Ballads of Mystery and Miracle and Fyttes of Mirth Part 21

Ye Highlands and ye Lawlands, Oh! where have you been?

They have slain the Earl of Murray, And they lay'd him on the green!

_They have, &c._

2.

Now wae be to thee, Huntly, And wherefore did you sae?

I bade you bring him wi' you, But forbade you him to slay.

_I bade, &c._

3.

He was a braw gallant, And he rid at the ring; And the bonny Earl of Murray, Oh! he might have been a King.

_And the, &c._

4.

He was a braw gallant, And he play'd at the ba'; And the bonny Earl of Murray Was the flower amang them a'.

_And the, &c._

5.

He was a braw gallant, And he play'd at the glove; And the bonny Earl of Murray, Oh! he was the Queen's love.

_And the, &c._

6.

Oh! lang will his lady Look o'er the castle Down, E'er she see the Earl of Murray Come sounding thro' the town.

_E'er she, &c._

[Annotations: 3.2: A game of skill and horsemans.h.i.+p.

5.2: Probably like the last.

6.3: 'E'er' = ere.]

BONNIE GEORGE CAMPBELL

+The Text+ is from Motherwell's _Minstrelsy_, pp. 44-5.

+The Story.+--Motherwell says it 'is probably a lament for one of the adherents of the house of Argyle, who fell in the battle of Glenlivat, stricken on Thursday, the third day of October, 1594 years.' Another suggestion is that it refers to a Campbell of Calder killed in a feud with Campbell of Ardkinglas, the murder being the result of the same conspiracy which brought the Bonny Earl of Murray to his death. Another version of the ballad, however, gives the name as James, and it is useless and unnecessary to particularise.

BONNIE GEORGE CAMPBELL

1.

Hie upon Hielands And low upon Tay, Bonnie George Campbell Rade out on a day.

Saddled and bridled And gallant rade he; Hame came his gude horse, But never cam he!

2.

Out cam his auld mither Greeting fu' sair, And out cam his bonnie bride Rivin' her hair.

Saddled and bridled And booted rade he; Toom hame cam the saddle, But never cam he!

3.

'My meadow lies green, And my corn is unshorn; My barn is to big, And my babie's unborn.'

Saddled and bridled And booted rade he; Toom hame cam the saddle, But never cam he!

[Annotations: 2.4: 'rivin',' tearing.

2.7: 'Toom,' empty.

3.3: 'is to big,' remains to be built.]

THE LAMENT OF THE BORDER WIDOW

+The Text+ is given from Scott's _Minstrelsy_ (1803), vol. iii. pp.

83-4. His introduction states that it was obtained from recitation in the Forest of Ettrick, and that it relates to the execution of a Border freebooter, named c.o.kburne, by James V., in 1529.

+The Story+ referred to above may have once existed in the ballad, but the lyrical dirge as it now stands is obviously corrupted with a broadside-ballad, _The Lady turned Serving-man_, given with 'improvements' by Percy (_Reliques_, 1765, vol. iii. p. 87, etc.).

Compare the first three stanzas of the _Lament_ with stanzas 3, 4, and 5 of the broadside:--

3.

And then my love built me a bower, Bedeckt with many a fragrant flower; A braver bower you never did see Than my true-love did build for me.

4.

But there came thieves late in the night, They rob'd my bower, and slew my knight, And after that my knight was slain, I could no longer there remain.

5.

My servants all from me did flye, In the midst of my extremity, And left me by my self alone, With a heart more cold then any stone.

It is of course impossible to compare the bald style of the broadside with the beautiful Scottish dirge; and the difficulty of clothing a bower with lilies, which offends Professor Child, may be disregarded.

THE LAMENT OF THE BORDER WIDOW

1.

My love he built me a bonny bower, And clad it a' wi' lilye flour; A brawer bower ye ne'er did see, Than my true love he built for me.

2.

There came a man, by middle day, He spied his sport, and went away; And brought the king, that very night, Who brake my bower, and slew my knight.

3.

He slew my knight, to me sae dear; He slew my knight, and poin'd his gear; My servants all for life did flee, And left me in extremitie.

4.

I sew'd his sheet, making my mane; I watched the corpse, myself alane; I watched his body, night and day; No living creature came that way.