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Lyr Req: Brian Peters' False Foudrage (Child #89)

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KING O' LUVE


Roberto 02 Oct 04 - 02:01 PM
Joe Offer 02 Oct 04 - 03:03 PM
GUEST,Steve Dawes 02 Oct 04 - 06:46 PM
Roberto 03 Oct 04 - 01:51 AM
Joe Offer 03 Oct 04 - 03:03 AM
Malcolm Douglas 03 Oct 04 - 11:52 AM
Roberto 04 Oct 04 - 01:03 PM
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Subject: Lyr Add: FALSE FOUDRAGE (Child #89)
From: Roberto
Date: 02 Oct 04 - 02:01 PM

FALSE FOUDRAGE sung by Brian Peters, The Seeds of Time, Harbourtown HARCD021, 1992. I can't get words in stanzas 17, 23, 24. Please, help. Thanks. Roberto

Now the Eastmure king and the Westmure king
And the king of Honorie
They've courted of a fair young maid
All from the North Countrie

King Eastmure's courted her for gold
King Westmure for her fee
But the king of Honor's won her heart
His bride all for to be

King Eastmure swore a dreadful oath
All on their wedding day
And he has sent for False Foudrage
The king all for to slain

And at the dead hour of the night
When all were fast a-bed
False Foudrage so soft crept in
Sat at king Honor's head

And his Lady she awakened
All from her drowsy dream
She saw her bride-bed swim with blood
And her good lord lay slain

O spare my life, False Foudrage
Until I lighter be
Spare me that I may bear the child
King Honor's left with me

Well, if it be a lass – he said
Well nursed shall she be
But if it be a little boy
Then hangéd he will be

For I'll not spare him for his tender age
Nor yet for his noble kin
But on the day that he is born
He'll mount the gallows-pin

Then four and twenty valiant knights
Were set the Queen for to guard
And four stood at her bower-door
To keep both watch and ward

Ah, but when her time drew near its end
She's gi'en them beer and wine
And she has made them all as drunk
As any wildwood swine

And she's stepped out the window
She's wandered out and in
And in the very swines' stye
The Queen brought forth a son

Then they've cast lots all in the town
For who should go to the Queen
And the lot it fell on Wise William
And he's sent his wife for him

This favour, Wise William's wife
This favour grant to me
Change your lass for my little boy
That King Honor's left with me

And you will learn my gay gose-hawke
Well how to breast a steed
And I will learn your turtle-dove
As well to write and read

And you will learn my gay gose-hawke
To wield the bow and brand
And I will learn your turtle-dove
To lay gold all with her hand

When we meet at the market-place
We must no more avow
Then - Madam, how does my gay gose-hawk?
Lady, how does my dove?

Now, when days were gone and years come on
Wise William he thought long
And he has ta'en King Honor's son
And they've a-hunting gone

Do you see that high high castle
With walls and towers so fair?
Well, if every man had back his own
Of it you'd be the heir

For if you should slain False Foudrage
You'd set the wrong to right
For he has slain your father
E'er you ever saw the light

And if you should slain False Foudrage
There's no man would you blame
For he keeps your mother prisoner
And she dare not take you home

So he's set his bow all to his breast
He's climbed the castle's wall
And there he's met with False Foudrage
A-walkin' in the hall

Oh, what ails thee, my bonny boy?
What ails thee at me?
For I did never do you wrong
Your face I ne'er did see

O hold your tongue, False Foudrage
For I know you and who you be
And he has pierced him through the heart
And set his mother free

And he has given to Wise William
The best part of this land
And he has wed his turtle-dove
With a ring from off his hand

    Questioned phrases in italics.
    -Joe Offer-


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brian Peters' False Foudrage (Child #89)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Oct 04 - 03:03 PM

Jeri posted a profoundly succinct summary of this song in another thread, and I think it deserves to be posted again:
    Thread #63318   Message #1027348
    Posted By: Jeri
    01-Oct-03 - 12:53 PM
    Thread Name: Child Ballads help
    Subject: RE: Child Ballads help

    Child 89: Fause Foodrage
    The queen gets the four and twenty valiant knights guarding her plotzed, then squeezes her pregnant self out a narrow window.


And here's the entry from the Traditional Ballad Index:

Fause Foodrage [Child 89]

DESCRIPTION: A lady courted by three kings weds one who is then slain (by one of the rivals/a rebel). Her not-yet-born child will be spared if female. She bears a boy, switches him with a baby girl. When grown the boy is told his heritage and avenges his father.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1802 (Scott)
KEYWORDS: royalty death murder children trick revenge
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland(Aber))
REFERENCES (5 citations):
Child 89, "Fause Foodrage" (3 texts, 1 tune)
Bronson 89, "Fause Foodrage" (3 versions)
OBB 70, "Fause Foodrage" (1 text)
DBuchan 14, "Fause Foodrage" (1 text)
DT 89, KINGLUVE

Roud #57
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Jellon Grame" [Child 90] (theme)
Notes: Some texts of this ballad share a verse with Elizabeth Halket Wardlaw's "Hardeknute" (for which see Volume II of Percy's Reliques; at that time, the authorship of Wardlaw (1677-1727) had not been established). This caused Scott to wonder about the authenticity of the piece, but Child thought the informant might have taken the verse from the "tiresome and affected Hardyknute, so much esteemed in her day." - RBW
File: C089

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Instructions

The Ballad Index Copyright 2004 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle.


Here's an excerpt of a message from Malcolm Douglas on the Child #89 entry in the Digital Tradition:
    Thread #42222   Message #700404
    Posted By: Malcolm Douglas
    29-Apr-02 - 11:09 AM
    Thread Name: Tune Add: Missing tunes: WANTED - part EIGHT

    1957)  KING O' LUVE  Child #89 (Fause Foodrage): this is Child's example C, and came from the Harris MS, "Derived from Jannie Scott, an old Perthshire Nurse, c.1790". Child and Bronson both refer to it as Eastmuir King; perhaps Hermes Nye, who is mentioned in the DT file as having recorded the song , thought King o' Luve sounded nicer. The tune, given in Child as well as in Bronson, is the one that Andy Irvine mistakenly used for Willy of Winsbury (and changed a bit), and which everybody and his or her dog now seems to use as well.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brian Peters' False Foudrage (Child #89)
From: GUEST,Steve Dawes
Date: 02 Oct 04 - 06:46 PM

Great song, I agree… and Brian Peters' version is one of the best I've heard (mind, Brian Peters' version of most things is the best I've heard!!)
I sing "False Foudrage" too and the missing words are (I believe):
And they've a-hunting gone
For I know you and who you be
And he has wed his turtle dove


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brian Peters' False Foudrage (Child #89)
From: Roberto
Date: 03 Oct 04 - 01:51 AM

Thank you very much, Steve. R
    Roberto, I included Steve's additions in italics in your original transcription. Hope you don't mind.
    -Joe Offer-


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Subject: ADD Version: Fause Foudrage (Child #89)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Oct 04 - 03:03 AM

I think we could use a few more versions of this ballad. It's a good story.
-Joe Offer-

I found this at bartleby.com which has the entire 1910 text of the Oxford Book of Ballads.

The Oxford Book of Ballads. 1910.
Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. (1863–1944).



70. Fause Foodrage

I
KING EASTER has courted her for her lands,
King Wester for her fee,
King Honour for her comely face,
And for her fair bodie.

II
They had not been four months married,
As I have heard them tell,
Until the nobles of the land
Against them did rebel.

III
And they cast kevils them amang,
And kevils them between;
And they cast kevils them amang,
Wha suld gae kill the king.

IV
O, some said yea, and some said nay,
Their words did not agree;
Till up and got him, Fause Foodrage,
And swore it suld be he.

V
When bells were rung, and mass was sung,
And a' men bound to bed,
King Honour and his gay ladye
In a high chamber were laid.

VI
Then up and raise him, Fause Foodrage,
When a' were fast asleep,
And slew the porter in his lodge,
That watch and ward did keep.

VII
O four-and-twenty silver keys
Hang hie upon a pin;
And aye, as ae door he did unlock,
He has fasten'd it him behin'.

VIII
Then up and raise him, King Honour,
Says—'What means a' this din?
Or what 's the matter, Fause Foodrage,
Or wha has loot you in?'—

IX
'O ye my errand weel sall learn,
Before that I depart.'—
Then drew a knife, baith lang and sharp,
And pierced him to the heart.

X
Then up and got the Queen hersell,
And fell low down on her knee,
'O spare my life, now, Fause Foodrage!
For I never injured thee.

XI
'O spare my life, now, Fause Foodrage!
Until I lighter be!
And see gin it be lad or lass,
King Honour has left me wi'.'—

XII
'O gin it be a lass,' he says,
'Weel nurséd it sall be;
But gin it be a lad bairn,
He sall be hangéd hie.

XIII
'I winna spare for his tender age,
Nor yet for his hie hie kin;
But soon as e'er he born is,
He sall mount the gallows pin.'—

XIV
O four-and-twenty valiant knights
Were set the Queen to guard;
And four stood aye at her bour door,
To keep both watch and ward.

XV
But when the time drew near an end,
That she suld lighter be,
She cast about to find a wile,
To set her body free.

XVI
O she has birled these merry young men
With the ale but and the wine,
Until they were a' deadly drunk
As any wild-wood swine.

XVII
'O narrow, narrow is this window,
And big, big am I grown!'—
Yet through the might of Our Ladye,
Out at it she is gone.

XVIII
She wander'd up, she wander'd down,
She wander'd out and in;
And, at last, into the very swine's stythe
The Queen brought forth a son.

XIX
Then they cast kevils them amang,
Which suld gae seek the Queen;
And the kevil fell upon Wise William,
And he sent his wife for him.

XX
O when she saw Wise William's wife,
The Queen fell on her knee:
'Win up, win up, madam!' she says:
'What needs this courtesie?'—

XXI
'O out o' this I winna rise,
Till a boon ye grant to me;
To change your lass for this lad bairn,
King Honour left me wi'.

XXII
'And ye maun learn my gay goss-hawk
Right weel to breast a steed;
And I sall learn your turtle dow
As weel to write and read.

XXIII
'And ye maun learn my gay goss-hawk
To wield both bow and brand;
And I sall learn your turtle dow
To lay gowd wi' her hand.

XXIV
'At kirk and market when we meet,
We'll dare make nae avowe,
But—"Dame, how does my gay goss-hawk?"
"Madame, how does my dow?"'

XXV
When days were gane, and years came on,
Wise William he thought lang;
And he has ta'en King Honour's son
A-hunting for to gang.

XXVI
It sae fell out, at this huntíng,
Upon a simmer's day,
That they came by a fair castell,
Stood on a sunny brae.

XXVII
'O dinna ye see that bonny castell,
Wi' halls and towers sae fair?
Gin ilka man had back his ain,
Of it you suld be heir.'—

XXVIII
'How I suld be heir of that castell,
In sooth, I canna see;
For it belangs to Fause Foodrage,
And he is na kin to me.'—

XXIX
'O gin ye suld kill him, Fause Foodrage,
You would do but what was right;
For I wot he kill'd your father dear,
Or ever ye saw the light.

XXX
'And gin ye suld kill him, Fause Foodrage,
There is no man durst you blame;
For he keeps your mother a prisoner,
And she darna take ye hame.'—

XXXI
The boy stared wild like a gray goss-hawk;
Says—'What may a' this mean?'—
'My boy, ye are King Honour's son,
And your mother's our lawful Queen.'—

XXXII
'O gin I be King Honour's son,
By Our Ladye I swear,
This night I will that traitor slay,
And relieve my mother dear!'—

XXXIII
He has set his bent bow to his breast,
And leaped the castell wa';
And soon he has seized on Fause Foodrage,
Wha loud for help 'gan ca'.

XXXIV
'O haud your tongue, now, Fause Foodrage,
Frae me ye shanna flee!'—
Syne pierced him through the fause, fause heart,
And set his mother free.

XXXV
And he has rewarded Wise William
Wi' the best half of his land;
And sae has he the turtle dow,
Wi' the truth o' his right hand.

GLOSS: kevils] lots. do] dove. lay gowd] embroider in gold.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brian Peters' False Foudrage (Child #89)
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 03 Oct 04 - 11:52 AM

Quiller-Couch quoted the text from Scott's Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border. Scott had polished up the set sung by Anna Brown, which Child gives as his example A (Alexander Fraser Tytler's Brown MS., No. 3), commenting "A was printed in the Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, II, 73, 1802, 'chiefly' from Mrs Brown's MS.; in fact, with not quite forty petty alterations." Many of Mrs Brown's tunes were noted, but this one appears to be lost.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brian Peters' False Foudrage (Child #89)
From: Roberto
Date: 04 Oct 04 - 01:03 PM

Joe Offer calls for more versions of this ballad. A good recording is the one by CHRIS COE. I'll try to get that text as soon as possible, but if somebody has it, I'd ask them to post it. Thanks. R


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