Captain Car Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A B C D E ABF GBBH I E JKB LMFM LHF BNEM BAFA GBA OBA PQB BOE BHEH POEO EBO PHA QBBB QHLR EBO OHA PQBP HEL EBE BEA SRER LEE EBGB PAAA BRHB EBRB PQE

The Text is from a Cottonian MS of the sixteenth century in the British Museum Vesp A xxv fol It is carelessly written and words are here and there deleted and altered I have allowed myself the liberty of choosing readings from several alternatives or possibilitiesA
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The Story There seems to be no doubt that this ballad is founded upon an historical incident of The Scottish variants are mostly called Edom o' Gordon i e Adam Gordon who was brother to George Gordon Earl of Huntly Adam was a bold soldier and his clan being at variance with the Forbeses on religious grounds he encountered them twice in the autumn of and inflicted severe defeat on them at the battles of Tuiliangus and Crabstane In November he approached the castle of Towie a stronghold of the Forbes clan but the lady occupying it obstinately refused to yield it up and it was burnt to the groundB
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It is not clear whether the responsibility of giving the order to fire the castle attaches to Adam Gordon or to Captain Car or Ker who was Adam's right hand man But when all is said on either side it is irrational as 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 GordonC
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For the burden see Chappell Popular Music of the Olden Time iD
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CAPTAIN CARE
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It befell at MartynmasA
When wether waxed coldeB
Captaine Care said to his menF
'We must go take a holde '-
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Syck sicke and to towe sikeG
And sicke and like to dieB
The sikest nighte that ever I abodeB
God lord have mercy on meH
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'Haille master and wether you willI
And wether ye like it best '-
'To the castle of CrecrynbrogheE
And there we will take our reste '-
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'I knowe wher is a gay castleJ
Is builded of lyme and stoneK
Within their is a gay ladieB
Her lord is riden and gone '-
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The ladie she lend on her castle walleL
She loked upp and downeM
There was she ware of an host of menF
Come riding to the towneM
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'Se yow my meri men allL
And se yow what I seeH
Yonder I see an host of menF
I muse who they bee '-
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She thought he had ben her wed lordB
As he com'd riding homeN
Then was it traitur Captaine CareE
The lord of Ester towneM
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They wer no soner at supper settB
Then after said the graceA
Or Captaine Care and all his menF
Wer lighte aboute the placeA
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'Gyve over thi howsse thou lady gayG
And I will make the a bandeB
To nighte thou shall ly within my armesA
To morrowe thou shall ere my lande '-
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Then bespacke the eldest sonneO
That was both whitt and reddeB
'O mother dere geve over your howsseA
Or elles we shalbe deade '-
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'I will not geve over my hous ' she saitheP
'Not for feare of my lyffeQ
It shalbe talked throughout the landB
The slaughter of a wyffe '-
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'Fetch me my pestilettB
And charge me my gonneO
That I may shott at yonder bloddy butcherE
The lord of Easter towne '-
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Styfly upon her wall she stodeB
And lett the pellettes fleeH
But then she myst the blody bucherE
And she slew other threeH
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'I will not geve over my hous ' she saitheP
'Netheir for lord nor lowneO
Nor yet for traitour Captain CareE
The lord of Easter towneO
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'I desire of Captine CareE
And all his bloddye bandB
That he would save my eldest sonneO
The eare of all my lande '-
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'Lap him in a shete ' he saythP
'And let him downe to meH
And I shall take him in my armesA
His waran shall I be '-
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The captayne sayd unto him selfeQ
Wyth sped before the restB
He cut his tonge out of his headB
His hart out of his breastB
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He lapt them in a handkerchefQ
And knet it of knotes threeH
And cast them over the castell wallL
At that gay ladyeR
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'Fye upon the Captayne CareE
And all thy bloddy bandB
For thou hast slayne my eldest sonneO
The ayre of all my land '-
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Then bespake the yongest sonneO
That sat on the nurse's kneeH
Sayth 'Mother gay geve over your houseA
It smoldereth me '-
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'I wold geve my gold ' she saithP
'And so I wolde my ffeeQ
For a blaste of the westryn windB
To dryve the smoke from theeP
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'Fy upon the John HamletonH
That ever I paid the hyreE
For thou hast broken my castle wallL
And kyndled in the ffyre '-
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The lady gate to her close parlerE
The fire fell aboute her headB
She toke up her children threE
Seth 'Babes we are all dead '-
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Then bespake the hye stewardB
That is of hye degreeE
Saith 'Ladie gay you are in closeA
Wether ye fighte or flee '-
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Lord Hamleton drem'd in his dreamS
In Carvall where he layeR
His halle were all of fyreE
His ladie slayne or dayeR
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'Busk and bowne my mery men allL
Even and go ye with meE
For I drem'd that my hall was on fyreE
My lady slayne or day '-
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He buskt him and bown'd hymE
And like a worthi knighteB
And when he saw his hall burningG
His harte was no dele lighteB
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He sett a trumpett till his mouthP
He blew as it ples'd his graceA
Twenty score of HamlentonsA
Was light aboute the placeA
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'Had I knowne as much yesternighteB
As I do to dayeR
Captaine Care and all his menH
Should not have gone so quiteB
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'Fye upon the Captaine CareE
And all thy blody bandeB
Thou haste slayne my lady gayR
More wurth then all thy landeB
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'If thou had ought eny ill will ' he saithP
'Thou shoulde have taken my lyffeQ
And have saved my children threE
All and my lovesome wyffe '-

Frank Sidgwick



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