English and Scottish Ballads Volume II Part 37

"But fare ye weel, my ae fause love, 25 That I have loved sae lang!

It sets ye chuse another love, And let young Benjie gang."--

Then Marjorie turn'd her round about, The tear blinding her ee,-- 30 "I darena, darena let thee in, But I'll come down to thee."--

Then saft she smiled, and said to him, "O what ill hae I done?"-- He took her in his armis twa, 35 And threw her o'er the linn.

The stream was strang, the maid was stout, And laith, laith to be dang, But, ere she wan the Lowden banks, Her fair colour was wan. 40

Then up bespak her eldest brother, "O see na ye what I see?"-- And out then spak her second brother, "It's our sister Marjorie!"--

Out then spak her eldest brother, 45 "O how shall we her ken?"-- And out then spak her youngest brother, "There's a honey mark on her chin."--

Then they've ta'en up the comely corpse, And laid it on the ground: 50 "O wha has killed our ae sister, And how can he be found?

"The night it is her low lykewake, The morn her burial day, And we maun watch at mirk midnight, 55 And hear what she will say."--

Wi' doors ajar, and candle light, And torches burning clear, The streikit corpse, till still midnight, They waked, but naething hear. 60

About the middle o' the night, The c.o.c.ks began to craw; And at the dead hour o' the night, The corpse began to thraw.

"O whae has done the wrang, sister, 65 Or dared the deadly sin?

Whae was sae stout, and fear'd nae dout, As thraw ye o'er the linn?"

"Young Benjie was the first ae man I laid my love upon; 70 He was sae stout and proud-hearted, He threw me o'er the linn."--

"Sall we young Benjie head, sister, Sall we young Benjie hang, Or sall we pike out his twa gray een, 75 And punish him ere he gang?"

"Ye maunna Benjie head, brothers, Ye maunna Benjie hang, But ye maun pike out his twa gray een, And punish him ere he gang. 80

"Tie a green gravat round his neck, And lead him out and in, And the best ae servant about your house To wait young Benjie on.

"And aye, at every seven years' end, 85 Ye'l tak him to the linn; For that's the penance he maun dree, To scug his deadly sin."

APPENDIX.

LORD BARNABY.

Scottish version of _Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard_. See p. 15.

From Jamieson's _Popular Ballads and Songs_, i. 170.

"I have a tower in Dalisberry, Which now is dearly dight, And I will gie it to young Musgrave To lodge wi' me a' night."

"To lodge wi' thee a' night, fair lady, 5 Wad breed baith sorrow and strife; For I see by the rings on your fingers, You're good lord Barnaby's wife."

"Lord Barnaby's wife although I be, Yet what is that to thee? 10 For we'll beguile him for this ae night-- He's on to fair Dundee.

"Come here, come here, my little foot-page, This gold I will give thee, If ye will keep thir secrets close 15 'Tween young Musgrave and me.

"But here I hae a little pen-knife, Hings low down by my gare; Gin ye winna keep thir secrets close, Ye'll find it wonder sair." 20

Then she's ta'en him to her chamber, And down in her arms lay he: The boy coost aff his hose and shoon, And ran to fair Dundee.

When he cam to the wan water, 25 He slack'd[L26] his bow and swam; And when he cam to growin gra.s.s, Set down his feet and ran.

And when he cam to fair Dundee, Wad neither chap nor ca'; 30 But set his brent[L31] bow to his breast, And merrily jump'd the wa'.

"O waken ye, waken ye, my good lord, Waken, and come away!"-- "What ails, what ails my wee foot-page, 35 He cries sae lang ere day.

"O is my bowers brent, my boy?

Or is my castle won?

Or has the lady that I lo'e best Brought me a daughter or son?" 40

"Your ha's are safe, your bowers are safe, And free frae all alarms; But, oh! the lady that ye lo'e best Lies sound in Musgrave's arms."

"Gae saddle to me the black," he cried, 45 "Gae saddle to me the gray; Gae saddle to me the swiftest steed, To hie me on my way."

"O lady, I heard a wee horn toot, And it blew wonder clear; 50 And ay the turning o' the note, Was, 'Barnaby will be here!'

"I thought I heard a wee horn blaw, And it blew loud and high; And ay at ilka turn it said, 55 'Away, Musgrave, away!'"

"Lie still, my dear; lie still, my dear; Ye keep me frae the cold; For it is but my father's shepherds Driving their flocks to the fold." 60

Up they lookit, and down they lay, And they're fa'en sound asleep; Till up stood good lord Barnaby, Just close at their bed feet.

"How do you like my bed, Musgrave? 65 And how like ye my sheets?

And how like ye my fair lady, Lies in your arms and sleeps?

"Weel like I your bed, my lord, And weel like I your sheets; 70 But ill like I your fair lady, Lies in my arms and sleeps.

"You got your wale o' se'en sisters, And I got mine o' five; Sae tak ye mine, and I's tak thine, 75 And we nae mair sall strive."

"O my woman's the best woman That ever brak world's bread; And your woman's the worst woman That ever drew coat o'er head. 80

"I hae twa swords in ae scabbert, They are baith sharp and clear; Take ye the best, and I the warst, And we'll end the matter here.

"But up, and arm thee, young Musgrave, 85 We'll try it han' to han'; It's ne'er be said o' lord Barnaby, He strack at a naked man."

The first straik that young Musgrave got, It was baith deep and sair; 90 And down he fell at Barnaby's feet, And word spak never mair.