Bold Dickie

As I walked out one morning in May,
Just before the break of day,
I heard three brothers making their moan,
I listen'd a while to what they did say.

"We have a brother in prison," said they,
"Oh, in prison lieth he,
If we had ten men just like ourselves
The prisoner we should soon set free.

"Oh, no, oh, no, Bold Dickie," said he.
"No, no, no, that never could be;
For forty men is full little enough
And I for to ride in their companie."

"Ten to hold the horses in,
Ten to guard the city about,
And ten for to stand at the prison door,
And ten to fetch poor Archer out."

They mounted their horses and so rode they,
Who but they so merrilie ?
They rode till they came to a broad riverside
And there they alighted so manfullie.

They mounted their horses and so swam they,
Who but they so manfullie!
They swam till they came the the other side
And there they alighted so drippinglie.

They mounted their horses and so rode they,
Who but they so gallantlie!
They rode till they came to that prison door
And there they alighted so manfullie.

"Poor Archer, poor Archer," Bold Dickie says he,
"oh, look you not so mournfullie
For I 've forty men in my companie
And I have come to set you free. "

"Oh, no, no, no," poor Archer says he,
"Oh, no, oh, no, that never can be,
For I have forty weight of good Spanish iron
Betwixt my ankle and my knee."

Bold Dickie broke lock, (and Dickie broke bolt)
Bold Dickie broke everything he could see.
He took poor Archer under one arm
And he carried him out so manfullie.

They mounted their horses and so rode they,
Who but they so merrilie !
They rode till they came to that broad river,
And there they alighted so manfullie.

"Bold Dickie, Bold Dickie," poor Archer says he,
"Take my love home to my wife and children three,
For my horse grows lame, he cannot swim,
And here I see that I must dee."

They shifted horses and so swam they,
Who but they so daringlie !
They swam till they came to the other side,
And there they alighted so shiveringlie.

"Bold Dickie, Bold Dickie," poor Archer says he,
"Look you yonder there and see,
For the High Sheriff he is a-coming
With a hundred men in his companie."

"Bold Dickie, Bold Dickie," High Sheriff says he,
"You are the worst rascal that ever I see;
Go bring me back the iron you stole
And I will set the prisoner free."

"Oh, no, no, no," Bold Dickie says he,
"Oh, no, no, that never can be;
For the iron will do to shoe the horses
The blacksmith rides in our companie."

"Bold Dickie, Bold Dickie," High Sheriff says he,
"You are the worst scoundrel that I ever see."
"I thank you for nothing," Bold Dickie says he,
"And you are a big fool for following me."

From Folk Songs of Old New England, Linscott
Collected from Mary P. and Serena J. Frye, MA
Child #117 and
Child #118
RG
oct96