English and Scottish Ballads Volume II Part 45

Unto his violl he made him a bridge.

_With_, &c.

What did he do with her veynes so blewe?

_With_, &c.

He made him strings to his viole thereto. 20 _With_, &c.

What did he doe with her eyes so bright?

_With_, &c.

Upon his violl he played at first sight.

_With_, &c.

What did he doe with her tongue soe rough?

_With_, &c.

Unto the violl it spake enough.

_With_, &c.

What did he doe with her two s.h.i.+nnes? 25 _With_, &c.

Unto the violl they danct Moll Syms.

_With_, &c.

Then bespake the treble string, _With_, &c.

"O yonder is my father the king."

_With_, &c.

Then bespake the second string, _With_, &c.

"O yonder sitts my mother the queen." 30 _With_, &c.

And then bespake the stringes all three, _With_, &c.

"O yonder is my sister that drowned mee."

_With_, &c.

Now pay the miller for his payne, _With_, &c.

And let him bee gone in the divels name.

_With_, &c.

THE BONNY BOWS O' LONDON. See p. 231.

From Buchan's _Ballads of the North of Scotland_, ii. 128.

There were twa sisters in a bower, _Hey wi' the gay and the grinding_; And ae king's son hae courted them baith, _At the bonny, bonny bows o' London_.

He courted the youngest wi' broach and ring, 5 _Hey wi' the gay and the grinding_; He courted the eldest wi' some other thing, _At the bonny, bonny bows o' London_.

It fell ance upon a day, _Hey wi' the gay and the grinding_, 10 The eldest to the youngest did say, _At the bonny, bonny bows o' London_:

"Will ye gae to yon Tweed mill dam,"

_Hey wi' the gay and the grinding_, "And see our father's s.h.i.+ps come to land?" 15 _At the bonny, bonny bows o' London_.

They baith stood up upon a stane, _Hey wi' the gay and the grinding_; The eldest dang the youngest in, _At the bonny, bonny bows o' London_. 20

She swimmed up, sae did she down, _Hey wi' the gay and the grinding_; Till she came to the Tweed mill-dam, _At the bonny, bonny bows o' London_.

The miller's servant he came out, 25 _Hey wi' the gay and the grinding_; And saw the lady floating about, _At the bonny, bonny bows o' London_.

"O master, master, set your mill,"

_Hey wi' the gay and the grinding_; 30 "There is a fish, or a milk-white swan,"

_At the bonny, bonny bows o' London_.

They could not ken her yellow hair, _Hey wi' the gay and the grinding_; [For] the scales o' gowd that were laid there, 35 _At the bonny, bonny bows o' London_.

They could not ken her fingers sae white, _Hey wi' the gay and the grinding_; The rings o' gowd they were sae bright, _At the bonny, bonny bows o' London_. 40

They could not ken her middle sae jimp, _Hey wi' the gay and the grinding_; The stays o' gowd were so well laced, _At the bonny, bonny bows o' London_.

They could not ken her foot sae fair, 45 _Hey wi' the gay and the grinding_; The shoes o' gowd they were so rare, _At the bonny, bonny bows o' London_.

Her father's fiddler he came by, _Hey wi' the gay and the grinding_; 50 Upstarted her ghaist before his eye, _At the bonny, bonny bows o' London_.

"Ye'll take a lock o' my yellow hair,"

_Hey wi' the gay and the grinding_; "Ye'll make a string to your fiddle there," 55 _At the bonny, bonny bows o' London_.

"Ye'll take a lith o' my little finger bane,"

_Hey wi' the gay and the grinding_; "And ye'll make a pin to your fiddle then,"

_At the bonny, bonny bows o' London_. 60

He's ta'en a lock o' her yellow hair, _Hey wi' the gay and the grinding_; And made a string to his fiddle there, _At the bonny, bonny bows o' London_.

He's taen a lith o' her little finger bane, 65 _Hey wi' the gay and the grinding_; And he's made a pin to his fiddle then, _At the bonny, bonny bows o' London_.

The firstand spring the fiddle did play, _Hey wi' the gay and the grinding_; 70 Said, "Ye'll drown my sister, as she's dune me."

_At the bonny, bonny bows o' London_.

I.

THE CROODLIN DOO. See _Lord Donald_, p. 244.

From Chambers's _Scottish Ballads_, p. 324. Other copies in _The Scot's Musical Museum_, (1853,) vol. iv. 364*, and Buchan's _Ballads of the North of Scotland_, ii. 179.

"O whaur hae ye been a' the day, My little wee croodlin doo?"

"O I've been at my grandmother's; Mak my bed, mammie, noo."