William Guiseman- Kinloch 1827 Child B; No. 57A
[I've labeled this Child B and it's the first traditional version preceeded by two older broadside prints. Child comments in his narrative to 57 Brown Robyn's Complaint:
The casting of lots to find out the guilty man who causes trouble to a ship occurs in William Guiseman, Kinloch's Ancient Scottish Ballads, p. 156, Kinloch Manuscripts, V, 43, a copy, improved by tradition, of the "lament" in 'William Grismond's Downfal,' a broadside of 1650, which is transcribed among the Percy papers, from Ballard's collection.
WILLIAM GUISEMAN- From Ancient Scottish Ballads; edited by George Ritchie Kinloch 1827
My name is William Guiseman,
In London I do dwell;
I have committed murder,
And that is known right well;
I have committed murder,
And that is known right well,
And it's for mine offence I must die.
I lov'd a neighbour's dochter,
And with her I did lie;
I did dissemble with her
Myself to satisfy;
I did dissemble with her
Myself to satisfy,
And it's for mine offence I must die.
Sae cunningly's I kept her,
Until the fields war toom;[1]
Sae cunningly's I trysted [2] her
Unto yon shade o' broom;
And syne. I took my wills o' her,
And then I flang her doun,
And it's for mine offence I must die.
Sae cunningly's I kill'd her
Who should have been my wife;
Sae cursedly's I kill'd her,
And with my cursed knife:
Sae cursedly's I kill'd her,
Who should have been my wife,
And it's for mine offence I must die.
Six days she lay in murder
Before that she was found;
Six days she lay in murder
Upon the cursed ground;
Six days she lay in murder,
Before that she was found;
And it's for mine offence I must die.
0 all the neighbours round about,
They said it had been I:—
I put my foot on gude shipboard,
The country to defy;
The ship she wadna sail again,
But hoisted to and fro;
And it's for mine offence I must die.
O up bespak the skipper boy,
I wat he spak too high;
"There's sinful men amongst us,
The seas will not obey:"
O up bespak the skipper boy,
I wat he spak too high;
And it's for mine offence I must die.
O we cuist cavels[3] us amang,
The cavel fell on me;
O we cuist cavels us amang,
The cavel fell on me;
O we cuist cavels us amang,
The cavel fell on me:
And it's for mine offence I must die.
I had a loving mother,
Who of me took gret care,
She wad hae gien the gold sae red
T' have bought me from that snare
But the gold could not be granted—
The gallows pays a share—
And it's for mine offence I must die.
1. toom=empty
2. trysted=enticed
3. Cuist cavels—cast lots. See note p. 126.