee called to her her litle ffoote-page,
To lacke her boy, soe tenderlye;
Sayes, Come thou hither, thou litle ffoote-page,
For indeed I dare trust none but thee.

To Strawberry Castle, boy, thou must goe,
To Thomas Pott there as hee can bee,
And giue him here this letter ffaire,
And on Guilford Greene bidd him meete me.

Looke thou marke his contenance well,
And his colour tell to mee;
And hye thee ffast, and come againe,
And forty shillings I will giue thee.

For if he blush in his fface,
Then in his hart hee 'se sorry bee;
Then lett my ffather say what hee will,
For false to Potts I 'le neuer bee.

And giue hee smile then w i th his mouth,
Then in his heart hee 'le merry be;
Then may hee gett him a loue where-euer he can,
For small of his companye my p ar t shalbe.

Then one while tha t the boy hee went,
Another while, God wott, rann hee,
And when hee came to Strawberry Castle,
There Thomas Potts hee see.

Then he gaue him this letter ffaire,
And when he began then for to reade,
They boy had told him by word of mouth
His loue must be the Lord Phenix bryde.

W i th tha t, Thomas a Pott began to blashe,
The teares trickeled in his eye:
" Indeed this letter I cannot reede,
Nor neuer a word to see or spye.

" I pray thee, boy, to me thou 'le be trew,
And beer 's fiue marke I will giue thee;
And all these words thou must peruse,
And tell thy lady this ffrom mee.

" Tell her by ffaith and troth shee is mine owne,
By some p ar t of p ro mise, and soe itt 's be found;
Lo rd Phenix shall neu er marry her, by night nor day,
W i thout he can winn her w i th his hand.

" On Gilford Greene I will her meete,
And bidd tha t ladye ffor mee pray;
For there I 'le loose my liffe soe sweete,
Or else the wedding I will stay."

Then backe againe the boy he went,
As ffast againe as he cold hye;
The ladye mett him fiue mile on the way:
" Why hast thou stayd soe long?" saies shee.

" Boy," said the ladye, " thou art but younge;
To please my mind thou 'le mocke and scorne;
I will not beleeue thee on word of mouth,
Vnlesse on this booke thou wilt be sworne."

" Marry, by this booke," the boy can say,
" As Christ himselfe be true to mee,
Tho mas Pott cold not his letter reade
For teares trickling in his eye."

" If this be true," the ladye sayd,
" Thou bonny boy, thou tells to mee,
Forty shillings I did thee p ro mise,
But heere 's ten pounds I 'le giue itt thee.

" All my maids," the lady sayd,
" Tha t this day doe waite on mee,
Wee will ffali downe vpon our knees,
For Tho mas Pott now pray will wee.

" If his ffortune be now ffor to winn —
Wee will pray to Christ in Trinytye —
I 'le make him the fflower of all his kinn,
Ffor they Lo rd of Arrundale he shal-be."

Now lett vs leaue talking of this ladye faire,
In her prayer good where shee can bee;
And I 'le tell you hou Tho mas Pott
For ayd to his lo rd and m aster came hee.

And when hee came Lo rd Iockye before,
He kneeled him low downe on his knee;
Saies, Thou art welcome, Tho mas Pott,
Thou art allwayes full of thy curtesye.

Has thou slaine any of thy ffellowes,
Or has thou wrought me some villanye?
" Sir, none of my ffellowes I haue slaine,
Nor I haue wrought you noe villanye.

" But I haue a loue in Scottland ffaire,
I doubt I must lose her through pouertye;
If you will not beleeue me by word of mouth,
Behold the letter shee writt vnto mee."

When Lo rd Iockye looked the letter vpon,
The tender words in itt cold bee,
" Tho mas Pott, take thou no care,
Thou 'st neuer loose her throughe pouertye.

" Thou shalt have forty pounds a weeke,
In gold and siluer thou shalt rowe,
And Harbye towne I will thee allowe
As longe as thou dost meane to wooe.

" Thou shalt haue fortye of thy ffellowes ffaire,
And forty horsse to goe w i th thee,
And forty speares of the best I haue,
And I my-selfe in thy companye."

" I thanke you, m aster ," sayd Tho mas Pott,
" Neither man nor boy shall goe w i th mee;
I wold not ffor a thousand pounds
Take one man in my companye."

" Why then, God be w i th thee, Tho mas Pott!
Thou art well knowen and proued for a man;
Looke thou shedd no guiltlesse bloode,
Nor neuer confound no gentlman.

" But looke thou take w i th him some truce,
Apoint a place of lybertye;
Lett him p ro vide as well as hee cann,
And as well p ro vided thou shalt bee."

And when Tho mas Pott came to Gilford Greene,
And walked there a litle beside,
Then was hee ware of the Lo rd Phenix,
And w i th him Ladye Rozamund his bryde.

Away by the bryde rode Tho mas of Pott,
But noe word to her tha t he did say;
But when he came Lo rd Phenix before,
He gaue him the right time of the day.

" O thou art welcome, Tho mas a Potts,
Thou serving-man, welcome to mee!
How ffares they lo rd and m aster att home,
And all the ladyes in thy cuntrye?"

" S i r, my lo rd and my m aster is in verry good health,
I wott I ken itt soe readylye;
I pray you, will you ryde to one outsyde,
A word or towe to talke w i th mee.

" You are a nobleman," sayd Tho mas a Potts,
" Yee are a borne lo rd in Scottland ffree;
You may gett ladyes enowe att home;
You shall neuer take my loue ffrom mee."

" Away, away, thou Tho mas a Potts!
Thou seruing-man, stand thou a-side!
I wott there 's not a serving-man this day,
I know, can hinder mee of my bryde."

" If I be but a seruing-man," sayd Tho mas ,
" And you are a lord of honor ffree,
A speare or two I 'le w i th you runn,
Before I 'le loose her thus cowardlye."

" On Gilford Greene," Lo rd Ph enix saies,
" I 'le thee meete;
Neither man nor boy shall come hither w i th mee;"
" And as I am a man," said Tho mas a Pott,
" I 'le haue as ffew in my companye."

W i th tha t the wedding-day was stayd,
The bryde went vnmarryed home againe;
Then to her maydens ffast shee loughe,
And in her hart shee was ffull ffaine.

" But all my mayds," they ladye sayd,
" Tha t this day doe waite on mee,
Wee will ffall downe againe vpon our knees,
For Tho mas a Potts now pray will wee.

" If his ffortune be ffor to winn —
Wee 'le pray to Christ in Trynitye —
I 'le make him the fflower of all his kinn,
For the Lo rd of Arrundale he shalbe."

Now let vs leaue talking of this lady fayre,
In her prayers good where shee can bee;
I 'le tell you the troth how Tho mas a Potts
For aide to his lord againe came hee.

And when he came to Strawberry Castle,
To try ffor his ladye he had but one weeke;
Alacke, ffor sorrow hee cannott ffor-beare,
For four dayes then he ffell sicke.

W i th tha t his lo rd and m aster to him came,
Sayes, I pray thee, Tho mas , tell mee w i thout all doubt,
Whether hast thou gotten the bonny ladye,
Or thou man gange the ladye w i thoute.

" Marry, m aster , yett tha t matter is vntryde;
W i thin two dayes tryed itt must bee;
He is a lo rd , and I am but a seruingman,
I doubt I must loose her through pouertye."
" Why, Tho mas a Pott, take thou no care
Thou 'st neuer loose her through ponertye.

" Thou shalt haue halfe my land a yeere,
And tha t will raise thee many a pound;
Before thou shalt loose thy bonny ladye,
Thou shalt drop angells w i th him to the ground.

" And thou shalt haue forty of thy ffellowes ffaire,
And forty horsses to goe w i th thee,
And forty speres of the best I haue,
And I my-selfe in thy companye."

" I thanke you, m aster ," sayd Tho mas a Potts,
" But of one thinge, sir, I wold be ffaine;
If I shold loose my bonny ladye,
How shall I increase yo u r goods againe?"

" Why, if thou winn thy lady ffaire,
Thou maye well fforth for to pay mee;
If thou loose thy lady, thou hast losse enoughe;
Not one penny I will aske thee."

" M aster , you haue thirty horsses in one hold,
You keepe them ranke and royallye;
There 's an old horsse — for him you doe not care —
This day wold sett my lady ffree.

" Tha t is a white, w i th a cutt tayle,
Ffull sixteen yeeres of age is hee;
Giffe you wold lend me tha t old horsse,
Then I shold gett her easilye."

" Thou takes a ffoolish p ar t," the Lo rd Iockye sayd,
" And a ffoolish p ar t thou takes on thee;
Thou shalt haue a better then euer he was,
Tha t forty pounds cost more nor hee."

" O m aster , those horsses beene wild and wicked,
And litle they can skill of the old traine;
Giffe I be out of my saddle cast,
They beene soe wild they 'le neuer be tane againe.

" Lett me haue age, sober and wise;
Itt is a p ar t of wisdome, you know itt plaine;
If I be out of my sadle cast,
Hee 'le either stand still or turne againe."

" Thou shalt haue tha t horsse w i th all my hart,
And my cote-plate of siluer ffree,
And a hundred men att thy backe,
For to fight if neede shalbee."

" I thanke you, m aster ," said Tho mas a Potts,
" Neither man nor boy shall goe w i th mee;
As you are a lord off honor borne,
Let none of my ffellowes know this of mee.

" Ffor if they wott of my goinge,
I wott behind me they will not bee;
W i thout you keepe them vnder a locke,
Vppon tha t greene I shall them see."

And when Tho mas came to Gilford Greene,
And walked there some houres three,
Then was he ware of the Lo rd Phenix,
And four men in his companye.

" You haue broken yo u r vow," sayd Tho mas a Pott,
" Yo u r vowe tha t you made vnto mee;
You said you wold come yo u r selfe alone,
And you haue brought more then two or three."

" These are my waiting-men," Lo rd Phenix sayd,
" Tha t euery day doe waite on mee;
Giffe any of these shold att vs stirr,
My speare shold runn throwe his bodye."

" I 'le runn noe race," said Tho mas Potts,
" Till tha t this othe heere made may bee:
If the one of vs be slaine,
The other fforgiuen tha t hee may bee."

" I 'le make a vow," Lo rd Phenix sayes,
" My men shall beare wittnesse w i th thee,
Giffe thou slay mee att this time,
Neuer the worsse beloued in Scottland thou shalt bee."

Then they turned their horsses round about,
To run the race more egarlye;
Lo rd Phenix he was stiffe and stout,
He has runn Tho mas quite thorrow the thye.

And beere Tho mas out of his saddle ffaire;
Vpon the ground there did hee lye;
He saies, For my liffe I doe not care,
But ffor the loue of my ladye.

But shall I lose my ladye ffaire?
I thought shee shold haue beene my wiffe;
I pray thee, Lo rd Phenix, ryde not away,
For w i th thee I will loose my liffe.

Tho Tho mas a Potts was a seruing-man,
He was alsoe a phisityan good;
He clapt his hand vpon his wound,
W i th some kind of words he stauncht the blood.

Then into his sadle againe hee leepe;
The blood in his body began to warme;
He mist Lo rd Phenix bodye there,
But he run him quite throw the brawne of the arme.

And he bore him quite out of his saddle ffaire;
Vpon the ground there did he lye;
He said, I pray thee, Lo rd Phenix, rise and ffight,
Or else yeeld this ladye sweete to mee.

" To ffight w i th thee," q uo th Phenix, " I cannott stand,
Nor ffor to ffight, I cannott, sure;
Thou hast run me through the brawne of the arme;
Noe longer of thy spere I cannott endure.

" Thou 'st haue tha t ladye w i th all my hart,
Sith itt was like neuer better to proue.
Nor neuer a noble-man this day,
Tha t will seeke to take a pore man's loue."

" Why then, be of good cheere," saies Tho mas Pott,
" Indeed your bucher I 'le neuer bee,
For I 'le come and stanche yo u r bloode,
Giff any thankes you 'le giue to mee."

As he was stanching the Phenix blood,
These words Tho mas a Pott cann to him proue:
" I 'le neuer take a ladye of you thus,
But here I 'le giue you another choice.

" Heere is a lane of two miles longe;
Att either end sett wee will bee;
The ladye shall sitt vs betweene,
And soe will wee sett this ladye ffree."

" If thou 'le doe soe," Lo rd Phenix sayes,
" Tho mas a Pott, as thou dost tell mee,
Whether I gett her or goe w i thout her,
Heere 's forty pounds I 'le giue itt thee."

And when the ladye there can stand,
A woman's mind that day to proue,
" Now, by my ffaith," said this ladye ffaire,
" This day Tho mas a Pott shall haue his owne loue."

Toward Tho mas a Pott the lady shee went,
To leape behind him hastilye;
" Nay, abyde a while," sayd Lo rd Phenix,
" Ffor better yett proued thou shalt bee.

" Thou shalt stay heere w i th all thy maids —
In number w i th thee thou hast but three —
Tho mas a Pott and I 'le goe beyond yonder wall,
There the one of vs shall dye."

And when they came beyond the wall,
The one wold not the other nye;
Lo rd Phenix he had giuen his word
W i th Tho mas a Pott neuer to ffight.

" Gine me a choice," Lo rd Phenix sayes,
" Tho mas a Pott, I doe pray thee;
Lett mee goe to yonder ladye ffaire,
To see whether shee be true to thee."

And when hee came tha t ladye too,
Vnto that likesome dame sayd hee,
Now God thee saue, thou ladye ffaire,
The heyre of all my land thou 'st bee.

Ffor this Tho mas a Potts I haue slaine;
He hath more then deadlye wounds two or three;
Thou art mine owne ladye, he sayd,
And marryed together wee will bee.

The ladye said, If Tho mas a Potts this day thou haue slaine,
Thou hast slaine a better man than eu er was thee;
And I 'le sell all the state of my lande
But thou 'st be hauged on a gallow-tree.

W i th tha t they lady shee ffell in a soone;
A greeued woman, I wott, was shee;
Lo rd Phenix hee was readye there,
Tooke her in his armes most hastilye.

" O Lo rd , sweete, and stand on thy feete,
This day Tho mas a Pott aliue can bee;
I 'le send ffor thy father, the Lo rd of Arrundale,
And marryed together I will you see:
Giffe hee will not maintaine you well,
Both gold and land you shall haue from me."

" I 'le see tha t wedding," my Lo rd of Arrundale said,
" Of my daughter's loue tha t is soe ffaire;
And sith itt will no better be,
Of all my land Tho mas a Pott shall be my heyre."

" Now all my maids," the ladye said,
" And ladyes of England, faire and ffree,
Looke you neuer change yo u r old loue for no new,
Nor neuer change for no pouertye.

" Ffor I had a louer true of mine owne,
A seruing-man of a small degree;
Ffrom Tho mas a Pott I 'le turne his name,
And the Lo rd of Arrundale hee shall bee."
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