THE LAIDLEY WORM OF SPINDLESTON-HEUGH^^

Virgo jam serpens sinuosa volumina versat,
Mille trahens varios adverso sole colores,
Arrectis horret squamis et sibilat ore;
Arduaque insurgens navem de littore pulsat.

"A song above 500 years old, made by the old mountain bard,
Duncan Frasier, living on the Cheviot, A.D. 1270.
Printed from an ancient manuscript.
By Mr. Robert Lambe, Vicar of Norham"

The king is gone from Bamborough Castle,
Long may the princess mourn,
Long may she stand on the castle wall,
Looking for his return.

She has knotted the keys upon a string,
And with her she has them ta'en,
She has cast them o'er her left shoulder,
And to the gate she is gane.

She tripped out, she tripped in,
She tript into the yard;
But it was more for the king's sake,
Than for the queen's regard.

It fell out on a day, the king
Brought the queen with him home;
And all the lords, in our country,
To welcome them did come.

Oh! welcome father, the lady cries,
Unto your halls and bowers;
And so are you, my step-mother,
For all that's here is yours.

A lord said, wondering while she spake,
This princess of the North
Surpasses all the female kind in beauty, and in worth.

The envious queen replied, At least,
You might have excepted me;
In a few hours, I will her bring
Down to a low degree.

I will her liken to a Laidley worm,
That warps about the stone,
And not, till Childy Wynd comes back,
Shall she again be won.

The princess stood at the bower door
Laughing, who could her blame?
But e'er the next day's sun went down,
A long worm she became.

For seven miles east, and seven miles west,
And seven miles north, and south,
No blade of grass or corn could grow,
So venomous was here mouth.

The milk of seven stately cows,
It was costly her to keep,
Was brought her daily, which she drank
Before she went to sleep

At this day may be seen the cave,
Which held her folded up,
And the stone trough, thievery same
Out of which she did sup.

Word went east and word went west,
And word is gone over the sea,
That a Laidley worm in Spindleston-Heughs
Would ruin the North Country.

Word went east, and word went west,
And over the sea did go;
The Child of Wynd got wit of it,
Which filled his heart with woe.

He called straight his merry men all,
They thirty were and three:
I wish I were at Spindleston,
This desperate worm to see.

We have no time now here to waste,
Hence quickly let us sail:
My only sister Margaret,
Something, I fear, doth ail.

They built a ship without delay,
With masts of the rowan tree,
With fluttering sails of silk so fine,
And set her on the sea.

They went on board. The wind with speed
Blew them along the deep,
At length they spied an huge square tower
On a rock high and steep.

The sea was smooth, the weather clear,
When they approached nigher,
King Ida's castle they well knew,
And the banks of Bambroughshire.

The queen look'd out at her bower window,
To see what she could see;
There she espied a gallant ship
Sailing upon the sea.

When she beheld the silken sails,
Full glancing in the sun,
To sink the ship she went away,
Her witch wives every one.

The spells were vain; the hags returned
To the queen in sorrowful mood,
Crying that witches have no power,
Where there is rowan-tree wood.

Her last effort, she sent a boat,
Which in the haven lay,
With armed men to board the ship,
But they were driven away.

The worm leapt out, the worm leapt down,
She plaited round the stone;
And aye as the ship came to the land
She banged it off again.

The child then ran out of her reach
The ship on Budley-sand;
And jumping into the shallow sea,
Securely got to land.

And now he drew his berry-broad sword,
And laid it on her head;
And swore if she did harm to him
That he would strike her dead.

O! quit thy sword and bend thy bow,
And give me kisses three;
For though I am a poisonous worm,
No hurt I'll do to thee

Oh! quit thy sword, and bend thy bow,
And give me kisses three;
If I'm not won e'er the sun go down,
Won I shall never be.

He quitted his sword and bent his bow,
He gave her kisses three;
She crept into a hole a worm,
But out stept a lady.

No clothing had this lady fine,
To keep her from the cold
He took his mantle from him about,
And round her did it fold.

He has taken his mantle from him about,
And in it he wrapt her in,
And they are up to Bambrough castle,
As fast as they can win.

His absence and her serpent shape,
The king had long deplored,
He now rejoiced to see them both
Again to him restored.

The queen they wanted, whom they found
All pale, and sore afraid;
Because she knew her power must yield
To Childy Wynd's, who said,

Woe be to thee, thou wicked witch,
An ill death mayst thou dee;
As thou my sister has lik'ned,
So lik'ned shalt thou be.

I will turn you into a toad,
That on the ground doth wend;
And won, won, shat thou never be,
Till this world hath an end.

Now on the sand near Ida's tower,
She crawls a loathsome toad,
And venom spits on every maid
She meets upon her road.

The virgins all of Bambrough town
Will swear that they have seen
This spiteful toad, of monstrous size,
Whilst walking they have been.

All folks believe within the shire
This story to be true,
And they all run to Spindleston,
The cave and trough to view.

This fact now Duncan Frasier
Of Cheviot, sings in rhime;
Lest Bambrough-shire-men should forget
Some part of it in time.

-Source: The Northumberland Garland; or Newcastle Nightingale, Joseph Ritson, Newcastle, MDCCXCIII, Harding and Wright, London, 1809.