English and Scottish Ballads Volume III Part 38

In it came her mother dear, 65 I wyte a sorry woman was she; "I wou'd gie my white monie and gowd, O bonny Jean, to borrow thee."

"Borrow me mother, borrow me,-- O borrow'd shall I never be; 70 For I gart kill my ain gude lord, And life's now nae pleasure to me."

Then in it came her father dear, I wyte a sorry man was he; Says, "Ohon, alas! my bonny Jean, 75 If I had you at hame wi' me.

"Seven daughters I ha'e left at hame, As fair women as fair can be; But I wou'd gi'e them ane by ane, O bonny Jean, to borrow thee." 80

"O borrow me father, borrow me,-- O borrow'd shall I never be; I that is worthy o' the death, It is but right that I shou'd dee."

Then out it speaks the king himsell, 85 And aye as he steps in the fleer; Says, "I grant you your life, lady, Because you are of tender year."

"A boon, a boon, my liege the king, The boon I ask, ye'll grant to me:" 90 "Ask on, ask on, my bonny Jean, Whate'er ye ask it's granted be."

"Cause take me out at night, at night, Lat not the sun upon me s.h.i.+ne; And take me to yon heading hill, 95 Strike aff this dowie head o' mine.

"Ye'll take me out at night, at night, When there are nane to gaze and see; And ha'e me to yon heading hill, And ye'll gar head me speedilie." 100

They've ta'en her out at nine at night, Loot not the sun upon her s.h.i.+ne; And had her to yon heading hill, And headed her baith neat and fine.

Then out it speaks the king himsell, 105 I wyte a sorry man was he; "I've travell'd east, I've travell'd west, And sailed far beyond the sea, But I never saw a woman's face I was sae sorry to see dee. 110

"But Warriston was sair to blame, For slighting o' his lady so; He had the wyte o' his ain death, And bonny lady's overthrow."

MARY HAMILTON. See p. 113.

A "North Country" version from Kinloch's _Ancient Scottish Ballads_, p.

252. The Editor furnishes the two following stanzas of another copy:--

My father is the Duke of Argyle, My mother's a lady gay, And I mysel am a daintie dame, And the king desired me.

He shaw'd me up, he shaw'd me doun, He shaw'd me to the ha', He shaw'd me to the low cellars, And that was warst of a'.

In one of Motherwell's copies, and in Buchan's, the heroine calls herself daughter of the Duke of York.

"Whan I was a babe, and a very little babe, And stood at my mither's knee, Nae witch nor warlock did unfauld The death I was to dree.

"But my mither was a proud woman, 5 A proud woman and a bauld; And she hired me to Queen Mary's bouer When scarce eleven years auld.

"O happy, happy, is the maid, That's born of beauty free! 10 It was my dimpling rosy cheeks That's been the dule o' me; And wae be to that weirdless wicht, And a' his witcherie."

Word's gane up and word's gane doun, 15 And word's gane to the ha', That Mary Hamilton was wi' bairn, And na body ken'd to wha.

But in and cam the Queen hersel, Wi' gowd plait on her hair;-- 20 Says, "Mary Hamilton, whare is the babe That I heard greet sae sair?"

"There is na babe within my bouer, And I hope there ne'er will be; But it's me wi' a sair and sick colic, 25 And I'm just like to dee."

But they looked up, they looked down, Atween the bowsters and the wa', It's there they got a bonnie lad-bairn, But it's life it was awa'. 30

"Rise up, rise up, Mary Hamilton, Rise up, and dress ye fine, For you maun gang to Edinbruch, And stand afore the nine.[L34]

"Ye'll no put on the dowie black, 35 Nor yet the dowie brown; But ye'll put on the robes o' red, To sheen thro' Edinbruch town."

"I'll no put on the dowie black, Nor yet the dowie brown; 40 But I'll put on the robes o' red, To sheen thro' Edinbruch town."

As they gaed thro' Edinbruch town, And down by the Nether-bow, There war monie a lady fair 45 Siching and crying, "Och how!"

"O weep na mair for me, ladies, Weep na mair for me; Yestreen I killed my ain bairn, The day I deserve to dee. 50

"What need ye hech! and how! ladies, What need ye how! for me; Ye never saw grace at a graceless face,-- Queen Mary has nane to gie."

"Gae forward, gae forward," the Queen she said, "Gae forward, that ye may see; 55 For the very same words that ye hae said, Sall hang ye on the gallows tree."

As she gaed up the Tolbooth stairs, She gied loud lauchters three; 60 But or ever she cam down again, She was condemn'd to dee.

"O tak example frae me, Maries, O tak example frae me, Nor gie your luve to courtly lords, 65 Nor heed their witchin' ee.

"But wae be to the Queen hersel, She micht hae pardon'd me; But sair she's striven for me to hang Upon the gallows tree. 70

"Yestreen the Queen had four Maries, The nicht she'll hae but three; There was Mary Beatoun, Mary Seaton, And Mary Carmichael, and me.

"Aft hae I set pearls in her hair, 75 Aft hae I lac'd her gown, And this is the reward I now get, To be hang'd in Edinbruch town!

"O a' ye mariners, far and near, That sail ayont the faem, 80 O dinna let my father and mither ken, But what I am coming hame.

"O a' ye mariners, far and near, That sail ayont the sea, Let na my father and mither ken, 85 The death I am to dee.

"Sae, weep na mair for me, ladies, Weep na mair for me, The mither that kills her ain bairn, Deserves weel for to dee." 90

34. Anciently the supreme criminal court of Scotland was composed of nine members, viz. the Justiciar, or Justice General, and his eight Deputes. KINLOCH.

MARY HAMILTON. See p 113.

Maidment's _North Countrie Garland_, p. 19.

Then down cam Queen Marie Wi' gold links in her hair, Saying, "Marie mild, where is the child, That I heard greet sair sair?"

"There was nae child wi' me, madam, 5 There was nae child wi' me; It was but me in a sair cholic, When I was like to die."