s Child points out, to apply modern standards of morality
or expediency to sixteenth-century warfare. It is curious that this
text, almost contemporary with the occurrence which gave rise to the
ballad, should be wholly concerned with Captain Car and make no mention
of Adam Gordon.

For the burden, see Chappell _Popular Music of the Olden Time_, i. 226.

CAPTAIN CAR

1.
It befell at Martynmas,
When wether waxed colde,
Captaine Care said to his men,
'We must go take a holde.'

_Syck, sicke, and to-towe sike,
And sicke and like to die;
The sikest nighte that ever I abode,
God lord have mercy on me!_

2.
'Haille, master, and wether you will,
And wether ye like it best;'
'To the castle of Crecrynbroghe,
And there we will take our reste.'

3.
'I knowe wher is a gay castle,
Is builded of lyme and stone;
Within their is a gay ladie,
Her lord is riden and gone.'

4.
The ladie she lend on her castle-walle,
She loked upp and downe;
There was she ware of an host of men,
Come riding to the towne.

5.
'Se yow, my meri men all,
And se yow what I see?
Yonder I see an host of men,
I muse who they bee.'

6.
She thought he had ben her wed lord,
As he com'd riding home;
Then was it traitur Captaine Care
The lord of Ester-towne.

7.
They wer no soner at supper sett,
Then after said the grace,
Or Captaine Care and all his men
Wer lighte aboute the place.

8.
'Gyve over thi howsse, thou lady gay,
And I will make the a bande;
To-nighte thou shall ly within my armes,
To-morrowe thou shall ere my lande.'

9.
Then bespacke the eldest sonne,
That was both whitt and redde:
'O mother dere, geve over your howsse,
Or elles we shalbe deade.'

10.
'I will not geve over my hous,' she saithe,
'Not for feare of my lyffe;
It shalbe talked throughout the land,
The slaughter of a wyffe.'

11.
'Fetch me my pestilett,
And charge me my gonne,
That I may shott at yonder bloddy butcher,
The lord of Easter-towne.'

12.
Styfly upon her wall she stode,
And lett the pellettes flee;
But then she myst the blody bucher,
And she slew other three.

13.
['I will] not geve over my hous,' she saithe,
'Netheir for lord nor lowne;
Nor yet for traitour Captain Care,
The lord of Easter-towne.

14.
'I desire of Captine Care