AGANIS THE THEIVIS OF LIDDISDAILL.
Of Liddisdaill the commoun theifisSa pertlie[1176]steillis now and reiffis[1177],That nane may keipHors, nolt, nor scheip,Nor yit dar sleipFor thair mischeifis.Thay plainlie throw the countrie rydis;I trow the meikill[1178]devill thame gydis:Quhair thay onsettAy in thair gait[1179]Thair is na yett[1180]Nor dure thame bydis[1181].Thay leif richt nocht[1182]; quhairever thay gaThair can na-thing be hid thame fra;For, gif men waldThair housis hald,Than waxe they baldTo burn and slay.Thay theifis have neirhand herreit haill[1183]Ettrick forest and Lauderdaill;Now ar they ganeIn Lothiane,And spairis naneThat thay will waill[1184].Thai landis ar with stouth sa socht[1185]To extreme povertie ar brocht;Thai wicked schrowis[1186]Has laid[1187]the plowis,That nane or few isThat are left ocht[1188].Bot commoun taking of blak-maill,[1189]Thay that had flesche and breid and aillNow ar sa wraikit[1190],Maid puir and naikit,Fane to be staikit[1191]With watter-caill[1192].Thai theifis that steillis and tursis[1193]hame,Ilk ane of thame hes ane to-name—Will of the Lawis,Hab of the Schawis.To mak bair wawis[1194]Thay think na schame.Thay spuilye[1195]puir men of thair pakis[1196];Thay leif thame nocht, on bed nor bakis;Bayth hen and cok,With reill and rok[1197],The Landis JokAll with him takis.Thay leif not spendill, spoone, nor speit,Bed, bowster, blanket, sark, nor scheit;Johne of the ParkeRypis kist[1198]and ark;For all sic warkHe is richt meit.He is weill kend, Johne of the Syde;A gretar theif did never ryde:He nevir tyrisFor to brek byris;Our muir and myrisOur gude ane gyide[1199].Thair is ane, callit Clements Hob,Fra ilk puir wyfe reiffis hir wob[1200],And all the laif[1201],Quhatever thay haif:The deuil resaveThairfoir his gob[1202]!To sic grit stouth quha-eir wald trow itBut gif sum greit man it allowit?Rycht sair I rew,Thocht it be trew,Thair is sa fewThat dar avow it.Of sum grit men they have sic gait[1203]That redy ar thame to debait[1204],And will up weir[1205]Thair stolin geir,That nane dar steir[1206]Thame, air nor lait.Quhat causis theifis us our-gang[1207]Bot want of justice us amang?Nane takis cairThocht all forfair[1208]:Na man will spairNow to do wrang.Of stouth thocht now thay cum gud speidThat nather of men nor God hes dreid,Yit, or I die,Sum sall thame sieHing on a trieQuhill[1209]thay be deid.
Of Liddisdaill the commoun theifisSa pertlie[1176]steillis now and reiffis[1177],That nane may keipHors, nolt, nor scheip,Nor yit dar sleipFor thair mischeifis.Thay plainlie throw the countrie rydis;I trow the meikill[1178]devill thame gydis:Quhair thay onsettAy in thair gait[1179]Thair is na yett[1180]Nor dure thame bydis[1181].Thay leif richt nocht[1182]; quhairever thay gaThair can na-thing be hid thame fra;For, gif men waldThair housis hald,Than waxe they baldTo burn and slay.Thay theifis have neirhand herreit haill[1183]Ettrick forest and Lauderdaill;Now ar they ganeIn Lothiane,And spairis naneThat thay will waill[1184].Thai landis ar with stouth sa socht[1185]To extreme povertie ar brocht;Thai wicked schrowis[1186]Has laid[1187]the plowis,That nane or few isThat are left ocht[1188].Bot commoun taking of blak-maill,[1189]Thay that had flesche and breid and aillNow ar sa wraikit[1190],Maid puir and naikit,Fane to be staikit[1191]With watter-caill[1192].Thai theifis that steillis and tursis[1193]hame,Ilk ane of thame hes ane to-name—Will of the Lawis,Hab of the Schawis.To mak bair wawis[1194]Thay think na schame.Thay spuilye[1195]puir men of thair pakis[1196];Thay leif thame nocht, on bed nor bakis;Bayth hen and cok,With reill and rok[1197],The Landis JokAll with him takis.Thay leif not spendill, spoone, nor speit,Bed, bowster, blanket, sark, nor scheit;Johne of the ParkeRypis kist[1198]and ark;For all sic warkHe is richt meit.He is weill kend, Johne of the Syde;A gretar theif did never ryde:He nevir tyrisFor to brek byris;Our muir and myrisOur gude ane gyide[1199].Thair is ane, callit Clements Hob,Fra ilk puir wyfe reiffis hir wob[1200],And all the laif[1201],Quhatever thay haif:The deuil resaveThairfoir his gob[1202]!To sic grit stouth quha-eir wald trow itBut gif sum greit man it allowit?Rycht sair I rew,Thocht it be trew,Thair is sa fewThat dar avow it.Of sum grit men they have sic gait[1203]That redy ar thame to debait[1204],And will up weir[1205]Thair stolin geir,That nane dar steir[1206]Thame, air nor lait.Quhat causis theifis us our-gang[1207]Bot want of justice us amang?Nane takis cairThocht all forfair[1208]:Na man will spairNow to do wrang.Of stouth thocht now thay cum gud speidThat nather of men nor God hes dreid,Yit, or I die,Sum sall thame sieHing on a trieQuhill[1209]thay be deid.
Of Liddisdaill the commoun theifisSa pertlie[1176]steillis now and reiffis[1177],That nane may keipHors, nolt, nor scheip,Nor yit dar sleipFor thair mischeifis.
Of Liddisdaill the commoun theifis
Sa pertlie[1176]steillis now and reiffis[1177],
That nane may keip
Hors, nolt, nor scheip,
Nor yit dar sleip
For thair mischeifis.
Thay plainlie throw the countrie rydis;I trow the meikill[1178]devill thame gydis:Quhair thay onsettAy in thair gait[1179]Thair is na yett[1180]Nor dure thame bydis[1181].
Thay plainlie throw the countrie rydis;
I trow the meikill[1178]devill thame gydis:
Quhair thay onsett
Ay in thair gait[1179]
Thair is na yett[1180]
Nor dure thame bydis[1181].
Thay leif richt nocht[1182]; quhairever thay gaThair can na-thing be hid thame fra;For, gif men waldThair housis hald,Than waxe they baldTo burn and slay.
Thay leif richt nocht[1182]; quhairever thay ga
Thair can na-thing be hid thame fra;
For, gif men wald
Thair housis hald,
Than waxe they bald
To burn and slay.
Thay theifis have neirhand herreit haill[1183]Ettrick forest and Lauderdaill;Now ar they ganeIn Lothiane,And spairis naneThat thay will waill[1184].
Thay theifis have neirhand herreit haill[1183]
Ettrick forest and Lauderdaill;
Now ar they gane
In Lothiane,
And spairis nane
That thay will waill[1184].
Thai landis ar with stouth sa socht[1185]To extreme povertie ar brocht;Thai wicked schrowis[1186]Has laid[1187]the plowis,That nane or few isThat are left ocht[1188].
Thai landis ar with stouth sa socht[1185]
To extreme povertie ar brocht;
Thai wicked schrowis[1186]
Has laid[1187]the plowis,
That nane or few is
That are left ocht[1188].
Bot commoun taking of blak-maill,[1189]Thay that had flesche and breid and aillNow ar sa wraikit[1190],Maid puir and naikit,Fane to be staikit[1191]With watter-caill[1192].
Bot commoun taking of blak-maill,[1189]
Thay that had flesche and breid and aill
Now ar sa wraikit[1190],
Maid puir and naikit,
Fane to be staikit[1191]
With watter-caill[1192].
Thai theifis that steillis and tursis[1193]hame,Ilk ane of thame hes ane to-name—Will of the Lawis,Hab of the Schawis.To mak bair wawis[1194]Thay think na schame.
Thai theifis that steillis and tursis[1193]hame,
Ilk ane of thame hes ane to-name—
Will of the Lawis,
Hab of the Schawis.
To mak bair wawis[1194]
Thay think na schame.
Thay spuilye[1195]puir men of thair pakis[1196];Thay leif thame nocht, on bed nor bakis;Bayth hen and cok,With reill and rok[1197],The Landis JokAll with him takis.
Thay spuilye[1195]puir men of thair pakis[1196];
Thay leif thame nocht, on bed nor bakis;
Bayth hen and cok,
With reill and rok[1197],
The Landis Jok
All with him takis.
Thay leif not spendill, spoone, nor speit,Bed, bowster, blanket, sark, nor scheit;Johne of the ParkeRypis kist[1198]and ark;For all sic warkHe is richt meit.
Thay leif not spendill, spoone, nor speit,
Bed, bowster, blanket, sark, nor scheit;
Johne of the Parke
Rypis kist[1198]and ark;
For all sic wark
He is richt meit.
He is weill kend, Johne of the Syde;A gretar theif did never ryde:He nevir tyrisFor to brek byris;Our muir and myrisOur gude ane gyide[1199].
He is weill kend, Johne of the Syde;
A gretar theif did never ryde:
He nevir tyris
For to brek byris;
Our muir and myris
Our gude ane gyide[1199].
Thair is ane, callit Clements Hob,Fra ilk puir wyfe reiffis hir wob[1200],And all the laif[1201],Quhatever thay haif:The deuil resaveThairfoir his gob[1202]!
Thair is ane, callit Clements Hob,
Fra ilk puir wyfe reiffis hir wob[1200],
And all the laif[1201],
Quhatever thay haif:
The deuil resave
Thairfoir his gob[1202]!
To sic grit stouth quha-eir wald trow itBut gif sum greit man it allowit?Rycht sair I rew,Thocht it be trew,Thair is sa fewThat dar avow it.
To sic grit stouth quha-eir wald trow it
But gif sum greit man it allowit?
Rycht sair I rew,
Thocht it be trew,
Thair is sa few
That dar avow it.
Of sum grit men they have sic gait[1203]That redy ar thame to debait[1204],And will up weir[1205]Thair stolin geir,That nane dar steir[1206]Thame, air nor lait.
Of sum grit men they have sic gait[1203]
That redy ar thame to debait[1204],
And will up weir[1205]
Thair stolin geir,
That nane dar steir[1206]
Thame, air nor lait.
Quhat causis theifis us our-gang[1207]Bot want of justice us amang?Nane takis cairThocht all forfair[1208]:Na man will spairNow to do wrang.
Quhat causis theifis us our-gang[1207]
Bot want of justice us amang?
Nane takis cair
Thocht all forfair[1208]:
Na man will spair
Now to do wrang.
Of stouth thocht now thay cum gud speidThat nather of men nor God hes dreid,Yit, or I die,Sum sall thame sieHing on a trieQuhill[1209]thay be deid.
Of stouth thocht now thay cum gud speid
That nather of men nor God hes dreid,
Yit, or I die,
Sum sall thame sie
Hing on a trie
Quhill[1209]thay be deid.