English and Scottish Ballads Volume IV Part 9

GLASGOW PEGGY.

From recitation, in Kinloch's _Ancient Scottish Ballads_, p. 174.

Other copies are printed in Buchan's _Ballads of the North of Scotland_, ii. 155, (_Donald of the Isles_,) Sharpe's _Ballad Book_, p. 40, (and Chambers's _Popular Rhymes_, p. 27,) Smith's _Scottish Minstrel_, iv. 78.

The Lawland lads think they are fine, But the hieland lads are brisk and gaucy; And they are awa near Glasgow toun, To steal awa a bonnie la.s.sie.

"I wad gie my gude brown steed, 5 And sae wad I my gude grey naigie, That I war fifty miles frae the toun, And nane wi' me but my bonnie Peggy."

But up then spak the auld gudman, And vow but he spak wondrous saucie;-- 10 "Ye may steal awa our cows and ewes, But ye sanna get our bonnie la.s.sie."

"I have got cows and ewes anew, I've got gowd and gear already; Sae I dinna want your cows nor ewes, 15 But I will hae your bonnie Peggy."

"I'll follow you oure moss and muir, I'll follow you oure mountains many, I'll follow you through frost and snaw, I'll stay na langer wi' my daddie." 20

He set her on a gude brown steed, Himself upon a gude grey naigie; They're oure hills, and oure dales, And he's awa wi' his bonnie Peggy.

As they rade out by Glasgow toun, 25 And doun by the hills o' Achildounie, There they met the Earl of Hume, And his auld son, riding bonnie.

Out bespak the Earl of Hume, And O but he spak wondrous sorry,-- 30 "The bonniest la.s.s about a' Glasgow toun, This day is awa wi' a hieland laddie."

As they rade bye auld Drymen toun, The la.s.sies leuch and lookit saucy, That the bonniest la.s.s they ever saw, 35 Sud be riding awa wi' a hieland laddie.

They rode on through moss and muir, And so did they owre mountains many, Until they cam to yonder glen, And she's lain doun wi' her hieland laddie. 40

Gude green hay was Peggy's bed, And brakens war her blankets bonnie; Wi' his tartan plaid aneath her head, And she's lain doun wi' her hieland laddie.

"There's beds and bowsters in my father's house, 45 There's sheets and blankets, and a' thing ready, And wadna they be angry wi' me, To see me lie sae wi' a hieland laddie."

"Tho' there's beds and beddin in your father's house, Sheets and blankets and a' made ready, 50 Yet why sud they be angry wi' thee, Though I be but a hieland laddie?

"It's I hae fifty acres of land, It's a' plow'd and sawn already; I am Donald the Lord of Skye, 55 And why sud na Peggy be call'd a lady?

"I hae fifty gude milk kye, A' tied to the staws already; I am Donald the Lord of Skye, And why sud na Peggy be call'd a lady! 60

"See ye no a' yon castles and tow'rs?

The sun sheens owre them a sae bonnie; I am Donald the Lord of Skye, I think I'll mak ye as blythe as onie.

"A' that Peggy left behind 65 Was a cot-house and a wee kail-yardie; Now I think she is better by far, Than tho' she had got a lawland lairdie."

GLENLOGIE.

First published in the fourth volume of Smith's _Scottish Minstrel_.

Great liberties, says Motherwell, have been taken with the songs in that work. Other versions are given in Sharpe's _Ballad Book_, and in Buchan's larger collection, i. 188, (_Jean o' Bethelnie's Love for Sir G. Gordon._)

Three score o' n.o.bles rade up the king's ha', But bonnie Glenlogie's the flower o' them a'; Wi' his milk-white steed and his bonnie black e'e, "Glenlogie, dear mither, Glenlogie for me!"

"O haud your tongue, dochter, ye'll get better than he;" 5 "O say nae sae, mither, for that canna be; Though Drumlie is richer, and greater than he, Yet if I maun tak him, I'll certainly dee.

"Where will I get a bonnie boy, to win hose and shoon, Will gae to Glenlogie, and c.u.m again shun?"[L10] 10 "O here am I, a bonnie boy, to win hose and shoon, Will gae to Glenlogie, and c.u.m again shun."

When he gaed to Glenlogie, 'twas "wash and go dine;"

'Twas "wash ye, my pretty boy, wash and go dine;"

"O 'twas ne'er my father's fas.h.i.+on, and it ne'er shall be mine, 15 To gar a lady's hasty errand wait till I dine.

"But there is, Glenlogie, a letter for thee;"

The first line that he read, a low smile ga'e he, The next line that he read, the tear blindit his e'e; But the last line that he read, he gart the table flee. 20

"Gar saddle the black horse, gar saddle the brown; Gar saddle the swiftest steed e'er rade frae a town;"

But lang ere the horse was drawn and brought to the green, O bonnie Glenlogie was twa mile his lane.

"When he cam' to Glenfeldy's door, little mirth was there; 25 Bonnie Jean's mother was tearing her hair; "Ye're welcome, Glenlogie, ye're welcome," said she, "Ye're welcome, Glenlogie, your Jeanie to see."

Pale and wan was she, when Glenlogie gaed ben, But red and rosy grew she whene'er he sat down; 30 She turned awa' her head, but the smile was in her e'e, "O binna feared, mither, I'll maybe no dee."

10, 12 shun again.

JOHN O' HAZELGREEN.

Neither the present version of this ballad, (taken from Buchan's _Ballads of the North of Scotland_, ii. 253,) nor that furnished by Kinloch, (_Jock o' Hazelgreen_, p. 206,) is at all satisfactory.

Another, much superior in point of taste, but made up from four different copies, is given in Chambers's _Scottish Ballads_, p. 319.

Sir W. Scott's song of _Jock o' Hazeldean_ was suggested by a single stanza of this ballad, which he had heard as a fragment, thus:

"'Why weep ye by the tide ladye, Why weep ye by the tide?

I'll wed ye to my youngest son, And ye shall be his bride; And ye shall be his bride, ladye, Sae comely to be seen:'

But aye she loot the tears down fa'

For Jock o' Hazeldean."

As I went forth to take the air Intill an evening clear, And there I spied a lady fair Making a heavy bier.

Making a heavy bier, I say, 5 But and a piteous meen; And aye she sigh'd, and said, alas!

For John o' Hazelgreen.

The sun was sinking in the west, The stars were s.h.i.+ning clear; 10 When thro' the thickets o' the wood, A gentleman did appear.

Says, "who has done you the wrong, fair maid, And left you here alane; Or who has kiss'd your lovely lips, 15 That ye ca' Hazelgreen?"

"Hold your tongue, kind sir," she said, "And do not banter so; How will ye add affliction Unto a lover's woe? 20 For none's done me the wrong," she said, "Nor left me here alane; Nor none has kiss'd my lovely lips, That I ca' Hazelgreen."