%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> A Noble Riddle wisele Expounded: / OR, / The Maids answer to the Knights three Questions. / She with her excellent wit and civil carriage, / VVon a young Knight to joyn with her in marriage. / This gallant couple now are man and wife, / And she with him doth lead a pleasant life. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1658-1658 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 03/05/2012 31807

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Patricia Fumerton Early Modern Center - English Department University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93105 United States of America EMail: pfumer@english.ucsb.edu

R218523 1 Lay the bent to the bonny broom Lay the Bent to the Bony Broom Lay the bent to the bonny broom THere was a Lady of the North Country, / And she had lovely Daughters three, Lay the bent to the bonny broom, / fa la la la fa la la la ra la. Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 253 A Noble Riddle wisele Expounded: / OR, / The Maids answer to the Knights three Questions. / She with her excellent wit and civil carriage, / VVon a young Knight to joyn with her in marriage. / This gallant couple now are man and wife, / And she with him doth lead a pleasant life. A Noble Riddle wisele Expounded: OR, The Maids answer to the Knights three Questions. She with her excellent wit and civil carriage, Won a young Knight to joyn with her in marriage. This gallant couple now are man and wife, And she with him doth lead a pleasant life. A Noble Riddle wisely Expounded: OR, The Maid's answer to the Knight's three Questions. She with her excellent wit and civil carriage, Won a young Knight to join with her in marriage. This gallant couple now are man and wife, And she with him does lead a pleasant life. 1658-1658 F. Coles, T. Vere, and W. Gilbertson.

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 Early Modern Center Ballad Project Keyword Taxonomy advice affliction/ health alcohol Americas animals/ nature Bible/ biblical figures buildings/ architecture catastrophe children class clothing/ appearance country/ nation crime death economics/ commerce entertainments family folklore gender holidays/ seasons infidelity labor/ craft law London love maritime marriage military/ war monstrosity mythology/ Classical news nobility/ court politics/ government procreation punishment race/ ethnicity religious concepts religious figures religious groups royalty rural life servitude sex/ sexuality supernatural/ magic travel trickery/ deceit urban life vice violence virtue vulgar humor youth/ age Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 3/5/2012 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America love marriage nobility/ court sex/ sexuality Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 3/5/2012 2:30:07 PM XBallad Lee, Jennifer J Created XML Version of Ballad 3/5/2012 2:30:07 PM Transcription Supervisor Becker, Charlotte Transcription of ballad manuscript 3/5/2012 2:30:07 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Palmer Browne, Megan Transcription of ballad manuscript 3/5/2012 2:30:07 PM Transcriptionist Two Becker, Charlotte Transcription of ballad manuscript 3/5/2012 2:30:07 PM Transcriptionist One Ross, Percy Transcription of ballad manuscript 3/8/2011 Checker Victoria Hernandez Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 2/2/2011 Bibliographer Charlotte Becker Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created 2/17/2011 Checker Grafals Michael Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 2/17/2011 Checker Grafals Michael Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 2/17/2011 Checker Grafals Michael Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 2/17/2011 Checker Grafals Michael Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 2/17/2011 Checker Grafals Michael Edited Ballad Catalogue Record
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">A Noble Riddle wisele Expounded:</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic"><hi rend="bold">OR,</hi></hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The Maids answer to the Knights three Questions.</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="4" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">She with her excellent wit and civil carriage,</hi></seg> <seg n="5" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Won a young Knight to joyn with her in marriage.</hi></seg> <seg n="6" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">This gallant couple now are man and wife,</hi></seg> <seg n="7" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">And she with him doth lead a pleasant life.</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="8" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The tune is Lay the bent to the bonny broom.</hi></seg>
THere was a Lady of the North Country, Lay the bent to the bonny broom, And she had lovely Daughters three, fa la la la fa la la la ra la. There was a Knight of Noble worth, lay the bent, etc. Which also lived in the North. fa la, etc. The Knight of courage stout and brave, lay the bent, etc. A Wife he did desire to have. fa la, etc. He knocked at the Ladies Gate, lay the bent, etc. One evening when it was very late, fa la, etc. The youngest sister she let him in, lay the bent, etc. And pind the doore with a silver pin fa la, etc.
The second sister she made his bed, lay the bent, etc. And laid soft Pillows under his head, fa la, etc, The youngest Daughter that same night lay the bent. etc. She went to bed with this young Knight fa la, etc. And in the morning when it was day. lay the bent etc. These words unto him she did say fa la, etc. Now you have had your will quoth she lay the bent, etc. I pray sir Knight will you marry me? fa la. etc. The young brave knight to her replyd, lay the bent. etc, Thy suit fair Maid shall not be denyd. fa la. etc.
IF thou canst answer me questions three, lay the bent to the bonny broom, This vary day will I marry thee, fa la, etc. Kind sir in love O then quoth she lay the bent. etc. Tell me what your questions be, fa la. etc. O what is longer then the way? lay the bent. etc. Or what is deeper then the Sea? fa la. etc. O what is louder then a Horn? lay the bent. etc. Or what is sharper then a Thorn? fa la. etc. Or what is greener then the Grasse? lay the bent. etc. Or what is worse then women was? fa la. etc, Here followeth the Damsels answers, to the Knights three questions. O Love is longer then the way, lay the bent, etc, And Hell is deeper then the Sea, fa la etc,
And thunders louder than a horn, lay the bent, etc. And hungers sharper than a thorn, fa la, etc. And poyson is greener then the grass, lay the bent, etc. And the Divel is worse then woman was, fa la, etc. When she these questions answered had. Lay the bent, etc. The Knight became exceeding glad, fa la. etc. And having throughly tryd her wit, lay the bent, etc. He much commended her for it, fa la, etc, And after as tis verifyd, lay the bent, etc. He made of her his lovely Bride, fa la, etc. So now fair Maidens all adieu, lay the bent, etc. This Song I dedicate to you, fa lay, etc. I wish that you may constant prove. lay the bent, etc. Unto the man that you doe fa la, etc.
Printed for F. Coles, T. Vere, and W. Gilbertson.