English and Scottish Ballads Volume II Part 31

Her mother dear led her through the close, _With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay_; And her brother John set her on her horse, _As the primrose spreads so sweetly_. 60

She lean'd her o'er the saddle-bow, _With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay_, To give him a kiss ere she did go, _As the primrose spreads so sweetly_.

He has ta'en a knife, baith lang and sharp, 65 _With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay_, And stabb'd the bonny bride to the heart, _As the primrose spreads so sweetly_.

She hadna ridden half thro' the town, _With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay_, 70 Until her heart's blood stained her gown, _As the primrose spreads so sweetly_.

"Ride saftly on," said the best young man, _With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay_; "For I think our bonny bride looks pale and wan," 75 _As the primrose spreads so sweetly_.

"O lead me gently up yon hill, _With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay_, And I'll there sit down, and make my will,"

_As the primrose spreads so sweetly_. 80

"O what will you leave to your father dear?"

_With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay_; "The silver-shod steed that brought me here,"

_As the primrose spreads so sweetly_.

"What will you leave to your mother dear?" 85 _With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay_; "My velvet pall and silken gear,"

_As the primrose spreads so sweetly_.

"And what will ye leave to your sister Ann?"

_With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay_; 90 "My silken scarf, and my golden fan,"

_As the primrose spreads so sweetly_.

"What will ye leave to your sister Grace?"

_With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay_; "My b.l.o.o.d.y cloaths to wash and dress," 95 _As the primrose spreads so sweetly_.

"What will ye leave to your brother John?"

_With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay_; "The gallows-tree to hang him on,"

_As the primrose spreads so sweetly_. 100

"What will ye leave to your brother John's wife?"

_With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay_; "The wilderness to end her life,"

_As the primrose spreads so sweetly_.

This fair lady in her grave was laid, 105 _With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay_; And a ma.s.s was o'er her said, _As the primrose spreads so sweetly_.

But it would have made your heart right sair, _With a heigh-ho! and a lily gay_; 110 To see the bridegroom rive his hair, _As the primrose spreads so sweetly_.

THE CRUEL BROTHER.

From Aytoun's _Ballads of Scotland_ (2d ed.), i. 232, "taken down from recitation." Found also, but with several stanzas wanting, in Herd's _Scottish Songs_, i. 149. The t.i.tle in both collections is _Fine Flowers i' the Valley_. This part of the refrain is found in one of the versions of the _Cruel Mother_, p. 269. To Herd's copy are annexed two fragmentary stanzas with nearly the same burden as that of the foregoing ballad.

She louted down to gie a kiss, _With a hey and a lily gay_; He stuck his penknife in her ha.s.s, _And the rose it smells so sweetly_.

"Ride up, ride up," cry'd the foremost man, _With a hey and a lily gay_; "I think our bride looks pale and wan,"

_And the rose it smells so sweetly_.

There were three sisters in a ha', _Fine flowers i' the valley_, There came three lords amang them a', _The red, green, and the yellow_.

The first o' them was clad in red, 5 _Fine flowers i' the valley_; "O lady, will ye be my bride?"

_Wi' the red, green, and the yellow_.

The second o' them was clad in green, _Fine flowers i' the valley_; 10 "O lady, will ye be my queen?"

_Wi' the red, green, and the yellow_.

The third o' them was clad in yellow, _Fine flowers i' the valley_; "O lady, will ye be my marrow?" 15 _Wi' the red, green, and the yellow_.

"O ye maun ask my father dear,"

_Fine flowers i' the valley_, "Likewise the mother that did me bear,"

_Wi' the red, green, and the yellow_. 20

"And ye maun ask my sister Ann,"

_Fine flowers i' the valley_; "And not forget my brother John,"

_Wi' the red, green, and the yellow_.

"O I have asked thy father dear," 25 _Fine flowers i' the valley_, "Likewise the mother that did thee bear,"

_Wi' the red, green, and the yellow_.

"And I have asked your sister Ann,"

_Fine flowers i' the valley_; 30 "But I forgot your brother John;"

_Wi' the red, green, and the yellow_.

Now when the wedding-day was come, _Fine flowers i' the valley_, The knight would take his bonny bride home, 35 _Wi' the red, green, and the yellow_.

And mony a lord, and mony a knight, _Fine flowers i' the valley_, Cam to behold that lady bright, _Wi' the red, green, and the yellow_. 40

There was nae man that did her see, _Fine flowers i' the valley_, But wished himsell bridegroom to be, _Wi' the red, green, and the yellow_.

Her father led her down the stair, 45 _Fine flowers i' the valley_, And her sisters twain they kissed her there, _Wi' the red, green, and the yellow_.

Her mother led her through the close, _Fine flowers i' the valley_; 50 Her brother John set her on her horse, _Wi' the red, green, and the yellow_.

"You are high and I am low,"

_Fine flowers i' the valley_; "Give me a kiss before you go," 55 _Wi' the red, green, and the yellow_.

She was louting down to kiss him sweet, _Fine flowers i' the valley_; When wi' his knife he wounded her deep, _Wi' the red, green, and the yellow_. 60

She hadna ridden through half the town, _Fine flowers i' the valley_, Until her heart's blood stained her gown, _Wi' the red, green, and the yellow_.

"Ride saftly on," said the best young man, 65 _Fine flowers i' the valley_; "I think our bride looks pale and wan!"

_Wi' the red, green, and the yellow_.

"O lead me over into yon stile,"