A Collection of Ballads Part 12

"O hae you tane a bonny bride?

An hae you quite forsaken me?

An hae ye quite forgotten her That gae you life an liberty?"

She's lookit oer her left shoulder To hide the tears stood in her ee; "Now fare thee well, Young Bicham," she says, "I'll strive to think nae mair on thee."

"Take back your daughter, madam," he says, "An a double dowry I'll gie her wi; For I maun marry my first true love, That's done and suffered so much for me."

He's tak his bonny love by the han, And led her to yon fountain stane; He's changed her name frae Shusy Pye, An he's cald her his bonny love, Lady Jane.

Ballad: The Loving Ballad Of Lord Bateman

(Child, vol. ii. c.o.c.kney copy.)

Lord Bateman was a n.o.ble lord, A n.o.ble lord of high degree; He shipped himself all aboard of a ship, Some foreign country for to see.

He sailed east, he sailed west, Until he came to famed Turkey, Where he was taken and put to prison, Until his life was quite weary.

All in this prison there grew a tree, O there it grew so stout and strong!

Where he was chained all by the middle, Until his life was almost gone.

This Turk he had one only daughter, The fairest my two eyes eer see; She steal the keys of her father's prison, And swore Lord Bateman she would let go free.

O she took him to her father's cellar, And gave to him the best of wine; And every health she drank unto him Was "I wish, Lord Bateman, as you was mine."

"O have you got houses, have you got land, And does Northumberland belong to thee?

And what would you give to the fair young lady As out of prison would let you go free?"

"O I've got houses and I've got land, And half Northumberland belongs to me; And I will give it all to the fair young lady As out of prison would let me go free."

"O in seven long years I'll make a vow For seven long years, and keep it strong, That if you'll wed no other woman, O I will wed no other man."

O she took him to her father's harbor, And gave to him a ship of fame, Saying, "Farewell, farewell to you, Lord Bateman, I fear I shall never see you again."

Now seven long years is gone and past, And fourteen days, well known to me; She packed up all her gay clothing, And swore Lord Bateman she would go see.

O when she arrived at Lord Bateman's castle, How boldly then she rang the bell!

"Who's there? who's there?" cries the proud young porter, "O come unto me pray quickly tell."

"O is this here Lord Bateman's castle, And is his lordship here within?"

"O yes, O yes," cries the proud young porter, "He's just now taking his young bride in."

"O bid him to send me a slice of bread, And a bottle of the very best wine, And not forgetting the fair young lady As did release him when close confine."

O away and away went this proud young porter, O away and away and away went he, Until he came to Lord Bateman's chamber, Where he went down on his bended knee.

"What news, what news, my proud young porter?

What news, what news? come tell to me:"

"O there is the fairest young lady As ever my two eyes did see.

"She has got rings on every finger, And on one finger she has got three; With as much gay gold about her middle As would buy half Northumberlee.

"O she bids you to send her a slice of bread, And a bottle of the very best wine, And not forgetting the fair young lady As did release you when close confine."

Lord Bateman then in pa.s.sion flew, And broke his sword in splinters three, Saying, "I will give half of my father's land, If so be as Sophia has crossed the sea."

Then up and spoke this young bride's mother, Who never was heard to speak so free; Saying, "You'll not forget my only daughter, If so be Sophia has crossed the sea."

"O it's true I made a bride of your daughter, But she's neither the better nor the worse for me; She came to me with a horse and saddle, But she may go home in a coach and three."

Lord Bateman then prepared another marriage, With both their hearts so full of glee, Saying, "I will roam no more to foreign countries, Now that Sophia has crossed the sea."

Ballad: The Bonnie House O' Airly

(Child, vol. vii. Early Edition.)

It fell on a day, and a bonnie summer day, When the corn grew green and yellow, That there fell out a great dispute Between Argyle and Airly.

The Duke o' Montrose has written to Argyle To come in the morning early, An' lead in his men, by the back O' Dunkeld, To plunder the bonnie house o' Airly.

The lady look'd o'er her window sae hie, And O but she looked weary!

And there she espied the great Argyle Come to plunder the bonnie house o' Airly.

"Come down, come down, Lady Margaret," he says, "Come down and kiss me fairly, Or before the morning clear daylight, I'll no leave a standing stane in Airly."

"I wadna kiss thee, great Argyle, I wadna kiss thee fairly, I wadna kiss thee, great Argyle, Gin you shouldna leave a standing stane Airly."

He has ta'en her by the middle sae sma', Says, "Lady, where is your drury?"

"It's up and down by the bonnie burn side, Amang the planting of Airly."

They sought it up, they sought it down, They sought it late and early, And found it in the bonnie balm-tree, That shines on the bowling-green o' Airly,

He has ta'en her by the left shoulder, And O but she grat sairly, And led her down to yon green bank, Till he plundered the bonnie house o' Airly.

"O it's I hae seven braw sons," she says, "And the youngest ne'er saw his daddie, And altho' I had as mony mae, I wad gie them a' to Charlie.

"But gin my good lord had been at hame, As this night he is wi' Charlie, There durst na a Campbell in a' the west Hae plundered the bonnie house o' Airly.

Ballad: Rob Roy