246REDESDALE AND WISE WILLIAM

A.‘Reedisdale and Wise William,’ Buchan’s Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 70; Motherwell’s MS., p. 452; Motherwell’s Minstrelsy, p. 298.

B.‘Roudesdales,’ Harris MS., fol. 14 b.

C.Kinloch MSS, V, 423, two stanzas.

Redesdale boasts to William that he can win any woman with a blink of his eye. William has a sister who, he maintains, is not to be had so easily. A wager is laid, William’s head against Redesdale’s lands. William is shut up to prevent his warning his sister, but sends her a letter by a carrier-bird. Redesdale rides to the maiden’s bower, and, seeing her at the window, tries to induce her to come down by a series of offers of silk-gowns, jewels, etc. His offers proving bootless, he threatens to fire the house, and does so. The maid and her women don wet mantles and pass the reek and flame unhurt. She sends word to her brother, who claims Redesdale’s lands.

A1, 2, 5 are substantially a repetition of No 245,A1, 21,4, 6, etc. The sharp shower inB16–18, which puts out, and does not put out, the fire, is an inept interpolation.

This ballad may be an offshoot from a widely spread story which is tediously told further on in ‘Twa Knights.’

Buchan’s Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 70; written down from memory by Mr Nicol, Strichen, as learned in his earlier years from old people

1When Reedisdale and Wise WilliamWere drinking at the wine,There fell a roosing them amang,On an unruly time.2For some o them hae roosd their hawks,And other some their hounds,And other some their ladies fair,And their bowers whare they walkd in.3When out it spake him Reedisdale,And a rash word spake he;Says, There is not a lady fair,In bower wherever she be,But I could aye her favour winWi ae blink o my ee.4Then out it spake him Wise William,And a rash word spake he;Says, I have a sister of my own,In bower where ever she be,And ye will not her favour winWith three blinks of your ee.5‘What will ye wager, Wise William?My lands I’ll wad with thee;’‘I’ll wad my head against your land,Till I get more monie.’6Then Reedisdale took Wise William,Laid him in prison strang,That he might neither gang nor ride,Nor ae word to her send.7But he has written a braid letter,Between the night and day,And sent it to his own sisterBy dun feather and gray.8When she had read Wise William’s letter,She smilëd and she leugh;Said, Very well, my dear brother,Of this I have eneuch.9She looked out at her west windowTo see what she could see,And there she spied him ReedisdaleCome riding ower the lea.10Says, Come to me, my maidens all,Come hitherward to me;For here it comes him Reedisdale,Who comes a-courting me.11‘Come down, come down, my lady fair,A sight of you give me;’‘Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,For me you will not see.’12‘Come down, come down, my lady fair,A sight of you give me;And bonny are the gowns of silkThat I will give to thee.’13‘If you have bonny gowns of silk,O mine is bonny tee;Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,For me you shall not see.’14‘Come down, come down, my lady fair,A sight of you I’ll see;And bonny jewels, brooches and ringsI will give unto thee.’15‘If you have bonny brooches and rings,O mine are bonny tee;Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,For me you shall not see.’16‘Come down, come down, my lady fair,One sight of you I’ll see;And bonny are the ha’s and bowersThat I will give to thee.’17‘If you have bonny ha’s and bowers,O mine are bonny tee;Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,For me you shall not see.’18‘Come down, come down, my lady fair,A sight of you I’ll see;And bonny are my lands so broadThat I will give to thee.’19‘If you have bonny lands so broad,O mine are bonny tee;Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,For me ye will not see.’20‘Come down, come down, my lady fair,A sight of you I’ll see;And bonny are the bags of goldThat I will give to thee.’21‘If you have bonny bags of gold,I have bags of the same;Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,For down I will not come.’22‘Come down, come down, my lady fair,One sight of you I’ll see;Or else I’ll set your house on fire,If better cannot be.’23Then he has set the house on fire,And all the rest it tuke;He turned his wight horse head about,Said, Alas, they’ll ne’er get out!24‘Look out, look out, my maidens fair,And see what I do see,How Reedisdale has fired our house,And now rides oer the lea.25‘Come hitherwards, my maidens fair,Come hither unto me;For thro this reek, and thro this smeek,O thro it we must be!’26They took wet mantles them about,Their coffers by the band,And thro the reek, and thro the flame,Alive they all have wan.27When they had got out thro the fire,And able all to stand,She sent a maid to Wise William,To bruik Reedisdale’s land.28‘Your lands is mine now, Reedisdale,For I have won them free;’‘If there is a gude woman in the world,Your one sister is she.’

1When Reedisdale and Wise WilliamWere drinking at the wine,There fell a roosing them amang,On an unruly time.

When Reedisdale and Wise William

Were drinking at the wine,

There fell a roosing them amang,

On an unruly time.

2For some o them hae roosd their hawks,And other some their hounds,And other some their ladies fair,And their bowers whare they walkd in.

For some o them hae roosd their hawks,

And other some their hounds,

And other some their ladies fair,

And their bowers whare they walkd in.

3When out it spake him Reedisdale,And a rash word spake he;Says, There is not a lady fair,In bower wherever she be,But I could aye her favour winWi ae blink o my ee.

When out it spake him Reedisdale,

And a rash word spake he;

Says, There is not a lady fair,

In bower wherever she be,

But I could aye her favour win

Wi ae blink o my ee.

4Then out it spake him Wise William,And a rash word spake he;Says, I have a sister of my own,In bower where ever she be,And ye will not her favour winWith three blinks of your ee.

Then out it spake him Wise William,

And a rash word spake he;

Says, I have a sister of my own,

In bower where ever she be,

And ye will not her favour win

With three blinks of your ee.

5‘What will ye wager, Wise William?My lands I’ll wad with thee;’‘I’ll wad my head against your land,Till I get more monie.’

‘What will ye wager, Wise William?

My lands I’ll wad with thee;’

‘I’ll wad my head against your land,

Till I get more monie.’

6Then Reedisdale took Wise William,Laid him in prison strang,That he might neither gang nor ride,Nor ae word to her send.

Then Reedisdale took Wise William,

Laid him in prison strang,

That he might neither gang nor ride,

Nor ae word to her send.

7But he has written a braid letter,Between the night and day,And sent it to his own sisterBy dun feather and gray.

But he has written a braid letter,

Between the night and day,

And sent it to his own sister

By dun feather and gray.

8When she had read Wise William’s letter,She smilëd and she leugh;Said, Very well, my dear brother,Of this I have eneuch.

When she had read Wise William’s letter,

She smilëd and she leugh;

Said, Very well, my dear brother,

Of this I have eneuch.

9She looked out at her west windowTo see what she could see,And there she spied him ReedisdaleCome riding ower the lea.

She looked out at her west window

To see what she could see,

And there she spied him Reedisdale

Come riding ower the lea.

10Says, Come to me, my maidens all,Come hitherward to me;For here it comes him Reedisdale,Who comes a-courting me.

Says, Come to me, my maidens all,

Come hitherward to me;

For here it comes him Reedisdale,

Who comes a-courting me.

11‘Come down, come down, my lady fair,A sight of you give me;’‘Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,For me you will not see.’

‘Come down, come down, my lady fair,

A sight of you give me;’

‘Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,

For me you will not see.’

12‘Come down, come down, my lady fair,A sight of you give me;And bonny are the gowns of silkThat I will give to thee.’

‘Come down, come down, my lady fair,

A sight of you give me;

And bonny are the gowns of silk

That I will give to thee.’

13‘If you have bonny gowns of silk,O mine is bonny tee;Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,For me you shall not see.’

‘If you have bonny gowns of silk,

O mine is bonny tee;

Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,

For me you shall not see.’

14‘Come down, come down, my lady fair,A sight of you I’ll see;And bonny jewels, brooches and ringsI will give unto thee.’

‘Come down, come down, my lady fair,

A sight of you I’ll see;

And bonny jewels, brooches and rings

I will give unto thee.’

15‘If you have bonny brooches and rings,O mine are bonny tee;Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,For me you shall not see.’

‘If you have bonny brooches and rings,

O mine are bonny tee;

Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,

For me you shall not see.’

16‘Come down, come down, my lady fair,One sight of you I’ll see;And bonny are the ha’s and bowersThat I will give to thee.’

‘Come down, come down, my lady fair,

One sight of you I’ll see;

And bonny are the ha’s and bowers

That I will give to thee.’

17‘If you have bonny ha’s and bowers,O mine are bonny tee;Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,For me you shall not see.’

‘If you have bonny ha’s and bowers,

O mine are bonny tee;

Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,

For me you shall not see.’

18‘Come down, come down, my lady fair,A sight of you I’ll see;And bonny are my lands so broadThat I will give to thee.’

‘Come down, come down, my lady fair,

A sight of you I’ll see;

And bonny are my lands so broad

That I will give to thee.’

19‘If you have bonny lands so broad,O mine are bonny tee;Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,For me ye will not see.’

‘If you have bonny lands so broad,

O mine are bonny tee;

Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,

For me ye will not see.’

20‘Come down, come down, my lady fair,A sight of you I’ll see;And bonny are the bags of goldThat I will give to thee.’

‘Come down, come down, my lady fair,

A sight of you I’ll see;

And bonny are the bags of gold

That I will give to thee.’

21‘If you have bonny bags of gold,I have bags of the same;Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,For down I will not come.’

‘If you have bonny bags of gold,

I have bags of the same;

Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,

For down I will not come.’

22‘Come down, come down, my lady fair,One sight of you I’ll see;Or else I’ll set your house on fire,If better cannot be.’

‘Come down, come down, my lady fair,

One sight of you I’ll see;

Or else I’ll set your house on fire,

If better cannot be.’

23Then he has set the house on fire,And all the rest it tuke;He turned his wight horse head about,Said, Alas, they’ll ne’er get out!

Then he has set the house on fire,

And all the rest it tuke;

He turned his wight horse head about,

Said, Alas, they’ll ne’er get out!

24‘Look out, look out, my maidens fair,And see what I do see,How Reedisdale has fired our house,And now rides oer the lea.

‘Look out, look out, my maidens fair,

And see what I do see,

How Reedisdale has fired our house,

And now rides oer the lea.

25‘Come hitherwards, my maidens fair,Come hither unto me;For thro this reek, and thro this smeek,O thro it we must be!’

‘Come hitherwards, my maidens fair,

Come hither unto me;

For thro this reek, and thro this smeek,

O thro it we must be!’

26They took wet mantles them about,Their coffers by the band,And thro the reek, and thro the flame,Alive they all have wan.

They took wet mantles them about,

Their coffers by the band,

And thro the reek, and thro the flame,

Alive they all have wan.

27When they had got out thro the fire,And able all to stand,She sent a maid to Wise William,To bruik Reedisdale’s land.

When they had got out thro the fire,

And able all to stand,

She sent a maid to Wise William,

To bruik Reedisdale’s land.

28‘Your lands is mine now, Reedisdale,For I have won them free;’‘If there is a gude woman in the world,Your one sister is she.’

‘Your lands is mine now, Reedisdale,

For I have won them free;’

‘If there is a gude woman in the world,

Your one sister is she.’

Harris MS., fol. 14 b; from Mrs Harris.

1Roudesdales an Clerk WilliamSat birlin at the wine,An a’ the talk was them atweenWas aboot the ladies fine, fine,Was aboot the ladies fine.2Says Roudesdales to Clerk William,I’ll wad my lands wi thee,I’ll wad my lands against thy head,An that is what I’ll dee,3‘That there’s no a leddy in a’ the land,That’s fair, baith ee an bree,That I winna wed withoot courtin,Wi ae blink o my ee.’4Says William, I’ve an ae sister,She’s fair, baith ee an bree;An you’ll no wed her withoot courtin,Wi ae blink o your ee.’5He has wrote a broad letter,Between the nicht an the day,An sent it to his ae sisterWi the white feather an the gray.6The firsten line she luekit on,A licht lauchter gae she;But eer she read it to the endThe tear blindit her ee.7‘Oh wae betide my ae brither,Wald wad his head for me,. . . . . .. . . . . .’8Roudesdales to her bour has gane,An rade it round aboot,An there he saw that fair ladie,At a window lookin oot.9‘Come doon, come doon, you fair ladie,Ae sicht o you to see;For the rings are o the goud sae riedThat I will gie to thee.’10‘If yours are o the goud sae ried,Mine’s o the silver clear;So get you gone, you Roudesdales,For you sall no be here.’11‘Come doon, come doon, you lady fair,Ae sicht o you to see;For the gouns are o the silk sae fineThat I will gie to thee.’12‘If yours are o the silk sae fine,Mine’s o the bonnie broun;Sa get you gone, you Roudesdales,For I will no come doon.’13‘Come doon, come doon, you ladie fair,Ae sicht o you to see;For the steeds are o the milk sae whiteThat I will gie to thee.’14‘If yours are o the milk sae white,Mine’s o the bonnie broun;Sae get you gone, you Roudesdales,For I will no come doon.’15‘Come doon, come doon, you ladie fair,Ae sicht o you to see;Or I will set your bour on fireAtween your nurse an thee.’16‘You may set my bowr on fire,As I doubt na you will dee,But there’ll come a sharp shour frae the wastWill slocken’t speedilie.’17He has set her bour on fire,An quickly it did flame;But there cam a sharp shour frae the wastThat put it oot again.18Oot amang the fire an smokeThat bonnie lady cam,Wi as muckle goud aboon her breeAs wald bocht an earldom.19‘Oh wae betide you, ill woman,An ill, ill died may you dee!For ye hae won your brither’s head,An I go landless free.’

1Roudesdales an Clerk WilliamSat birlin at the wine,An a’ the talk was them atweenWas aboot the ladies fine, fine,Was aboot the ladies fine.

Roudesdales an Clerk William

Sat birlin at the wine,

An a’ the talk was them atween

Was aboot the ladies fine, fine,

Was aboot the ladies fine.

2Says Roudesdales to Clerk William,I’ll wad my lands wi thee,I’ll wad my lands against thy head,An that is what I’ll dee,

Says Roudesdales to Clerk William,

I’ll wad my lands wi thee,

I’ll wad my lands against thy head,

An that is what I’ll dee,

3‘That there’s no a leddy in a’ the land,That’s fair, baith ee an bree,That I winna wed withoot courtin,Wi ae blink o my ee.’

‘That there’s no a leddy in a’ the land,

That’s fair, baith ee an bree,

That I winna wed withoot courtin,

Wi ae blink o my ee.’

4Says William, I’ve an ae sister,She’s fair, baith ee an bree;An you’ll no wed her withoot courtin,Wi ae blink o your ee.’

Says William, I’ve an ae sister,

She’s fair, baith ee an bree;

An you’ll no wed her withoot courtin,

Wi ae blink o your ee.’

5He has wrote a broad letter,Between the nicht an the day,An sent it to his ae sisterWi the white feather an the gray.

He has wrote a broad letter,

Between the nicht an the day,

An sent it to his ae sister

Wi the white feather an the gray.

6The firsten line she luekit on,A licht lauchter gae she;But eer she read it to the endThe tear blindit her ee.

The firsten line she luekit on,

A licht lauchter gae she;

But eer she read it to the end

The tear blindit her ee.

7‘Oh wae betide my ae brither,Wald wad his head for me,. . . . . .. . . . . .’

‘Oh wae betide my ae brither,

Wald wad his head for me,

. . . . . .

. . . . . .’

8Roudesdales to her bour has gane,An rade it round aboot,An there he saw that fair ladie,At a window lookin oot.

Roudesdales to her bour has gane,

An rade it round aboot,

An there he saw that fair ladie,

At a window lookin oot.

9‘Come doon, come doon, you fair ladie,Ae sicht o you to see;For the rings are o the goud sae riedThat I will gie to thee.’

‘Come doon, come doon, you fair ladie,

Ae sicht o you to see;

For the rings are o the goud sae ried

That I will gie to thee.’

10‘If yours are o the goud sae ried,Mine’s o the silver clear;So get you gone, you Roudesdales,For you sall no be here.’

‘If yours are o the goud sae ried,

Mine’s o the silver clear;

So get you gone, you Roudesdales,

For you sall no be here.’

11‘Come doon, come doon, you lady fair,Ae sicht o you to see;For the gouns are o the silk sae fineThat I will gie to thee.’

‘Come doon, come doon, you lady fair,

Ae sicht o you to see;

For the gouns are o the silk sae fine

That I will gie to thee.’

12‘If yours are o the silk sae fine,Mine’s o the bonnie broun;Sa get you gone, you Roudesdales,For I will no come doon.’

‘If yours are o the silk sae fine,

Mine’s o the bonnie broun;

Sa get you gone, you Roudesdales,

For I will no come doon.’

13‘Come doon, come doon, you ladie fair,Ae sicht o you to see;For the steeds are o the milk sae whiteThat I will gie to thee.’

‘Come doon, come doon, you ladie fair,

Ae sicht o you to see;

For the steeds are o the milk sae white

That I will gie to thee.’

14‘If yours are o the milk sae white,Mine’s o the bonnie broun;Sae get you gone, you Roudesdales,For I will no come doon.’

‘If yours are o the milk sae white,

Mine’s o the bonnie broun;

Sae get you gone, you Roudesdales,

For I will no come doon.’

15‘Come doon, come doon, you ladie fair,Ae sicht o you to see;Or I will set your bour on fireAtween your nurse an thee.’

‘Come doon, come doon, you ladie fair,

Ae sicht o you to see;

Or I will set your bour on fire

Atween your nurse an thee.’

16‘You may set my bowr on fire,As I doubt na you will dee,But there’ll come a sharp shour frae the wastWill slocken’t speedilie.’

‘You may set my bowr on fire,

As I doubt na you will dee,

But there’ll come a sharp shour frae the wast

Will slocken’t speedilie.’

17He has set her bour on fire,An quickly it did flame;But there cam a sharp shour frae the wastThat put it oot again.

He has set her bour on fire,

An quickly it did flame;

But there cam a sharp shour frae the wast

That put it oot again.

18Oot amang the fire an smokeThat bonnie lady cam,Wi as muckle goud aboon her breeAs wald bocht an earldom.

Oot amang the fire an smoke

That bonnie lady cam,

Wi as muckle goud aboon her bree

As wald bocht an earldom.

19‘Oh wae betide you, ill woman,An ill, ill died may you dee!For ye hae won your brither’s head,An I go landless free.’

‘Oh wae betide you, ill woman,

An ill, ill died may you dee!

For ye hae won your brither’s head,

An I go landless free.’

Kinloch MSS, V, 423.

1Redesdale and Clerk WilliamSat drinking at the wine;They hae fawn a wagering them atweenAt a wanhappy time.2‘What will ye wad,’ says Redesdale,‘O what will ye wad wi meThat there’s na a lady in a’ the landBut I wad win wi ae blink o my ee?’

1Redesdale and Clerk WilliamSat drinking at the wine;They hae fawn a wagering them atweenAt a wanhappy time.

Redesdale and Clerk William

Sat drinking at the wine;

They hae fawn a wagering them atween

At a wanhappy time.

2‘What will ye wad,’ says Redesdale,‘O what will ye wad wi meThat there’s na a lady in a’ the landBut I wad win wi ae blink o my ee?’

‘What will ye wad,’ says Redesdale,

‘O what will ye wad wi me

That there’s na a lady in a’ the land

But I wad win wi ae blink o my ee?’

There are some very trivial variations from Buchan’s text in Motherwell’s copies; mostlyis,with a plural subject, Scottice, forare.Motherwell received the ballad from Buchan, and was much in the way of making small betterments.

Air, ‘Johnnie Brod.’

44. o her.

52.Perhapsnecht.

62.Perhapsleiht.

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