wytchcroft | chastity

Two re-worked folk songs on a theme:

The Handsome Kitchen Boy:

It's of a married Lady as you must understand
She slipped from court to follow
Her true love through the land

She dressed herself in peasant rags
Or so it does appear
To work as a squire and kitchen boy
And serve well for a year

With fingers pale and delicate
And hair all in a curl
The others often smiled and said
"He looks just like a girl!"

But eating of her good Knight's vittles
Her colour did destroy
And her waist did swell poor pretty girl -
That handsome kitchen boy

Meantimes against the enemy
Her gallant love did plough
One night among his soldiers came a fearful
Flurrying row

They tumbled from the grassy bank for
Their sleep it did destroy
And they swore about the groaning of
The handsome kitchen boy

"A doctor please a doctor!" the kitchen boy did cry
"The time has come I am undone
And I will surely die!"

The doctor of physick he comes along
A-smiling at the fun
To think a brave knight's squire should have
A daughter or a son

The soldiers when they saw the joke
They all did stand and stare
The child belonged to none of them
They solemnly did swear

But the Knight he stands a tremble
With a sudden dreaful fear
For it's no more Beaumains, kitchen boy
But beautiful Guinevere...

Then each man took his tot of rum, and drunk success to trade
And likewise to the kitchen knight, who was neither man nor maid
Here's hopin' the wars don't rise again, our brave men to destroy
And here's hoping for a jolly lot more like the handsome kitchen boy.

A Maid that's Deep in Love:

I am a maid that's deep in love
But, yes, I can complain
I have in this world but one true love
And Lancelot is his name

And if I do not keep my love
I'll morn most constantly
Still I'll wend and follow him through
The lands of liberty

Then I'll put up my curling hair
Men's clothing I'll wear on
I'll sign to be a squire or such
My keep I'll work for free
And deligiently follow his horse
Through lands of liberty

One eve, dark as a raging tide
As we were going to rest
The Knight cried out "farewell my squire
I wish you were a maid!

Your milk white hands, your rosy lips
They are enticing me
And I wish dear God with all my heart
A maid you were to me!"

"Then hold your tongue dear Lancelot
Such talk is all in vain
And if your soldiers find it out
They'll laugh and make much game

For when we reach fair Camelot
Some prettier girls you'll find
And you'll laugh and sing and court with them
For courting you are inclined."

It was not three days after
Our train to the castle came -
"Adieu my loving Lancelot
And never seen again.

For once I was a squire on horseback
But now I'm a queen at the court
So adieu to you and all your men
With you I'll ride no more..."

"Come back, come back my own pretty maid
Come back and marry me
I have ten thousand pounds in gold
And that I'll give to thee
So come back, come back my own pretty maid
Come back and marry me!"

"Oh no good Sir, that cannot be
as my Arthur we'll betray
our love like fever in the night
must fade with coming day..."

"Then i'll get me to a hermitage!"
And he's gone and far from me
And i am now become a nun
In the land of liberty.

chastity

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