Brian Peters The Demon Lover
"Well met, well met, my own true love
I've been away these seven years and more
I've come to claim those former vows
You promised me so long before
"I might have had a king's daughter
Fain she would have married me
But I gave up that crown of gold
‘Twas all for the sake, my love, of thee."
"Well, if you could have had a king's daughter
You've none but yourself to blame
For I am now wed to a ship's carpenter
And with him I have a bonny young son
"But if I were to leave my husband dear
And my little babe also
Now what would you have to keep me with
If along with you I should go?"
"I have three ships all on the sea
One of them has brought me safe to land
I've four and twenty mariners on board
And you shall have music at your command
"And the ship, my love, you shall sail in
Is glorious to behold
The sails are of the finest silk
And the masts are of the beaten gold
"So it's you must leave your husband dear
And sail away with me
I'll take you where the white lilies grow
All on the banks of Italy."
And as she went walking all up the street
So beautiful to behold
He cast a glamour all o'er her face
And she shone like the brightest gold
And when she set her foot on the ship
No mariners could she behold
But the sails were of the finest silk
And the masts were of the beaten gold
Now they hadn't been a-sailing a mile, a mile
A mile but barely one
When she began to weep and mourn
And think upon her bonny young son
And they hadn't been a-sailing a mile, a mile
A mile but barely two
Before she espied his cloven foot
From his bright robes sticking through
And they hadn't been a-sailing a mile, a mile
A mile but barely three
When dark and eerie grew his look
And raging grew the sea
"Now would you see the white lilies grow
All on the banks of Italy?
Or would you rather see the fishes swim
All on the bottom of the sea?"
And as she turned herself round about
So tall, and taller then grew he
Until the tops of that gallant ship
No taller were than he
And he's struck the top-mast with his hand
The fore-mast with his knee
He broke that shining ship all in two
And he's dashed it to the bottom of the sea
