"False luve, and hae ze played me this,In the simmer, mid the flowers?I sall repay ze back again,In the winter mid the showers."Bot again, dear luve, and again, dear luve,Will ze not turn again?As ze look to ither womenShall I to ither men."
"False luve, and hae ze played me this,In the simmer, mid the flowers?I sall repay ze back again,In the winter mid the showers.
"Bot again, dear luve, and again, dear luve,Will ze not turn again?As ze look to ither womenShall I to ither men."
Sir Walter Scott, also, as Chambers has pointed out, has, inWaverley, put two similar stanzas into the mouth of Davie Gellatley.
"False love, and hast thou played me this,In summer, among the flowers?I will repay thee back again,In winter, amid the showers."Unless again, again, my love,Unless ye turn again,As you with other maidens rove,I'll smile on other men."
"False love, and hast thou played me this,In summer, among the flowers?I will repay thee back again,In winter, amid the showers.
"Unless again, again, my love,Unless ye turn again,As you with other maidens rove,I'll smile on other men."
A fair maid sat in her bower door,Wringing her lily hands;And by it came a sprightly youth,Fast tripping o'er the strands."Where gang ye, young John," she says,5"Sae early in the day?It gars me think, by your fast trip,Your journey's far away."He turn'd about wi' surly look,And said, "What's that to thee?10I'm gaen to see a lovely maid,Mair fairer far than ye.""Now hae ye play'd me this, fause love,In simmer, 'mid the flowers?I sall repay ye back again,15In winter, 'mid the showers."But again, dear love, and again, dear love,Will ye not turn again?For as ye look to ither women,Shall I to ither men."20"Make your choose o' whom you please,For I my choice will have;I've chosen a maid mair fair than thee,I never will deceive."But she's kilt up her claithing fine,25And after him gaed she;But aye he said, "ye'll turn back,Nae farder gang wi' me.""But again, dear love, and again, dear love,Will ye never love me again?30Alas! for loving you sae well,And you nae me again."The first an' town that they came till,He bought her brooch and ring;But aye he bade her turn again,35And gang nae farder wi' him."But again, dear love, and again, dear love,Will ye never love me again?Alas! for loving you sae well,And you nae me again."40The niest an' town that they came till,His heart it grew mair fain;And he was deep in love wi' her,As she was ower again.The niest an' town that they came till,45He bought her wedding gown;And made her lady o' ha's and bowers,In bonny Berwick town.
A fair maid sat in her bower door,Wringing her lily hands;And by it came a sprightly youth,Fast tripping o'er the strands.
"Where gang ye, young John," she says,5"Sae early in the day?It gars me think, by your fast trip,Your journey's far away."
He turn'd about wi' surly look,And said, "What's that to thee?10I'm gaen to see a lovely maid,Mair fairer far than ye."
"Now hae ye play'd me this, fause love,In simmer, 'mid the flowers?I sall repay ye back again,15In winter, 'mid the showers.
"But again, dear love, and again, dear love,Will ye not turn again?For as ye look to ither women,Shall I to ither men."20
"Make your choose o' whom you please,For I my choice will have;I've chosen a maid mair fair than thee,I never will deceive."
But she's kilt up her claithing fine,25And after him gaed she;But aye he said, "ye'll turn back,Nae farder gang wi' me."
"But again, dear love, and again, dear love,Will ye never love me again?30Alas! for loving you sae well,And you nae me again."
The first an' town that they came till,He bought her brooch and ring;But aye he bade her turn again,35And gang nae farder wi' him.
"But again, dear love, and again, dear love,Will ye never love me again?Alas! for loving you sae well,And you nae me again."40
The niest an' town that they came till,His heart it grew mair fain;And he was deep in love wi' her,As she was ower again.
The niest an' town that they came till,45He bought her wedding gown;And made her lady o' ha's and bowers,In bonny Berwick town.
From Kinloch'sAncient Scottish Ballads, p. 74. The last stanza but one is found in the preceding ballad. Another copy is given by Buchan,Ballads of the North of Scotland, ii. 187.
The gard'ner stands in his bouer door,Wi' a primrose in his hand,And bye there cam a leal maiden,As jimp as a willow wand;And bye there cam a leal maiden,As jimp as a willow wand."O ladie can ye fancy me,5For to be my bride;Ye'se get a' the flowers in my garden,To be to you a weed."The lily white sall be your smock;It becomes your body best;10Your head sall be buskt wi' gelly-flower,Wi' the primrose in your breist."Your goun sall be the Sweet William;Your coat the camovine;Your apron o' the sallads neat,15That taste baith sweet and fine."Your hose sall be the brade kail-blade,That is baith brade and lang;Narrow, narrow, at the cute,And brade, brade at the brawn.20"Your gloves sall be the marigold,All glittering to your hand,Weel spread owre wi' the blue blaewort,That grows amang corn-land.""O fare ye weil, young man," she says,25"Fareweil, and I bid adieu;Sin ye've provided a weed for meAmang the simmer flowers,It's I'se provide anither for you,Amang the winter-showers:30"The new fawn snaw to be your smock;It becomes your bodie best;Your head sall be wrapt wi' the eastern wind,And the cauld rain on your breist."
The gard'ner stands in his bouer door,Wi' a primrose in his hand,And bye there cam a leal maiden,As jimp as a willow wand;And bye there cam a leal maiden,As jimp as a willow wand.
"O ladie can ye fancy me,5For to be my bride;Ye'se get a' the flowers in my garden,To be to you a weed.
"The lily white sall be your smock;It becomes your body best;10Your head sall be buskt wi' gelly-flower,Wi' the primrose in your breist.
"Your goun sall be the Sweet William;Your coat the camovine;Your apron o' the sallads neat,15That taste baith sweet and fine.
"Your hose sall be the brade kail-blade,That is baith brade and lang;Narrow, narrow, at the cute,And brade, brade at the brawn.20
"Your gloves sall be the marigold,All glittering to your hand,Weel spread owre wi' the blue blaewort,That grows amang corn-land."
"O fare ye weil, young man," she says,25"Fareweil, and I bid adieu;Sin ye've provided a weed for meAmang the simmer flowers,It's I'se provide anither for you,Amang the winter-showers:30
"The new fawn snaw to be your smock;It becomes your bodie best;Your head sall be wrapt wi' the eastern wind,And the cauld rain on your breist."
"Taken down from the recitation of an idiot boy in Wishaw." Kinloch'sAncient Scottish Ballads, p. 170.
"I am gaing awa, Jeanie,I am gaing awa,I am gaing ayont the saut seas,I'm gaing sae far awa.""What will ye buy to me, Jamie,5What will ye buy to me?""I'll buy to you a silken plaid,And send it wi' vanitie.""That's na love at a', Jamie,That's na love at a';10All I want is love for love,And that's the best ava."Whan will ye marry me, Jamie,Whan will ye marry me?Will ye tak me to your countrie,—15Or will ye marry me?""How can I marry thee, Jeanie,How can I marry thee?Whan I've a wife and bairns three,—Twa wad na weill agree."20"Wae be to your fause tongue, Jamie,Wae be to your fause tongue;Ye promised for to marry me,And has a wife at hame!"But if your wife wad dee, Jamie,25And sae your bairns three,Wad ye tak me to your countrie,—Or wad ye marry me?"But sin they're all alive, Jamie,But sin they're all alive,30We'll tak a glass in ilka hand,And drink, 'Weill may they thrive.'""If my wife wad dee, Jeanie,And sae my bairns three,I wad tak ye to my ain countrie,35And married we wad be.""O an your head war sair, Jamie,O an your head war sair,I'd tak the napkin frae my neck,And tie doun your yellow hair."40"I hae na wife at a', Jeanie,I hae na wife at a',I hae neither wife nor bairns three;I said it to try thee.""Licht are ye to loup, Jamie,45Licht are ye to loup,Licht are ye to loup the dyke,Whan I maun wale a slap.""Licht am I to loup, Jeanie,Licht am I to loup;50But the hiest dyke that we come to,I'll turn and tak you up."Blair in Athol is mine, Jeanie,Blair in Athol is mine;Bonnie Dunkel is whare I dwell,55And the boats o' Garry's mine."Huntingtower is mine, Jeanie,Huntingtower is mine,Huntingtower, and bonnie Belford,And a' Balquhither's mine."60
"I am gaing awa, Jeanie,I am gaing awa,I am gaing ayont the saut seas,I'm gaing sae far awa."
"What will ye buy to me, Jamie,5What will ye buy to me?""I'll buy to you a silken plaid,And send it wi' vanitie."
"That's na love at a', Jamie,That's na love at a';10All I want is love for love,And that's the best ava.
"Whan will ye marry me, Jamie,Whan will ye marry me?Will ye tak me to your countrie,—15Or will ye marry me?"
"How can I marry thee, Jeanie,How can I marry thee?Whan I've a wife and bairns three,—Twa wad na weill agree."20
"Wae be to your fause tongue, Jamie,Wae be to your fause tongue;Ye promised for to marry me,And has a wife at hame!
"But if your wife wad dee, Jamie,25And sae your bairns three,Wad ye tak me to your countrie,—Or wad ye marry me?
"But sin they're all alive, Jamie,But sin they're all alive,30We'll tak a glass in ilka hand,And drink, 'Weill may they thrive.'"
"If my wife wad dee, Jeanie,And sae my bairns three,I wad tak ye to my ain countrie,35And married we wad be."
"O an your head war sair, Jamie,O an your head war sair,I'd tak the napkin frae my neck,And tie doun your yellow hair."40
"I hae na wife at a', Jeanie,I hae na wife at a',I hae neither wife nor bairns three;I said it to try thee."
"Licht are ye to loup, Jamie,45Licht are ye to loup,Licht are ye to loup the dyke,Whan I maun wale a slap."
"Licht am I to loup, Jeanie,Licht am I to loup;50But the hiest dyke that we come to,I'll turn and tak you up.
"Blair in Athol is mine, Jeanie,Blair in Athol is mine;Bonnie Dunkel is whare I dwell,55And the boats o' Garry's mine.
"Huntingtower is mine, Jeanie,Huntingtower is mine,Huntingtower, and bonnie Belford,And a' Balquhither's mine."60
An imperfect copy of this ballad was printed in Johnson'sMuseum, (p. 474,) contributed, Mr. Stenhouse informs us, by Burns. The present copy is from theThistle of Scotland, p. 7. Another, shorter than either, is given in Buchan'sBallads of the North of Scotland, ii. 66,Lord Aboyne. (Also in Smith'sScottish Minstrel, iv. 6.)
"Aft hae I playd at cards and diceFor the love o' a bonny rantin' laddie,But now I maun sit i' my father's kitchen nook,And sing, 'Hush, balow, my baby.'"If I had been wise, and had ta'en advice,5And dane as my bonny love bade me,I would hae been married at Martinmas,And been wi' my rantin' laddie."But I was na wise, I took nae advice,Did not as my bonny love bade me,10And now I maun sit by mysel' i' the nook,And rock my bastard baby."If I had horse at my command,As often I had many,I would ride on to the Castle o' Aboyne,15Wi' a letter to my rantin' laddie."Down the stair her father came,And looked proud and saucy;"Who is the man, and what is his name,That ye ca' your rantin' laddie?20"Is he a lord, or is he a laird,Or is he but a caddie?Or is it the young Earl o' Aboyne,That ye ca' your rantin' laddie?""He is a young and noble lord,25He never was a caddie;It is the noble Earl o' AboyneThat I ca' my rantin' laddie.""Ye shall hae a horse at your command,As ye had often many,30To go to the Castle o' Aboyne,Wi' a letter to your rantin' laddie.""Where will I get a little page,Where will I get a caddie,That will run quick to bonny Aboyne,35Wi' this letter to my rantin' laddie?"Then out spoke the young scullion boy,Said, "Here am I, a caddie;I will run on to bonny AboyneWi' the letter to your rantin' laddie."40"Now when ye come to bonny Deeside,Where woods are green and bonny,Then will ye see the Earl o' Aboyne,Among the bushes mony."And when ye come to the lands o' Aboyne,45Where all around is bonny,Ye'll take your hat into your hand,Gie this letter to my rantin' laddie."When he came near the banks of Dee,The birks were blooming bonny,50And there he saw the Earl o' AboyneAmong the bushes mony."Where are ye going, my bonny boy,Where are ye going, my caddie?""I am going to the Castle o' Aboyne55Wi' a letter to the rantin' laddie.""See yonder is the castle there,My young and handsome caddie,And I myself am the Earl o' Aboyne,Tho they ca' me the rantin' laddie."60"O pardon, my lord, if I've done wrong;Forgive a simple caddie;O pardon, pardon, Earl o' Aboyne,I said but what she bade me.""Ye've done no wrong, my bonny boy,65Ye've done no wrong, my caddie;"Wi' hat in hand he bowed low,Gave the letter to the rantin' laddie.When young Aboyne looked the letter on,O but he blinkit bonny;70But ere he read four lines on end,The tears came trickling mony."My father will no pity shew,My mother still does slight me,And a' my friends have turned from me,75And servants disrespect me.""Who are they dare be so boldTo cruelly use my lassie?But I'll take her to bonny Aboyne,Where oft she did caress me.80"Go raise to me five hundred men,Be quick and make them ready;Each on a steed, to haste their speed,To carry home my lady."As they rode on thro' Buchanshire,85The company were many,Wi' a good claymore in every hand,That glanced wondrous bonny.When he came to her father's gateHe called for his lady;90"Come down, come down, my bonny maid,And speak wi' your rantin' laddie."When she was set on high horseback,Row'd in the highland plaidie,The bird i' the bush sung not so sweet,95As sung this bonny lady.As they rode on thro' Buchanshire,He cried, "Each lowland lassie,Lay your love on some lowland lown,And soon will he prove fause t' ye.100"But take my advice, and make your choiceOf some young highland laddie,Wi' bonnet and plaid, whose heart is staid,And he will not beguile ye."As they rode on thro' Garioch land,105He rode up in a fury,And cried, "Fall back each saucy dame,Let the Countess of Aboyne before ye."
"Aft hae I playd at cards and diceFor the love o' a bonny rantin' laddie,But now I maun sit i' my father's kitchen nook,And sing, 'Hush, balow, my baby.'
"If I had been wise, and had ta'en advice,5And dane as my bonny love bade me,I would hae been married at Martinmas,And been wi' my rantin' laddie.
"But I was na wise, I took nae advice,Did not as my bonny love bade me,10And now I maun sit by mysel' i' the nook,And rock my bastard baby.
"If I had horse at my command,As often I had many,I would ride on to the Castle o' Aboyne,15Wi' a letter to my rantin' laddie."
Down the stair her father came,And looked proud and saucy;"Who is the man, and what is his name,That ye ca' your rantin' laddie?20
"Is he a lord, or is he a laird,Or is he but a caddie?Or is it the young Earl o' Aboyne,That ye ca' your rantin' laddie?"
"He is a young and noble lord,25He never was a caddie;It is the noble Earl o' AboyneThat I ca' my rantin' laddie."
"Ye shall hae a horse at your command,As ye had often many,30To go to the Castle o' Aboyne,Wi' a letter to your rantin' laddie."
"Where will I get a little page,Where will I get a caddie,That will run quick to bonny Aboyne,35Wi' this letter to my rantin' laddie?"
Then out spoke the young scullion boy,Said, "Here am I, a caddie;I will run on to bonny AboyneWi' the letter to your rantin' laddie."40
"Now when ye come to bonny Deeside,Where woods are green and bonny,Then will ye see the Earl o' Aboyne,Among the bushes mony.
"And when ye come to the lands o' Aboyne,45Where all around is bonny,Ye'll take your hat into your hand,Gie this letter to my rantin' laddie."
When he came near the banks of Dee,The birks were blooming bonny,50And there he saw the Earl o' AboyneAmong the bushes mony.
"Where are ye going, my bonny boy,Where are ye going, my caddie?""I am going to the Castle o' Aboyne55Wi' a letter to the rantin' laddie."
"See yonder is the castle there,My young and handsome caddie,And I myself am the Earl o' Aboyne,Tho they ca' me the rantin' laddie."60
"O pardon, my lord, if I've done wrong;Forgive a simple caddie;O pardon, pardon, Earl o' Aboyne,I said but what she bade me."
"Ye've done no wrong, my bonny boy,65Ye've done no wrong, my caddie;"Wi' hat in hand he bowed low,Gave the letter to the rantin' laddie.
When young Aboyne looked the letter on,O but he blinkit bonny;70But ere he read four lines on end,The tears came trickling mony.
"My father will no pity shew,My mother still does slight me,And a' my friends have turned from me,75And servants disrespect me."
"Who are they dare be so boldTo cruelly use my lassie?But I'll take her to bonny Aboyne,Where oft she did caress me.80
"Go raise to me five hundred men,Be quick and make them ready;Each on a steed, to haste their speed,To carry home my lady."
As they rode on thro' Buchanshire,85The company were many,Wi' a good claymore in every hand,That glanced wondrous bonny.
When he came to her father's gateHe called for his lady;90"Come down, come down, my bonny maid,And speak wi' your rantin' laddie."
When she was set on high horseback,Row'd in the highland plaidie,The bird i' the bush sung not so sweet,95As sung this bonny lady.
As they rode on thro' Buchanshire,He cried, "Each lowland lassie,Lay your love on some lowland lown,And soon will he prove fause t' ye.100
"But take my advice, and make your choiceOf some young highland laddie,Wi' bonnet and plaid, whose heart is staid,And he will not beguile ye."
As they rode on thro' Garioch land,105He rode up in a fury,And cried, "Fall back each saucy dame,Let the Countess of Aboyne before ye."
Ritson'sScottish Songs, ii. 169.
"Alexander, third Earl of Huntly, was succeeded, in 1523, by his grandson Alexander, Lord Gordon, who actually had three daughters. I. Lady Elizabeth, the eldest, married to John, Earl of Athol. II. Lady Margaret, married to John, Lord Forbes. III. Lady Jean, the youngest, marriedfirst, to James, Earl of Bothwell, from whom she was divorced in 1568; she married,secondly, Alexander, Earl of Southerland, who died in 1594; and surviving him, she married,thirdly, Captain Alexander Ogilvie, son and successor of Sir Walter Ogilvie of Boym, who died in 1606 without issue."Stenhouse,Musical Museum, iv. 378.
The dukedom of Gordon was not created until 1684, and therefore the first line should probably run as quoted by Burns,—
"TheLordof Gordon had three daughters."
"TheLordof Gordon had three daughters."
The duke of Gordon has three daughters,Elizabeth, Margaret, and Jean;They would not stay in bonny Castle-Gordon,But they would go to bonny Aberdeen.They had not been in Aberdeen5A twelvemonth and a day,Till Lady Jean fell in love with Captain Ogilvie,And away with him she would gae.Word came to the duke of Gordon,In the chamber where he lay,10Lady Jean has fell in love with Captain Ogilvie,And away with him she would gae."Go saddle me the black horse,And you'll ride on the grey;And I will ride to bonny Aberdeen,15Where I have been many a day."They were not a mile from Aberdeen,A mile but only three,Till he met with his two daughters walking,But away was Lady Jean.20"Where is your sister, maidens?Where is your sister, now?Where is your sister, maidens,That she is not walking with you?""O pardon us, honoured father,25O pardon us," they did say;"Lady Jean is with Captain Ogilvie,And away with him she will gae."When he came to Aberdeen,And down upon the green,30There did he see Captain Ogilvie,Training up his men."O wo to you, Captain Ogilvie,And an ill death thou shalt die;For taking to my daughter,35Hanged thou shalt be."Duke Gordon has wrote a broad letter,And sent it to the king,To cause hang Captain Ogilvie,If ever he hanged a man.40"I will not hang Captain Ogilvie,For no lord that I see;But I'll cause him to put off the lace and scarlet,And put on the single livery."Word came to Captain Ogilvie,45In the chamber where he lay,To cast off the gold lace and scarlet,And put on the single livery."If this be for bonny Jeany Gordon,This pennance I'll take wi';50If this be bonny Jeany Gordon,All this I will dree."Lady Jean had not been married,Not a year but three,Till she had a babe in every arm,55Another upon her knee."O but I'm weary of wandering!O but my fortune is bad!It sets not the duke of Gordon's daughterTo follow a soldier lad.60"O but I'm weary of wandering!O but I think lang!It sets not the duke of Gordon's daughter,To follow a single man."When they came to the Highland hills,65Cold was the frost and snow;Lady Jean's shoes they were all torn,No farther could she go."O wo to the hills and the mountains!Wo to the wind and the rain!70My feet is sore with going barefoot,No further am I able to gang."Wo to the hills and the mountains!Wo to the frost and the snow!My feet is sore with going barefoot,75No farther am I able for to go."O! if I were at the glens of Foudlen,Where hunting I have been,I would find the way to bonny Castle-Gordon,Without either stockings or shoon."80When she came to Castle-Gordon,And down upon the green,The porter gave out a loud shout,"O yonder comes Lady Jean.""O you are welcome, bonny Jeany Gordon,85You are dear welcome to me;You are welcome, dear Jeany Gordon,But away with your Captain Ogilvie."Now over seas went the captain,As a soldier under command;90A message soon followed after,To come and heir his brother's land."Come home, you pretty Captain Ogilvie,And heir your brother's land;Come home, ye pretty Captain Ogilvie,95Be earl of Northumberland.""O what does this mean?" says the captain;"Where's my brother's children three?""They are dead and buried,And the lands they are ready for thee."100"Then hoist up your sails, brave captain,Let's be jovial and free;I'll to Northumberland, and heir my estate,Then my dear Jeany I'll see."He soon came to Castle-Gordon,105And down upon the green;The porter gave out with a loud shout,"Here comes Captain Ogilvie.""You're welcome, pretty Captain Ogilvie,Your fortune's advanced I hear;110No stranger can come unto my gates,That I do love so dear.""Sir, the last time I was at your gates,You would not let me in;I'm come for my wife and children,115No friendship else I claim.""Come in, pretty Captain Ogilvie,And drink of the beer and the wine;And thou shalt have gold and silver,To count till the clock strike nine."120"I'll have none of your gold and silver,Nor none of your white money;But I'll have bonny Jeany Gordon;And she shall go now with me."Then she came tripping down the stair,125With the tear into her eye;One babe was at her foot,Another upon her knee."You're welcome, bonny Jeany Gordon,With my young family;130Mount and go to Northumberland,There a countess thou shalt be."
The duke of Gordon has three daughters,Elizabeth, Margaret, and Jean;They would not stay in bonny Castle-Gordon,But they would go to bonny Aberdeen.
They had not been in Aberdeen5A twelvemonth and a day,Till Lady Jean fell in love with Captain Ogilvie,And away with him she would gae.
Word came to the duke of Gordon,In the chamber where he lay,10Lady Jean has fell in love with Captain Ogilvie,And away with him she would gae.
"Go saddle me the black horse,And you'll ride on the grey;And I will ride to bonny Aberdeen,15Where I have been many a day."
They were not a mile from Aberdeen,A mile but only three,Till he met with his two daughters walking,But away was Lady Jean.20
"Where is your sister, maidens?Where is your sister, now?Where is your sister, maidens,That she is not walking with you?"
"O pardon us, honoured father,25O pardon us," they did say;"Lady Jean is with Captain Ogilvie,And away with him she will gae."
When he came to Aberdeen,And down upon the green,30There did he see Captain Ogilvie,Training up his men.
"O wo to you, Captain Ogilvie,And an ill death thou shalt die;For taking to my daughter,35Hanged thou shalt be."
Duke Gordon has wrote a broad letter,And sent it to the king,To cause hang Captain Ogilvie,If ever he hanged a man.40
"I will not hang Captain Ogilvie,For no lord that I see;But I'll cause him to put off the lace and scarlet,And put on the single livery."
Word came to Captain Ogilvie,45In the chamber where he lay,To cast off the gold lace and scarlet,And put on the single livery.
"If this be for bonny Jeany Gordon,This pennance I'll take wi';50If this be bonny Jeany Gordon,All this I will dree."
Lady Jean had not been married,Not a year but three,Till she had a babe in every arm,55Another upon her knee.
"O but I'm weary of wandering!O but my fortune is bad!It sets not the duke of Gordon's daughterTo follow a soldier lad.60
"O but I'm weary of wandering!O but I think lang!It sets not the duke of Gordon's daughter,To follow a single man."
When they came to the Highland hills,65Cold was the frost and snow;Lady Jean's shoes they were all torn,No farther could she go.
"O wo to the hills and the mountains!Wo to the wind and the rain!70My feet is sore with going barefoot,No further am I able to gang.
"Wo to the hills and the mountains!Wo to the frost and the snow!My feet is sore with going barefoot,75No farther am I able for to go.
"O! if I were at the glens of Foudlen,Where hunting I have been,I would find the way to bonny Castle-Gordon,Without either stockings or shoon."80
When she came to Castle-Gordon,And down upon the green,The porter gave out a loud shout,"O yonder comes Lady Jean."
"O you are welcome, bonny Jeany Gordon,85You are dear welcome to me;You are welcome, dear Jeany Gordon,But away with your Captain Ogilvie."
Now over seas went the captain,As a soldier under command;90A message soon followed after,To come and heir his brother's land.
"Come home, you pretty Captain Ogilvie,And heir your brother's land;Come home, ye pretty Captain Ogilvie,95Be earl of Northumberland."
"O what does this mean?" says the captain;"Where's my brother's children three?""They are dead and buried,And the lands they are ready for thee."100
"Then hoist up your sails, brave captain,Let's be jovial and free;I'll to Northumberland, and heir my estate,Then my dear Jeany I'll see."
He soon came to Castle-Gordon,105And down upon the green;The porter gave out with a loud shout,"Here comes Captain Ogilvie."
"You're welcome, pretty Captain Ogilvie,Your fortune's advanced I hear;110No stranger can come unto my gates,That I do love so dear."
"Sir, the last time I was at your gates,You would not let me in;I'm come for my wife and children,115No friendship else I claim."
"Come in, pretty Captain Ogilvie,And drink of the beer and the wine;And thou shalt have gold and silver,To count till the clock strike nine."120
"I'll have none of your gold and silver,Nor none of your white money;But I'll have bonny Jeany Gordon;And she shall go now with me."
Then she came tripping down the stair,125With the tear into her eye;One babe was at her foot,Another upon her knee.
"You're welcome, bonny Jeany Gordon,With my young family;130Mount and go to Northumberland,There a countess thou shalt be."
Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, iii. 131.
An edition of this ballad was published in Herd'sScottish Songs, (i. 54,) and there is styledThe Young Laird of Ochiltrie. Scott recovered the following copy from recitation, which is to be preferred to the other, as agreeing more closely with the real fact, both in the name and the circumstances.
The incident here celebrated occurred in the year 1592. Francis, Earl Bothwell, being then engaged in a wild conspiracy against James VI., succeeded in obtaining some followers even among the king's personal attendants. Among these was a gentleman named Weymis of Logie. Accused of treasonable converse with Bothwell, he confessed to the charge, and was, of course, in danger of expiating his crime by death. But he was rescued through the address and courage of Margaret Twynstoun, a lady of the court, to whom he was attached. It being her duty to wait on the queen the night of Logie's accusation, she left the royal chamber while the king and queen were asleep, passed to the room where he was kept in custody, and ordered the guard to bring the prisoner into the presence of their majesties. She received her lover at the chamber door, commanding the guard to wait there, and conveyed him to a window, from which he escaped by a long cord. This is the story as related inThe Historie of King James the Sext, quoted by Scott.
I will sing, if ye will hearken,If ye will hearken unto me;The king has ta'en a poor prisoner,The wanton laird o' young Logie.Young Logie's laid in Edinburgh chapel,5Carmichael's the keeper o' the key;And May Margaret's lamenting sair,A' for the love of young Logie.May Margaret sits in the queen's bouir,Knicking her fingers ane by ane,10Cursing the day that she e'er was born,Or that she e'er heard o' Logie's name."Lament, lament na, May Margaret,And of your weeping let me be;For ye maun to the king himsell,15To seek the life o' young Logie."May Margaret has kilted her green cleiding,And she has curl'd back her yellow hair,—"If I canna get young Logie's life,Farewell to Scotland for evermair."20When she came before the king,She knelit lowly on her knee."O what's the matter, May Margaret?And what need's a' this courtesie?""A boon, a boon, my noble liege,25A boon, a boon, I beg o' thee!And the first boon that I come to craveIs to grant me the life o' young Logie.""O na, O na, May Margaret,Forsooth, and so it mauna be;30For a' the gowd o' fair ScotlandShall not save the life o' young Logie."But she has stown the king's redding kaim,Likewise the queen her wedding knife;And sent the tokens to Carmichael,35To cause young Logie get his life.She sent him a purse o' the red gowd,Another o' the white monie;She sent him a pistol for each hand,And bade him shoot when he gat free.40When he came to the Tolbooth stair,There he let his volley flee;It made the king in his chamber start,E'en in the bed where he might be."Gae out, gae out, my merrymen a',45And bid Carmichael come speak to me;For I'll lay my life the pledge o' that,That yon's the shot o' young Logie."When Carmichael came before the king,He fell low down upon his knee;50The very first word that the king spakeWas,—"Where's the laird of young Logie?"Carmichael turn'd him round about,(I wot the tear blinded his e'e,)—"There came a token frae your grace55Has ta'en away the laird frae me.""Hast thou play'd me that, Carmichael?And hast thou play'd me that?" quoth he;"The morn the Justice Court's to stand,And Logie's place ye maun supplie."60Carmichael's awa to Margaret's bower,Even as fast as he may drie,—"O if young Logie be within,Tell him to come and speak with me!"May Margaret turn'd her round about,65(I wot a loud laugh laughed she,)—"The egg is chipp'd, the bird is flown,Ye'll see nae mair of young Logie."The tane is shipped at the pier of Leith,The tother at the Queen's Ferrie;70And she's gotten a father to her bairn,The wanton laird of young Logie.
I will sing, if ye will hearken,If ye will hearken unto me;The king has ta'en a poor prisoner,The wanton laird o' young Logie.
Young Logie's laid in Edinburgh chapel,5Carmichael's the keeper o' the key;And May Margaret's lamenting sair,A' for the love of young Logie.
May Margaret sits in the queen's bouir,Knicking her fingers ane by ane,10Cursing the day that she e'er was born,Or that she e'er heard o' Logie's name.
"Lament, lament na, May Margaret,And of your weeping let me be;For ye maun to the king himsell,15To seek the life o' young Logie."
May Margaret has kilted her green cleiding,And she has curl'd back her yellow hair,—"If I canna get young Logie's life,Farewell to Scotland for evermair."20
When she came before the king,She knelit lowly on her knee."O what's the matter, May Margaret?And what need's a' this courtesie?"
"A boon, a boon, my noble liege,25A boon, a boon, I beg o' thee!And the first boon that I come to craveIs to grant me the life o' young Logie."
"O na, O na, May Margaret,Forsooth, and so it mauna be;30For a' the gowd o' fair ScotlandShall not save the life o' young Logie."
But she has stown the king's redding kaim,Likewise the queen her wedding knife;And sent the tokens to Carmichael,35To cause young Logie get his life.
She sent him a purse o' the red gowd,Another o' the white monie;She sent him a pistol for each hand,And bade him shoot when he gat free.40
When he came to the Tolbooth stair,There he let his volley flee;It made the king in his chamber start,E'en in the bed where he might be.
"Gae out, gae out, my merrymen a',45And bid Carmichael come speak to me;For I'll lay my life the pledge o' that,That yon's the shot o' young Logie."
When Carmichael came before the king,He fell low down upon his knee;50The very first word that the king spakeWas,—"Where's the laird of young Logie?"
Carmichael turn'd him round about,(I wot the tear blinded his e'e,)—"There came a token frae your grace55Has ta'en away the laird frae me."
"Hast thou play'd me that, Carmichael?And hast thou play'd me that?" quoth he;"The morn the Justice Court's to stand,And Logie's place ye maun supplie."60
Carmichael's awa to Margaret's bower,Even as fast as he may drie,—"O if young Logie be within,Tell him to come and speak with me!"
May Margaret turn'd her round about,65(I wot a loud laugh laughed she,)—"The egg is chipp'd, the bird is flown,Ye'll see nae mair of young Logie."
The tane is shipped at the pier of Leith,The tother at the Queen's Ferrie;70And she's gotten a father to her bairn,The wanton laird of young Logie.
v.9-12. This stanza was obtained by Motherwell from recitation.
v.9-12. This stanza was obtained by Motherwell from recitation.
This ballad first appeared in print in theTea-Table Miscellany, (ii. 282,) from which it was adopted into Herd's and Pinkerton's collections, Johnson'sMuseum, and Ritson'sScottish Songs. The version here selected, that of Finlay, (Scottish Ballads, ii. 39,) is nearly the same, but has two more stanzas, the third and the fourth. Different copies are given in Motherwell'sMinstrelsy, p. 360, Smith'sScottish Minstrel, iii. 90,The Songs of England and Scotland, (by Peter Cunningham,) ii. 346, and Sheldon'sMinstrelsy of the English Border, p. 329, (see our Appendix;) others, which we have not seen, in Mactaggart'sGallovidian Dictionary, Chambers'sScottish Gypsies, andThe Scot's Magazinefor November, 1817.
There is a popular tradition, possessing, we believe, no foundation in fact, that the incidents of this ballad belong to the history of the noble family of Cassilis. The Lady Jean Hamilton, daughter of the Earl of Waddington, is said to have been constrained to marry a grim Covenanter, John, Earl of Cassilis, though her affections were already engaged to Sir John Faa ofDunbar. In 1643, several years after their union, when the Countess had given birth to two or three children, her husband being absent from home on a mission to the Assembly of Divines at Westminster, Sir John presented himself at Cassilis Castle, attended by a small band of gypsies, and himself disguised as one. The recollection of her early passion proved stronger than the marriage vow, and the lady eloped with her former lover. But before she had got far from home, the Earl happened to return. Learning what had occurred, he set out in pursuit with a considerable body of followers, and, arresting the fugitives, brought them back to his castle, where he hanged Sir John and his companions on a great tree before the gate. The Countess was obliged to witness the execution from a chamber window, and after a short confinement in the castle, was shut up for the rest of her life in a house at Maybole, four miles distant, which had been fitted up for her, with a staircase on which were carved a set of heads representing her lover and his troop.
Unfortunately for the truth of the story, letters are in existence, written by the Earl of Cassilis to the Lady Jean after the date of these events, which prove the subsistence of a high degree of mutual affection and confidence; and Finlay assures us that after a diligent search, he had been able to discern nothing that in the slightest confirmed the popular tale. The whole story is perhaps the malicious invention of an enemy of the house of Cassilis, and as such would not be unparalleled in the history of ballad poetry. See Dauney'sAncient Scottish Melodies, p. 269, and Chambers'sScottish Ballads, p. 143.
The gypsies came to our good lord's gate,And wow but they sang sweetly;They sang sae sweet and sae very complete,That down came the fair lady.And she came tripping doun the stair,5And a' her maids before her;As soon as they saw her weel-far'd face,They coost the glamer o'er her."O come with me," says Johnie Faw,"O come with me, my dearie;10For I vow and I swear by the hilt of my sword,That your lord shall nae mair come near ye."Then she gied them the beer and the wine,And they gied her the ginger;But she gied them a far better thing,15The goud ring aff her finger."Gae tak frae me this gay mantle,And bring to me a plaidie;For if kith and kin and a' had sworn,I'll follow the gypsie laddie.20"Yestreen I lay in a weel-made bed,Wi' my good lord beside me;But this night I'll lye in a tennant's barn,Whatever shall betide me.""Come to your bed," says Johnie Faw,25"O come to your bed, my dearie;For I vow and swear by the hilt of my sword,That your lord shall nae mair come near ye.""I'll go to bed to my Johnie Faw,I'll go to bed to my dearie;30For I vow and I swear by the fan in my hand,That my lord shall nae mair come near me."I'll mak a hap to my Johnie Faw,I'll mak a hap to my dearie;And he's get a' the coat gaes round,35And my lord shall nae mair come near me."And when our lord came hame at e'en,And spier'd for his fair lady,The tane she cry'd, and the other replied,"She's away wi' the gypsie laddie."40"Gae saddle to me the black black steed,Gae saddle and make him ready;Before that I either eat or sleep,I'll gae seek my fair lady."And we were fifteen weel-made men,45Altho' we were na bonny;And we were a' put down but ane,For a fair young wanton lady.
The gypsies came to our good lord's gate,And wow but they sang sweetly;They sang sae sweet and sae very complete,That down came the fair lady.
And she came tripping doun the stair,5And a' her maids before her;As soon as they saw her weel-far'd face,They coost the glamer o'er her.
"O come with me," says Johnie Faw,"O come with me, my dearie;10For I vow and I swear by the hilt of my sword,That your lord shall nae mair come near ye."
Then she gied them the beer and the wine,And they gied her the ginger;But she gied them a far better thing,15The goud ring aff her finger.
"Gae tak frae me this gay mantle,And bring to me a plaidie;For if kith and kin and a' had sworn,I'll follow the gypsie laddie.20
"Yestreen I lay in a weel-made bed,Wi' my good lord beside me;But this night I'll lye in a tennant's barn,Whatever shall betide me."
"Come to your bed," says Johnie Faw,25"O come to your bed, my dearie;For I vow and swear by the hilt of my sword,That your lord shall nae mair come near ye."
"I'll go to bed to my Johnie Faw,I'll go to bed to my dearie;30For I vow and I swear by the fan in my hand,That my lord shall nae mair come near me.
"I'll mak a hap to my Johnie Faw,I'll mak a hap to my dearie;And he's get a' the coat gaes round,35And my lord shall nae mair come near me."
And when our lord came hame at e'en,And spier'd for his fair lady,The tane she cry'd, and the other replied,"She's away wi' the gypsie laddie."40
"Gae saddle to me the black black steed,Gae saddle and make him ready;Before that I either eat or sleep,I'll gae seek my fair lady."
And we were fifteen weel-made men,45Altho' we were na bonny;And we were a' put down but ane,For a fair young wanton lady.
From Kinloch'sAncient Scottish Ballads, p. 200, obtained from recitation. Another copy is furnished by Buchan,Ballads of the North of Scotland, ii. 194, which, with some variations, is printed again inScottish Traditional Versions of Ancient Ballads, Percy Society, vol. xvii. p. 53.
"This ballad," says Kinloch, was composed on the marriage of Alexander Irvine of Drum to his second wife, Margaret Coutts, a woman of inferior birth and manners, which step gave great offence to his relations. He had previously, in 1643, married Mary, fourth daughter of George, second Marquis of Huntly.