English and Scottish Ballads Volume I Part 23

Sweet w.i.l.l.y was a widow's son, And at her stirrup he did run; 10 And she was clad in the finest pall, But aye she let the tears down fall.

"O is your saddle set awrye?

Or rides your steed for you ower high?

Or are you mourning, in your tide, 15 That you suld be Cospatrick's bride?"

"I am not mourning, at this tide, That I suld be Cospatrick's bride; But I am sorrowing in my mood, That I suld leave my mother good. 20

"But, gentle boy, come tell to me, What is the custom of thy countrie?"-- "The custom thereof, my dame," he says, "Will ill a gentle laydye please.

"Seven king's daughters has our lord wedded, 25 And seven king's daughters has our lord bedded; But he's cutted their b.r.e.a.s.t.s frae their breast-bane, And sent them mourning hame again.

"Yet, gin you're sure that you're a maid, Ye may gae safely to his bed; 30 But gif o' that ye be na sure, Then hire some damsell o' your bour."--

The ladye's call'd her bour maiden, That waiting was into her train; "Five thousand merks I'll gie to thee, 35 To sleep this night with my lord for me."--

When bells were rang, and ma.s.s was sayne, And a' men unto bed were gane, Cospatrick and the bonny maid, Into a chamber they were laid. 40

"Now, speak to me, blankets, and speak to me, bed, And speak, thou sheet, enchanted web; And speak up, my bonny brown sword, that winna lie, Is this a true maiden that lies by me?"--

"It is not a maid that you hae wedded, 45 But it is a maid that you hae bedded; It is a leal maiden that lies by thee, But not the maiden that it should be."--

O wrathfully he left the bed, And wrathfully his claes on did; 50 And he has ta'en him through the ha', And on his mother he did ca'.

"I am the most unhappy man, That ever was in Christen land!

I courted a maiden, meik and mild, 55 And I hae gotten naething but a woman wi' child."--

"O stay, my son, into this ha', And sport ye wi' your merry men a'; And I will to the secret bour, To see how it fares wi' your paramour."-- 60

The carline she was stark and sture, She aff the hinges dang the dure; "O is your bairn to laird or loun, Or is it to your father's groom?"--

"O hear me, mother, on my knee, 65 Till my sad story I tell to thee: O we were sisters, sisters seven, We were the fairest under heaven.

"It fell on a summer's afternoon, When a' our toilsome task was done, 70 We cast the kevils us amang, To see which suld to the grene-wood gang.

"Ohon! alas, for I was youngest, And aye my wierd it was the hardest!

The kevil it on me did fa', 75 Whilk was the cause of a' my woe.

"For to the grene-wood I maun gae, To pu' the red rose and the slae; To pu' the red rose and the thyme, To deck my mother's bour and mine. 80

"I hadna pu'd a flower but ane, When by there came a gallant hende, Wi' high-coll'd hose and laigh-coll'd shoon, And he seem'd to be sum kingis son.

"And be I a maid, or be I nae, 85 He kept me there till the close o' day; And be I a maid, or be I nane, He kept me there till the day was done.

"He gae me a lock o' his yellow hair, And bade me keep it ever mair; 90 He gae me a carknet o' bonny beads, And bade me keep it against my needs.

"He gae to me a gay gold ring, And bade me keep it abune a' thing."-- "What did ye wi' the tokens rare, 95 That ye gat frae that gallant there?"--

"O bring that coffer unto me, And a' the tokens ye sall see."-- "Now stay, daughter, your bour within, While I gae parley wi' my son."-- 100

O she has ta'en her thro' the ha', And on her son began to ca'; "What did ye wi' the bonny beads I bade you keep against your needs?

"What did you wi' the gay gold ring 105 I bade you keep abune a' thing?"-- "I gae them to a ladye gay, I met on grene-wood on a day.

"But I wad gie a' my halls and tours, I had that ladye within my bours; 110 But I wad gie my very life, I had that ladye to my wife."--

"Now keep, my son, your ha's and tours, Ye have the bright burd in your bours; And keep, my son, your very life, 115 Ye have that ladye to your wife."--

Now, or a month was come and gane, The ladye bare a bonny son; And 'twas weel written on his breast-bane, "Cospatrick[L120] is my father's name." 120 "O row my lady in satin and silk, And wash my son in the morning milk."

120, Cospatrick, _Comes Patricius_, was the designation of the Earl of Dunbar, in the days of Wallace and Bruce.--SCOTT.

BOTHWELL.

From Herd's _Scottish Songs_, (i. 143.)

As Bothwell was walking in the lowlands alane, _Hey down, and a down_, He met six ladies sae gallant and fine, _Hey down, and a down._

He cast his lot amang them a', 5 And on the youngest his lot did fa'.

He's brought her frae her mother's bower, Unto his strongest castle and tower.

But ay she cry'd and made great moan, And ay the tear came trickling down. 10

"Come up, come up," said the foremost man, "I think our bride comes slowly on."

"O lady, sits your saddle awry, Or is your steed for you owre high?"

"My saddle is not set awry, 15 Nor carries me my steed owre high;

"But I am weary of my life, Since I maun be Lord Bothwell's wife."

He's blawn his horn sae sharp and shrill, Up start the deer on every hill; 20

He's blawn his horn sae lang and loud, Up start the deer in gude green wood.

His lady mother lookit owre the castle wa', And she saw them riding ane and a'.

She's called upon her maids by seven, 25 To mak his bed baith saft and even:

She's called upon her cooks by nine, To make their dinner fair and fine.

When day was gane and night was come, "What ails my love on me to frown? 30