My gold is gone, my money is spent ; My lande nowe take it unto thee: And now Ile be the lord of Linne. Thus he hath sold his land soe broad, For soe he to his father hight. My sonne, when I am gonne, sayd hee, But sweare me nowe upon the roode, That lonesome lodge thou'lt never spend; The heire of Linne is full of golde: And come with me, my friends, sayd hee, They ranted, drank, and merry made, He had never a penny in his purse, And one was brass, another was lead,2 And another it was white money.2 1 i.e. earnest-money; from the French 'Denier à Dieu.' At this day, when application is made to the Dean and Chapter of Carlisle to accept an exchange of the tenant under one of their leases, a piece of silver is presented by the new tenant, which is still called a "God's-penny." 2 Sic MS. Nowe well-aday, sayd the heire of Linne,1 For when I was the lord of Linne, But one, I wis, was not at home; To beg my bread from door to door To worke my limbs I cannot frame. For there my father bade me wend; When all the world should frown on mee I there shold find a trusty friend. PART THE SECOND AWAY then hyed the heire of Linne Untill he came to lonesome lodge, He looked up, he looked downe, In hope some comfort for to winne: But bare and lothly were the walles. Here's sorry cheare, quo' the heire of Linne. The little windowe dim and darke Was hung with ivy, brere, and yewe; No shimmering sunn here ever shone; No halesome breeze here ever blew. 1 Sic MS. No chair, ne table he mote spye, No cheerful hearth, ne welcome bed, Nought save a rope with renning noose, That dangling hung up o'er his head. And over it in broad lettèrs, These words were written so plain to see: "Ah! gracelesse wretch, hast spent thine all, And brought thyselfe to penurie? "All this my boding mind misgave, Sorely shent was the heire of Linne, With guilt and sorrowe, shame and sinne. Never a word spake the heire of Linne, "This is a trusty friend indeed, And is right welcome unto mee." Then round his necke the corde he drewe, Ne knewe if he were live or dead : Strait good comfort found he there : It told him of a hole in the wall, In which there stood three chests in-fere.1 Two were full of the beaten golde, The third was full of white money; And over them in broad letters These words were written so plaine to see: "Once more, my sonne, I sette thee clere; Amend thy life and follies past; For but thou amend thee of thy life, rope must be thy end at last." That 1 "In-fere," i. e. together. And let it bee, sayd the heire of Linne; This reade 2 shall guide me to the end. Away then went with a merry cheare, Till John o' the Scales house he did winne.3 And when he came to John o' the Scales, And John himself sate at the bord-head, Away, away, thou thriftless loone; Then bespake the heire of Linne, To John o' the Scales wife then spake he: Away, away, thou thriftless loone, I swear thou gettest no almes of mee; Then bespake a good fellowe, Which sat at John o' the Scales his bord; Some time a good fellow thou hast been, 1 i. c. unless I amend. 8 An old northern phrase. 2 i. e. advice, counsel. 4 Perhaps the hole in the door or window, by which it was "" speered," i. e. sparred, fastened, or shut. In Bale's Second Part of the Acts of Eng. Votaries, we have this phrase (fol. 38), "The dore therof oft tymes opened and speared agayne." And ever, I pray thee, John o' the Scales, Up then spake him John o' the Scales, And here I proffer thee, heire of Linne, I draw you to record, lords, he said. With that he cast1 him a gods pennie: And he pull'd forth three bagges of gold, He told him forth the good red gold, And now Ime againe the lord of Linne. Sayes, Have thou here, thou good fellòwe, Ile make the keeper of my forrest, Now welladay! sayth Joan o' the Scales: Now Ime but John o' the Scales his wife. 1 This is the reading of the MS. |