Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border Volume I Part 30

He has ta'en the laird's jack on his back, A twa-handed sword to hang by his thie; He has ta'en a steil cap on his head, And gallopped on to follow d.i.c.kie.

d.i.c.kie was na a mile frae aff the town, I wat a mile but barely three, When he was o'erta'en by fair Johnie Armstrang, Hand for hand, on Cann.o.bie lee.

"Abide, abide, thou traitour thief!

The day is come that thou maun die."

Then d.i.c.kie look't owre his left shoulder, Said--"Johnie, hast thou nae mae in c.u.mpanie?

"There is a preacher in our chapell, And a' the live lang day teaches he: When day is gane, and night is come, There's ne'er ae word I mark but three.

"The first and second is--Faith and Conscience; The third--Ne'er let a traitour free: But, Johnie, what faith and conscience was thine, When thou took awa my three ky frae me?

"And when thou had ta'en awa my three ky, Thou thought in thy heart thou wast not weil sped, Till thou sent thy billie Willie ower the know, To take thrie coverlets off my wife's bed!"

Then Johnie let a speir fa' laigh by his thie, Thought well to hae slain the innocent, I trow; But the powers above were mair than he, For he ran but the puir fule's jerkin through.

Together they ran, or ever they blan; This was d.i.c.kie the fule and he!

d.i.c.kie could na win at him wi' the blade o' the sword, But fell'd him wi' the plummet under the e'e.

Thus d.i.c.kie has fell'd fair Johnie Armstrang, The prettiest man in the south country--- "Gramercy!" then can d.i.c.kie say, "I had but twa horse, thou hast made me thrie!"

He's ta'en the steil jack aff Johnie's back, The twa-handed sword that hang low by his thie; He's ta'en the steil cap aff his head-- "Johnie, I'll tell my master I met wi' thee."

When Johnie wakened out o' his dream, I wat a dreirie man was he: "And is thou gane? Now, d.i.c.kie, than The shame and dule is left wi' me.

"And is thou gane? Now, d.i.c.kie, than The deil gae in thy c.u.mpanie!

For if I should live these hundred years, I ne'er shall fight wi' a fule after thee."--

Then d.i.c.kie's come hame to the gude Lord Scroope, E'en as fast as he might his; "Now, d.i.c.kie, I'll neither eat nor drink, Till hie hanged thou shalt be."

"The shame speed the liars, my lord!" quo' d.i.c.kie; "This was na the promise ye made to me!

For I'd ne'er gane to Liddesdale to steal, Had I not got my leave frae thee."

"But what garr'd thee steal the Laird's Jock's horse?

And, limmer, what garr'd ye steal him?" quo' he; "For lang thou mightst in c.u.mberland dwelt, Ere the Laird's Jock had stown frae thee."

"Indeed I wat ye lied, my lord!

And e'en sae loud as I hear ye lie!

I wan the horse frae fair Johnie Armstrong, Hand to hand, on Cann.o.bie lee.

"There is the jack was on his back; This twa-handed sword hang laigh by his thie, And there's the steil cap was on his head; I brought a' these tokens to let thee see."

"If that be true thou to me tells, (And I think thou dares na tell a lie,) I'll gie thee fifteen punds for the horse, Weil tald on thy cloak lap shall be.

"I'll gie thee are o' my best milk ky, To maintain thy wife and children thrie; And that may be as gude, I think, As ony twa o' thine wad be."

"The shame speed the liars, my lord!" quo' d.i.c.kie; "Trow ye aye to make a fule o' me?

I'll either hae twenty punds for the gude horse, Or he's gae to Mortan fair wi' me."

He's gien him twenty punds for the gude horse, A' in goud and gude monie; He's gien him ane o' his best milk ky, To maintain his wife and children thrie.

Then d.i.c.kie's come down thro' Carlisle toun, E'en as fast as he could drie; The first o' men that he met wi'

Was my lord's brother, bailiff Glozenburrie.

"Weil be ye met, my gude Ralph Scroope!"

"Welcome, my brother's fule!" quo' he: "Where didst thou get fair Johnie Armstrong's horse?"

"Where did I get him? but steal him," quo' he.

"But wilt thou sell me the bonny horse?

And, billie, wilt thou sell him to me?" quo' he: "Aye; if thoul't tell me the monie on my cloak lap: "For there's never ae penny I'll trust thee."

"I'll gie thee ten punds for the gude horse, Weil tald on thy cloak lap they shall be; And I'll gie thee ane o' the best milk ky, To maintain thy wife and children thrie."

"The shame speid the liars, my lord!" quo' d.i.c.kie; "Trow ye ay to make a fule o' me!

I'll either hae twenty punds for the gude horse, Or he's gae to Mortan fair wi' me."

He's gien him twenty punds for the gude horse, Baith in goud and gude monie; He's gien him ane o' his best milk ky, To maintain his wife and children thrie.

Then d.i.c.kie lap a loup fu' hie, And I wat a loud laugh laughed he-- "I wish the neck o' the third horse were broken, If ony of the twa were better than he!"

Then d.i.c.kie's come hame to his wife again; Judge ye how the poor fule had sped!

He has gien her twa score English punds, For the thrie auld coverlets ta'en aff her bed.

"And tak thee these twa as gude ky, I trow, as a' thy thrie might be; And yet here is a white-footed nagie, I trow he'll carry baith thee and me.

"But I may nae langer in c.u.mberland bide; The Armstrongs they would hang me hie."

So d.i.c.kie's ta'en leave at lord and master, And at Burgh under Stanmuir there dwells he.

[Footnote 173: _Gie him his batts_--Dismiss him with a beating.]

NOTES ON d.i.c.k O' THE COW.

_Then d.i.c.kie's come on to Pudding-burn house_.--P. 205. v, 3.

This was a house of strength, held by the Armstrongs. The ruins at present form a sheep-fold, on the farm of Reidsmoss, belonging to the Duke of Buccleuch.

_He has tied them a' wi' St. Mary's knot_.--P. 207. v. 4.

Hamstringing a horse is termed, in the border dialect, _tying him with St. Mary's Knot_. d.i.c.kie used this cruel expedient to prevent a pursuit. It appears from the narration, that the horses, left unhurt, belonged to Fair Johnie Armstrang, his brother Willie, and the Laird's Jock, of which d.i.c.kie carried off two, and left that of the Laird's Jock, probably out of grat.i.tude for the protection he had afforded him on his arrival.

_Hand for hand, on Cann.o.bie lee_.--P. 209. v. 1.

A rising-ground on Cann.o.bie, on the borders of Liddesdale.