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When I was young and youthful, my age scarce twenty-one,
I roamed about from town to town for pleasure and for fun;
I done no wrong, I harmed no one, but the truth I mean to tell,
For to gain an honest poor girl's heart it plagues my mind quite well.
'Twas there that I intended to spend a happy life,
It being my whole intention for to make this girl my wife;
She was the treasure of my heart, my own, I loved her dear,
I courted her three long years till her parents came to hear.
And when they heard this story they flew into a rage,
For to think that in my company their daughter was engaged;
They called their only daughter, this unto her did say:
"If that's the man you intend to wed, you'll never enjoy the day."
They took her by the shoulders, they could do nothing more,
They put her in her chamber and quickly locked the door;
And her old mother this unto her did say:
"You keep your true love in your mind and I will keep the key."
"Oh, mother dear, you're foolish to lock me in for love,
For I'll have satisfaction by all the rules above."
With a pen and ink took in her hand and gave one heavy sigh,
Saying, "My love shall know my misery before an hour pass by."
Young Henry on his pillow that night lay fast asleep,
He dreamt he saw his Nancy, in sorrow she did weep;
He woke up with a heavy sigh and gently raised his head,
A letter in deep mourning lay there all on his bed.
He took it up all in his hands, those very words did say:
"In the honor of our Saviour, what brought this here to me?"
And the writing on the sorrowful lines this unto him did say:
"I am here locked in my chamber and my parents hold the key."
Young Henry was intending to have his love released,
He disguised himself that evening, went to her dwelling place;
And as he reached the castle, asleep her parents lay,
He crept beneath the pillars, he gently stole the key.
He went down to his Nancy's room and then unlocked the door,
'Twas there he found his Nancy a-lying on the floor;
He took her up all in his arms, those very words did say:
"You are my only treasure, love, and by your side I'll stay."
'Twas then he did embrace her and press her to his heart,
Saying, "In spite of your old-age parents, from this weary world we'll part,
We will put them to more trouble until their dying day,
And if God will forgive our sinful souls, let us take our lives away.
"To stain my hands all with your blood, to me it's a dreadful sight,
But we must part from this cruel world together this very night.
I can't spare your life and let you live alone to bleed your heart."
So they bid each other a last farewell from this weary world to part.
Her parents did not know this when they awoke next day,
They went down to the chamber in which their daughter lay;
With a ghastly sight before their eyes as they opened wide the door,
And the very last drop of their heart's blood lay streaming on the floor.
They picked her up all in their arms and gave one bitter scream,
Saying, "We're the cause of your cruel death, yourselves are not to blame;
We're the cause of your cruel death the truth we'll ne'er deny,
But I hope you'll be forgiven by His Infant One on high."
Her mother on her pillow that night could take no rest,
Her daughter's ghost appeared to her with a ghastly wounded breast,
Saying, "You're the cause of our cruel death and what we suffered here,
So fare you well, I now must leave and quickly disappear."
Come all ye who have children, a warning take by me,
Don't be severe or hinder them or they'll meet the very same fate;
But trust in God who rules on high, His honor you will obey,
And I hope they'll be happy with their child until the Judgement Day.
Collected in 1951 from Mike Kent of Cape Broyle, NL, by Kenneth Peacock and published in Songs Of The Newfoundland Outports, Volume 3, pp.675-676, by the National Museum of Canada (1965) Crown Copyrights Reserved.
