183WILLIE MACINTOSH

183WILLIE MACINTOSH

A.‘Burning of Auchindown.’a.The Thistle of Scotland, p. 106. b. Whitelaw, The Book of Scottish Ballads, p. 248.

B.‘Willie Mackintosh,’ Finlay’s Scottish Ballads, II, 89.

The murder of the “Bonny Earl of Murray” was the occasion of serious commotions in the North Highlands. Towards the end of the year 1592, the Macintoshes of the Clan Chattan, who of all the faction of Murray “most eagerly endeavored to revenge his death,” invaded the estates of the Earl of Huntly, and killed four gentlemen of the surname of Gordon. Huntly retaliated, “and rade into Pettie (which was then in the possession of the Clan Chattan), where he wasted and spoiled all the Clan Chattan’s lands, and killed divers of them. But as the Earl of Huntly had returned home from Pettie, he was advertised that William Macintosh with eight hundred of Clan Chattan were spoiling his lands of Cabrach: whereupon Huntly and his uncle Sir Patrick Gordon of Auchindown, with some few horsemen, made speed towards the enemy, desiring the rest of his company to follow him with all possible diligence, knowing that if once he were within sight of them they would desist from spoiling the country. Huntly overtook the Clan Chattan before they left the bounds of Cabrach, upon the head of a hill called Stapliegate, where, without staying for the rest of his men, he invaded them with these few he then had. After a sharp conflict he overthrew them, chased them, killed sixty of their ablest men, and hurt William Macintosh with divers others of his company.”[299]

Two William Macintoshes are confounded in the ballad. The burning of Auchindown is attributed, rightly or wrongly, to an earlier William, captain of the clan, who, in August, 1550, was formally convicted of conspiracy against the life of the Earl of Huntly, then lieutenant in the north, sentenced to lose his life and lands, and, despite a pledge to the contrary, executed shortly after by the Countess of Huntly.[300]

Auchindown castle is on the banks of the Fiddich,B1. By Cairn Croom,A4, is meant, I suppose, the noted Cairngorm mountain, at the southern extremity of Banffshire.

A

a.The Thistle of Scotland, p. 106, 1823.b.Whitelaw, The Book of Scottish Ballads, p. 248; from an Aberdeen newspaper of about 1815.

1‘Turn, Willie Macintosh,Turn, I bid you;Gin ye burn Auchindown,Huntly will head you.’2‘Head me or hang me,That canna fley me;I’ll burn Auchendown,Ere the life lea me.’3Coming down Deeside,In a clear morning,Auchindown was in flame,Ere the cock-crawing.4But coming oer Cairn Croom,And looking down, man,I saw Willie MacintoshBurn Auchindown, man.5‘Bonny Willie Macintosh,Whare left ye your men?’‘I left them in the Stapler,But they’ll never come hame.’6‘Bonny Willie Macintosh,Whare now is your men?’‘I left them in the Stapler,Sleeping in their sheen.’

1‘Turn, Willie Macintosh,Turn, I bid you;Gin ye burn Auchindown,Huntly will head you.’2‘Head me or hang me,That canna fley me;I’ll burn Auchendown,Ere the life lea me.’3Coming down Deeside,In a clear morning,Auchindown was in flame,Ere the cock-crawing.4But coming oer Cairn Croom,And looking down, man,I saw Willie MacintoshBurn Auchindown, man.5‘Bonny Willie Macintosh,Whare left ye your men?’‘I left them in the Stapler,But they’ll never come hame.’6‘Bonny Willie Macintosh,Whare now is your men?’‘I left them in the Stapler,Sleeping in their sheen.’

1‘Turn, Willie Macintosh,Turn, I bid you;Gin ye burn Auchindown,Huntly will head you.’

1

‘Turn, Willie Macintosh,

Turn, I bid you;

Gin ye burn Auchindown,

Huntly will head you.’

2‘Head me or hang me,That canna fley me;I’ll burn Auchendown,Ere the life lea me.’

2

‘Head me or hang me,

That canna fley me;

I’ll burn Auchendown,

Ere the life lea me.’

3Coming down Deeside,In a clear morning,Auchindown was in flame,Ere the cock-crawing.

3

Coming down Deeside,

In a clear morning,

Auchindown was in flame,

Ere the cock-crawing.

4But coming oer Cairn Croom,And looking down, man,I saw Willie MacintoshBurn Auchindown, man.

4

But coming oer Cairn Croom,

And looking down, man,

I saw Willie Macintosh

Burn Auchindown, man.

5‘Bonny Willie Macintosh,Whare left ye your men?’‘I left them in the Stapler,But they’ll never come hame.’

5

‘Bonny Willie Macintosh,

Whare left ye your men?’

‘I left them in the Stapler,

But they’ll never come hame.’

6‘Bonny Willie Macintosh,Whare now is your men?’‘I left them in the Stapler,Sleeping in their sheen.’

6

‘Bonny Willie Macintosh,

Whare now is your men?’

‘I left them in the Stapler,

Sleeping in their sheen.’

Finlay’s Scottish Ballads, II, 89, 1808, as recollected by a lady and communicated by Walter Scott.

1As I came in by Fiddich-side,In a May morning,I met Willie Mackintosh,An hour before the dawning.2‘Turn again, turn again,Turn again, I bid ye;If ye burn Auchindown,Huntly he will head ye.’3‘Head me, hang me,That sall never fear me;I’ll burn AuchindownBefore the life leaves me.’4As I came in by Auchindown,In a May morning,Auchindown was in a bleeze,An hour before the dawning.*       *       *       *       *5Crawing, crawing,For my crowse crawing,I lost the best feather i my wingFor my crowse crawing.

1As I came in by Fiddich-side,In a May morning,I met Willie Mackintosh,An hour before the dawning.2‘Turn again, turn again,Turn again, I bid ye;If ye burn Auchindown,Huntly he will head ye.’3‘Head me, hang me,That sall never fear me;I’ll burn AuchindownBefore the life leaves me.’4As I came in by Auchindown,In a May morning,Auchindown was in a bleeze,An hour before the dawning.*       *       *       *       *5Crawing, crawing,For my crowse crawing,I lost the best feather i my wingFor my crowse crawing.

1As I came in by Fiddich-side,In a May morning,I met Willie Mackintosh,An hour before the dawning.

1

As I came in by Fiddich-side,

In a May morning,

I met Willie Mackintosh,

An hour before the dawning.

2‘Turn again, turn again,Turn again, I bid ye;If ye burn Auchindown,Huntly he will head ye.’

2

‘Turn again, turn again,

Turn again, I bid ye;

If ye burn Auchindown,

Huntly he will head ye.’

3‘Head me, hang me,That sall never fear me;I’ll burn AuchindownBefore the life leaves me.’

3

‘Head me, hang me,

That sall never fear me;

I’ll burn Auchindown

Before the life leaves me.’

4As I came in by Auchindown,In a May morning,Auchindown was in a bleeze,An hour before the dawning.

4

As I came in by Auchindown,

In a May morning,

Auchindown was in a bleeze,

An hour before the dawning.

*       *       *       *       *

*       *       *       *       *

5Crawing, crawing,For my crowse crawing,I lost the best feather i my wingFor my crowse crawing.

5

Crawing, crawing,

For my crowse crawing,

I lost the best feather i my wing

For my crowse crawing.

A. b.

12. Turn, turn.

13. If you.

22. That winna.

3wanting.

41. Butwanting.

After4:Light was the mirk hourAt the day-dawing,For Auchindoun was in flamesEre the cock-crawing.

After4:Light was the mirk hourAt the day-dawing,For Auchindoun was in flamesEre the cock-crawing.

After4:Light was the mirk hourAt the day-dawing,For Auchindoun was in flamesEre the cock-crawing.

After4:

Light was the mirk hour

At the day-dawing,

For Auchindoun was in flames

Ere the cock-crawing.

5, 6wanting.

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