"My liege, my liege, how can I betray My mistress and my queen! O swear by the rude, that no damage From this shall be gotten or gien!" "I swear by the rude," quoth King Henry, 25 "No damage shall be gotten or gien, Come, let us spare no cure nor care For the conscience o' the Queen." * * * * * "O fathers, O fathers, I'm very, very sick, I'm sick, and like to dee; 30 Some ghostly comfort to my poor soul O tell if ye can gie!" "Confess, confess," Earl Marshall cried, "And ye shall pardoned be:" "Confess, confess," the King replied, 35 "And we shall comfort gie." "O how shall I tell the sorry, sorry tale! How can the tale be told! I play'd the harlot wi' the Earl Marshall Beneath yon cloth of gold. 40 "O wasna that a sin, and a very great sin! But I hope it will pardoned be:" "Amen! Amen!" quoth the Earl Marshall, And a very fear't heart had he. "O down i' the forest, in a bower, 45 Beyond yon dark oak tree, I drew a penknife frae my pocket To kill King Henerie. "O wasna that a sin, and a very great sin! But I hope it will pardoned be:" 50 "Amen! Amen!" quoth the Earl Marshall, And a very fear't heart had he. "O do you see yon pretty little boy, That's playing at the ba'? He is the Earl Marshall's only son, 55 And I loved him best of a'. "O wasna that a sin, and a very great sin! But I hope it will pardoned be:" "Amen! Amen!" quoth the Earl Marshall, And a very fear't heart had he. 60 "And do you see yon pretty little girl, That's a' beclad in green? She's a friar's daughter, oure in France, And I hoped to see her a queen. "O wasna that a sin, and a very great sin! 65 But I hope it will pardoned be:" "Amen! Amen!" quoth the Earl Marshall, And a fear't heart still had he. "O do you see yon other little boy, That's playing at the ba'? 70 He is King Henry's only son, And I like him warst of a'. "He's headed like a buck," she said, "And backed like a bear,"-- "Amen!" quoth the King, in the King's ain voice, 75 "He shall be my only heir." The King look'd over his left shoulder, An angry man was he: "An it werna for the oath I sware, Earl Marshall, thou shouldst dee." 80 AULD MAITLAND. From _Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border_, i. 306.