English and Scottish Ballads Volume IV Part 8

Then out spak Lizie Lindsay, The tear blindit her eye; "The ladies o' Edinburgh city They neither milk gaits nor kye." 70

Then up spak young Sir Donald, * * * * * *

"For I am the laird o' Kincawsyn, And you are the lady free; And * * * * *

LIZZIE LINDSAY.

"This version of _Lizzie Lindsay_ is given from the recitation of a lady in Glasgow, and is a faithful transcript of the ballad as it used to be sung in the West of Scotland." WHITELAW'S _Book of Scottish Ballads_, p. 51.--A very good copy, from Mr. Kinloch's MS., is printed in Aytoun's _Ballads of Scotland_, i. 269, (_Donald of the Isles_.)

There was a braw ball in Edinburgh And mony braw ladies were there, But nae ane at a' the a.s.sembly Could wi' Lizzie Lindsay compare.

In cam' the young laird o' Kinca.s.sie, 5 An' a bonnie young laddie was he-- "Will ye lea' yere ain kintra, Lizzie, An' gang to the Hielands wi' me?"

She turned her roun' on her heel, An' a very loud laughter gaed she-- 10 "I wad like to ken whar I was ganging, And wha I was gaun to gang wi'."

"My name is young Donald M'Donald, My name I will never deny; My father he is an auld shepherd, 15 Sae weel as he can herd the kye!

"My father he is an auld shepherd, My mother she is an auld dame; If ye'll gang to the Hielands, bonnie Lizzie, Ye's neither want curds nor cream." 20

"If ye'll call at the Canongate port, At the Canongate port call on me, I'll give you a bottle o' sherry, And bear you companie."

He ca'd at the Canongate port, 25 At the Canongate port called he; She drank wi' him a bottle o' sherry, And bore him guid companie.

"Will ye go to the Hielands, bonnie Lizzie, Will ye go to the Hielands wi' me? 30 If ye'll go to the Hielands, bonnie Lizzie, Ye shall not want curds nor green whey."

In there cam' her auld mither, A jolly auld lady was she-- "I wad like to ken whar she was ganging, 35 And wha she was gaun to gang wi'."

"My name is young Donald M'Donald, My name I will never deny, My father he is an auld shepherd, Sae weel as he can herd the kye! 40

"O but I would give you ten guineas, To have her one hour in a room, To get her fair body a picture To keep me from thinking long."

"O I value not your ten guineas, 45 As little as you value mine; But if that you covet my daughter, Take her with you, if you do incline."

"Pack up my silks and my satins, And pack up my hose and my shoon, 50 And likewise my clothes in small bundles, And away wi' young Donald I'll gang."

They pack'd up her silks and her satins, They pack'd up her hose and her shoon, And likewise her clothes in small bundles, 55 And away with young Donald she's gane.

When that they cam' to the Hielands, The braes they were baith lang and stey; Bonnie Lizzie was wearied wi' ganging-- She had travell'd a lang summer day. 60

"O are we near hame, Sir Donald, O are we near hame, I pray?"

"We're no near hame, bonnie Lizzie, Nor yet the half o' the way."

They cam' to a homely poor cottage, 65 An auld man was standing by; "Ye're welcome hame, Sir Donald, Ye've been sae lang away."

"O call me no more Sir Donald, But call me young Donald your son; 70 For I have a bonnie young lady Behind me for to come in."

"Come in, come in, bonnie Lizzie, Come in, come in," said he, "Although that our cottage be little, 75 Perhaps the better we'll 'gree.

"O make us a supper, dear mother, And make it of curds an' green whey; And make us a bed o' green rushes, And cover it o'er wi' green hay." 80

"Rise up, rise up, bonnie Lizzie, Why lie ye so long in the day; Ye might ha'e been helping my mother To make the curds and green whey."

"O haud your tongue, Sir Donald, 85 O haud your tongue I pray; I wish I had ne'er left my mother, I can neither make curds nor whey."

"Rise up, rise up, bonnie Lizzie, And put on your satins so fine; 90 For we maun to be at Kinca.s.sie Before that the clock strikes nine."

But when they came to Kinca.s.sie The porter was standing by;-- "Ye're welcome home, Sir Donald, 95 Ye've been so long away."

It's down then came his auld mither, With all the keys in her hand, Saying, "Take you these, bonnie Lizzie, All under them's at your command."

LIZAE BAILLIE.

From Herd's _Scottish Songs_, ii. 50. A longer version, from Buchan's larger collection, is in the Appendix. Mr. Chambers, a.s.suming that the foregoing ballad of _Lizie Lindsay_ was originally the same as _Lizie Baillie_, has made out of various copies of both one story in two parts: _The Scottish Ballads_, p. 158. Smith has somewhat altered the language of this ballad: _Scottish Minstrel_, iv. 90.

Lizae Baillie's to Gartartan gane, To see her sister Jean; And there she's met wi' Duncan Graeme, And he's convoy'd her hame.

"My bonny Lizae Baillie, 5 I'll row ye in my plaidie, And ye maun gang alang wi' me, And be a Highland lady."

"I'm sure they wadna ca' me wise, Gin I wad gang wi' you, Sir; 10 For I can neither card nor spin, Nor yet milk ewe or cow, Sir."

"My bonny Lizae Baillie, Let nane o' these things daunt ye; Ye'll hae nae need to card or spin, 15 Your mither weel can want ye."

Now she's cast aff her bonny shoen, Made o' the gilded leather, And she's put on her highland brogues, To skip amang the heather: 20

And she's cast aff her bonny gown, Made o' the silk and sattin, And she's put on a tartan plaid, To row amang the braken.

She wadna hae a Lawland laird, 25 Nor be an English lady; But she wad gang wi' Duncan Graeme, And row her in his plaidie.

She was nae ten miles frae the town, When she began to weary; 30 She aften looked back, and said, "Farewell to Castlecarry.

"The first place I saw my Duncan Graeme, Was near yon holland bush; My father took frae me my rings, 35 My rings but and my purse.

"But I wadna gie my Duncan Graeme For a' my father's land, Though it were ten times ten times mair, And a' at my command." 40

Now wae be to you, loggerheads, That dwell near Castlecarry, To let awa' sic a bonny la.s.s, A Highlandman to marry. 45