Lord Thomas- Elliot (PA) pre1919 Shoemaker;
[From North Pennsylvania Minstrelsy: 1919 Shoemaker.
R. Matteson 2014]
87—LORD THOMAS- Sung by Dan Elliott, who learned it from his grand mother, who lived in Potter County.— C. F.
Lord Thomas he was a bold forester,
And the keeper of all king's deer.
Fair Eleanor she was a gay lady,
And Lord Thomas he loved her dear.
"Come riddle, come riddle, dear mother," says he;
"Come riddle us both as one.
Had I better marry fair Eleanor,
Or bring the brown girl home?
"The brown girl she has house and lands,
Fair Eleanor she has none."
"Then, of course, I would advise you by my blessings
To bring the brown girl home."
Lord Thomas he called his merry men all,
And dressed them all in white;
And every city that he went through,
They took him to be some knight.
And when he arrived at fair Eleanor's bower,
So loud did he rap and ring,
There were none so ready as fair Eleanor herself
To rise and let him in.
"What news, what news?" fair Eleanor cries;
"What news do you bring unto me?"
"I have come to invite you to my wedding,
"Which is very sad news to me."
"Sad news, sad news," fair Eleanor cries,
Sad news do you bring unto me;
For I intended to be your bride myself,
And now but a guest I'll be."
Fair Eleanor called her merry maids all,
And dressed them all in green,
And every city that she rode through,
They took her to be some queen.
And when she arrived at Thomas' bower,
So loud did she rap and ring,
There were none so ready as Lord Thomas himself
To rise and let her in.
"Is this your bride?" fair Eleanor cried,
"She is most famous brown.
You might have had as fair a lady
As ever the sun shone on."
"Despise her not," Lord Thomas he cries,
"Despise her not unto me.
For better do I like your little finger
Than her and her whole body."
The brown girl has a knife in her hand,
It being both keen and sharp.
She stabs fa'r Eleanor in the side,
Which wounds her to the heart.
"What makes you look so pale?" he cries;
"What makes you look so pale?
Your cheeks were once a cherry red,
But now the sweet color has failed."
"Are you blind, are you blind?" fair Eleanor cries,
"Or can't you very well see
That your bride has stabbed me in my side,
And the blood runs down by me?"
Lord Thomas he has a sword in his hand,
It being both keen and long,
He cut his own dear bride's head off,
And threw it against the wall.
"Go, dig my grave," Lord Thomas cries;
"Go dig it both wide and deep,
And place fair Eleanor at my side,
And the brown g'rl at my feet."
He placed the sword upon the grass,
The point benear his heart.
Were there ever three lovers so soon to meet,
As ever so soon to part?
From fair Eleanor's breast there grew a rose,
From Lord Thomas' a briar shot.
They climbed and climbed to the mountain top,
And there tied in a true lover's knot.