English and Scottish Ballads Volume VI Part 6

"O whair gat thou these targats, Johnie, 105 That blink sae brawly abune thy brie?"

"I gat them in the field fechting, Wher, cruel King, thou durst not be.

"Had I my horse, and harness gude, And ryding as I wont to be, 110 It sould haif bene tald this hundred yeir, The meiting of my King and me!

"G.o.d be withee, Kirsty, my brither, Lang live thou Laird of Mangertoun!

Lang mayst thou live on the Border syde, 115 Or thou se thy brither ryde up and doun.

"And G.o.d be withee, Kirsty, my son, Whair thou sits on thy nursees knee!

But and thou live this hundred yeir, Thy fathers better thou'lt never be. 120

Farweil, my bonny Gilnock-Hall, Whair on Esk syde thou standest stout!

Gif I had leived but seven yeirs mair, I wald haif gilt thee round about."

John murdred was at Carlinrigg, 125 And all his galant companie; But Scotlands heart was never sae wae, To see sae mony brave men die.

Because they savd their country deir Frae Englishmen: nane were sae bauld, 130 Whyle Johnie livd on the Border syde, Nane of them durst c.u.m neir his hald.

17. Langum hown.

30. thou mayst sune.

HUGHIE GRAHAM.

Of the two editions of this ballad which follow, the first is taken from _The Scots Musical Museum_ (p. 312), to which it was contributed by Burns. Burns states that he obtained his copy from oral tradition in Ayrshire, but he had certainly retouched several stanzas (the ninth and tenth, says Cromek), and the third and eighth are entirely of his composition.

The other copy is from the _Border Minstrelsy_, and consists of a version "long current in Selkirkshire" (procured for Scott by Mr.

William Laidlaw), which also has been slightly improved by the pen of the editor.

In the Appendix we have placed the story as it occurs in Durfey's _Pills to purge Melancholy_, and in Ritson's _Ancient Songs_. The seventeenth volume of the Percy Society Publications furnishes us with a Scottish version in which Sir Hugh is rescued and sent over the sea: _Scottish Traditional Versions of Ancient Ballads_, p. 73. These, we believe, are all the published forms of this ballad, unless we mention Mr. Allan Cunningham's _rechauffe_ of Burns, in his _Songs of Scotland_, i. 327.

"According to _tradition_," says Mr. Stenhouse, "Robert Aldridge, Bishop of Carlisle, about the year 1560, seduced the wife of Hugh Graham, one of those bold and predatory chiefs who so long inhabited what was called the Debatable Land, on the English and Scottish border. Graham, being unable to bring so powerful a prelate to justice, in revenge made an excursion into c.u.mberland, and carried off _inter alia_, a fine mare belonging to the bishop (!) but being closely pursued by Sir John Scroope, warden of Carlisle, with a party on horseback, was apprehended near Solway Moss, and carried to Carlisle, where he was tried and convicted of felony. Great intercessions were made to save his life; but the bishop, it is said, being determined to remove the chief obstacle to his guilty pa.s.sions, remained inexorable, and poor Graham fell a victim to his own indiscretion and his wife's infidelity. Anthony Wood observes that there were many changes in this prelate's time, both in church and state, but that he retained his offices and preferments during them all."--_Musical Museum_, iv. 297.

Our lords are to the mountains gane, A hunting o' the fallow deer, And they hae gripet Hughie Graham, For stealing o' the Bishop's mare.

And they hae tied him hand and foot, 5 And led him up thro' Stirling town; The lads and la.s.ses met him there, Cried, "Hughie Graham, thou art a loun."

"O lowse my right hand free," he says, "And put my braid sword in the same, 10 He's no in Stirling town this day, Daur tell the tale to Hughie Graham."

Up then bespake the brave Whitefoord, As he sat by the bishop's knee, "Five hundred white stots I'll gie you, 15 If ye'll let Hughie Graham gae free."

"O haud your tongue," the bishop says, "And wi' your pleading let me be; For tho' ten Grahams were in his coat, Hughie Graham this day shall die." 20

Up then bespake the fair Whitefoord, As she sat by the bishop's knee; "Five hundred white pence I'll gie you, If ye'll gie Hughie Graham to me."

"O haud your tongue now, lady fair, 25 And wi' your pleading let it be; Altho' ten Grahams were in his coat, It's for my honour he maun die."

They've taen him to the gallows knowe, He looked to the gallows tree, 30 Yet never colour left his cheek, Nor ever did he blin' his e'e.

At length he looked round about, To see whatever he could spy, And there he saw his auld father, 35 And he was weeping bitterly.

"O haud your tongue, my father dear.

And wi' your weeping let it be; Thy weeping's sairer on my heart, 40 Than a' that they can do to me.

"And ye may gie my brother John My sword that's bent in the middle clear, And let him come at twelve o'clock, And see me pay the bishop's mare.

"And ye may gie my brother James 45 My sword that's bent in the middle brown, And bid him come at four o'clock, And see his brother Hugh cut down.

"Remember me to Maggy, my wife, The niest time ye gang o'er the moor; 50 Tell her, she staw the bishop's mare, Tell her, she was the bishop's wh.o.r.e.

"And ye may tell my kith and kin I never did disgrace their blood, And when they meet the bishop's cloak, 55 To mak it shorter by the hood."

HUGHIE THE GRaeME.

From _Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border_, iii. 110.

Gude Lord Scroope's to the hunting gane, He has ridden o'er moss and muir; And he has grippet Hughie the Graeme, For stealing o' the Bishop's mare.

"Now, good Lord Scroope, this may not be! 5 Here hangs a broadsword by my side; And if that thou canst conquer me, The matter it may soon be tryed."

"I ne'er was afraid of a traitor thief; Although thy name be Hughie the Graeme, 10 "I'll make thee repent thee of thy deeds, If G.o.d but grant me life and time."

"Then do your worst now, good Lord Scroope, And deal your blows as hard as you can; It shall be tried within an hour, 15 Which of us two is the better man."

But as they were dealing their blows so free, And both so b.l.o.o.d.y at the time, Over the moss came ten yeomen so tall, All for to take brave Hughie the Graeme. 20

Then they hae grippit Hughie the Graeme, And brought him up through Carlisle town; The la.s.ses and lads stood on the walls, Crying, "Hughie the Graeme, thou'se ne'er gae down!"

Then they hae chosen a jury of men, 25 The best that were in Carlisle town; And twelve of them cried out at once, "Hughie the Graeme, thou must gae down!"

Then up bespak him gude Lord Hume, As he sat by the judge's knee, 30 "Twenty white owsen, my gude lord, If you'll grant Hughie the Graeme to me."

"O no, O no, my gude Lord Hume, Forsooth and sae it mauna be; For were there but three Graemes of the name, 35 They suld be hanged a' for me."

'Twas up and spake the gude Lady Hume, As she sat by the judge's knee, "A peck of white pennies, my good lord judge, If you'll grant Hughie the Graeme to me." 40

"O no, O no, my gude Lady Hume, Forsooth and so it must na be; Were he but the one Graeme of the name, He suld be hanged high for me."

"If I be guilty," said Hughie the Graeme, 45 "Of me my friends shall have small talk;"

And he has louped fifteen feet and three, Though his hands they were tied behind his back.