English and Scottish Ballads Volume IV Part 33

There dwall my min and daddie O; And sweet Countess, I'm nothing less Than King o' the Gipsy laddies O." 40

She pull'd off her high heel'd shoes,-- They were made of Spanish leather O,-- She put on her Highland brogues, To follow the Gipsy laddie O.

At night, when my lord came riding home, 45 Enquiring for his lady O, The waiting maid made this reply-- "She's following the Gipsy laddie O."

"O now then," quo' the bonny Earl, "That ever siccan a thing suld be; 50 All ye that love, oh never build Your nest upon the topmost tree.

"For oh the green leaves they will fall, And roots and branches wither O; But the virtue o' a leal woman, 55 I trow wad never swither O.

"Go saddle me my mylk white steed, Go saddle it so sadly O, And I will ride out oure the lea, To follow her Gipsy laddie O. 60

"Go saddle me my bonny black, And eke my gray cowt quickly O; Gin I hae not Johnny Faa his head, The de'il may claw me tightly O.

"Have you been east, or have you been west, 65 Or have you been brisk and bonny O, Or have you seen a gay lady Following a Gipsy laddie O?"

He rode all the summer's night, And part of the next morning O; 70 At length he espied his own wedded wife, She was cold, wet, and weary O.

The leddy sabbed, the leddy cried, And wrung her hands sae sadly O; And aye her moan was to the Earl, 75 To spare her Gipsy laddie O.

"Why did you leave your houses and lands, Or why did you leave your money O, Or why did you leave your own wedded lord, To follow the Gipsy laddie O?" 80

"O what care I for houses and lands, Or what care I for money O?

So as I have brew'd, so I will drink, So fare you well, my honey O."

They marched them to the gallows tree, 85 Whilst the Earl stood at the window O; And aye the smile was on his lip, As he thocht on the Gipsy laddie O.

There were seven Gipsies in a gang, They were so brisk and bonny O, 90 And they're to be hang'd all in a row, For the Earl o' Castle's leddy O.

37. "Yetholm, on the borders of Northumberland, situated among the recesses of the Cheviots, has ever been the headquarters of the Gipsy tribes. The Faas, (a corruption of Fall, their original designation,) the Youngs, Armstrongs, and Gordons still look up to this straggling village as their city of refuge." SHELDON.

JAMIE DOUGLAS. See p. 135.

From Finlay's _Scottish Ballads_, ii. 4.

When I fell sick, an' very sick, An' very sick, just like to die, A gentleman of good account He cam on purpose to visit me; But his blackie whispered in my lord's ear, 5 He was owre lang in the room wi' me.

"Gae little page, an' tell your lord, Gin he will come and dine wi' me, I'll set him on a chair of gold, And serve him on my bended knee." 10

The little page gaed up the stair,-- "Lord Dougla.s.s, dine wi' your ladie: She'll set ye on a chair of gold, And serve you on her bended knee."

"When c.o.c.kle sh.e.l.ls turn silver bells, 15 When wine drieps red frae ilka tree, When frost and snaw will warm us a', Then I'll c.u.m down an' dine wi' thee."

But whan my father gat word o' this, O what an angry man was he! 20 He sent fourscore o' his archers bauld To bring me safe to his countrie.

When I rose up then in the morn, My goodly palace for to lea', I knocked at my lord's chamber door, 25 But ne'er a word wad he speak to me.

But slowly, slowly, rose he up, And slowly, slowly, cam he down, And when he saw me set on my horse, He caused his drums and trumpets soun. 30

"Now fare ye weel my goodly palace, And fare ye weel, my children three; G.o.d grant your father grace to love you, Far more than ever he loved me."

He thocht that I was like himsel, 35 That had a woman in every hall; But I could swear by the heavens clear, I never loved man but himsel.

As on to Embro' town we cam, My guid father he welcomed me; 40 He caused his minstrels meet to sound,-- It was nae music at a' to me.

"Now haud your tongue, my daughter dear, Leave off your weeping, let it be; For Jamie's divorcement I'll send over; 45 Far better lord I'll provide for thee."

"O haud your tongue, my father dear, And of such talking let me be; For never a man shall come to my arms, Since my lord has sae slighted me." 50

O an' I had ne'er crossed the Tweed, Nor yet been owre the river Dee, I might hae staid at Lord Orgul's gate, Where I wad hae been a gay ladie.

The ladies they will c.u.m to town, 55 And they will c.u.m and visit me; But I'll set me down now in the dark, For ochanie! who'll comfort me?

An' wae betide ye, black fastness,[L59]

Ay, and an ill deid may ye die! 60 Ye was the first and foremost man Wha parted my true lord and me.

59: fastness, printed Fastness by Finlay, is, says Motherwell, merely falsetness, falseness.

LAIRD OF BLACKWOOD. See p. 135.

Kinloch's _Ancient Scottish Ballads_, p. 60.

"I lay sick, and very sick, And I was bad, and like to die, A friend o' mine cam to visit me;-- And Blackwood whisper'd in my lord's ear, That he was owre lang in chamber wi' me. 5

"O what need I dress up my head, Nor what need I kaim doun my hair, Whan my gude lord has forsaken me, And says he will na love me mair!

"But O! an my young babe was born, 10 And set upon some nourice knee, And I mysel war dead and gane,-- For a maid again I'll never be."--

"Na mair o' this, my dochter dear, And of your mourning let abee; 15 For a bill of divorce I'll gar write for him, A mair better lord I'll get for thee."

"Na mair o' this, my father dear, And of your folly let abee; For I wad na gie ae look o' my lord's face, 20 For a' the lords in the haill countrie.

"But I'll cast off my robes o' red, And I'll put on my robes o' blue; And I will travel to some other land, To see gin my love will on me rue. 25

"There sall na wash come on my face, There sall na kaim come on my hair; There sall neither coal nor candle licht Be seen intil my bouer na mair.

"O! wae be to thee Blackwood, 30 And an ill death may ye die, For ye've been the haill occasion Of parting my lord and me."

THE PROVOST'S DOCHTER. See p. 180.