I

1O waly, waly up the bank!And waly, waly doun the brae!And waly, waly by yon burn-side,Whare me and my luve was wont to gae!2If I had kent what I ken now,I wud neer hae crossed the waters o Tay;For an I had staid at Argyle’s yetts,I might hae been his lady gay.3When I lay sick, and very sick,And very sick, just like to die,A gentleman, a friend of mine own,A gentleman came me to see;But Blackliewoods sounded in my luve’s earsHe was too long in chamer with me.4O woe be to thee, Blackliewoods.But an an ill death may you die!Thou’s been the first and occasion lastThat eer put ill twixt my luve and me.5‘Come down the stairs now, Jamie Douglas,Come down the stairs and drink wine wi me;I’ll set thee in a chair of gold,And it’s not one penny it will cost thee.’6‘When cockle-shells grow silver bells,And gowd grows oer yon lily lea,When frost and snaw grows fiery bombs,I will come down and drink wine wi thee.’7‘What ails you at our youngest son,That sits upon the nurse’s knee?I’m sure he’s never done any harmAnd it’s not to his ain nurse and me.’8My loving father got word of this,But and an angry man was he;He sent three score of his soldiers braveTo take me to my own countrie.* * * * * *9‘O fare ye weel now, Jamie Douglas!And fare ye weel, my children three!God grant your father may prove kindTill I see you in my own countrie.’10When she was set into her coach. . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . .11‘Cheer up your heart, my loving daughter,Cheer up your heart, let your weeping bee!A bill of divorce I will write to him,And a far better lord I’ll provide for thee.’12It’s very true, and it’s often said,The hawk she’s flown and she’s left her nest;But a’ the warld may plainly seeThey’re far awa that I luve best.

1O waly, waly up the bank!And waly, waly doun the brae!And waly, waly by yon burn-side,Whare me and my luve was wont to gae!

O waly, waly up the bank!

And waly, waly doun the brae!

And waly, waly by yon burn-side,

Whare me and my luve was wont to gae!

2If I had kent what I ken now,I wud neer hae crossed the waters o Tay;For an I had staid at Argyle’s yetts,I might hae been his lady gay.

If I had kent what I ken now,

I wud neer hae crossed the waters o Tay;

For an I had staid at Argyle’s yetts,

I might hae been his lady gay.

3When I lay sick, and very sick,And very sick, just like to die,A gentleman, a friend of mine own,A gentleman came me to see;But Blackliewoods sounded in my luve’s earsHe was too long in chamer with me.

When I lay sick, and very sick,

And very sick, just like to die,

A gentleman, a friend of mine own,

A gentleman came me to see;

But Blackliewoods sounded in my luve’s ears

He was too long in chamer with me.

4O woe be to thee, Blackliewoods.But an an ill death may you die!Thou’s been the first and occasion lastThat eer put ill twixt my luve and me.

O woe be to thee, Blackliewoods.

But an an ill death may you die!

Thou’s been the first and occasion last

That eer put ill twixt my luve and me.

5‘Come down the stairs now, Jamie Douglas,Come down the stairs and drink wine wi me;I’ll set thee in a chair of gold,And it’s not one penny it will cost thee.’

‘Come down the stairs now, Jamie Douglas,

Come down the stairs and drink wine wi me;

I’ll set thee in a chair of gold,

And it’s not one penny it will cost thee.’

6‘When cockle-shells grow silver bells,And gowd grows oer yon lily lea,When frost and snaw grows fiery bombs,I will come down and drink wine wi thee.’

‘When cockle-shells grow silver bells,

And gowd grows oer yon lily lea,

When frost and snaw grows fiery bombs,

I will come down and drink wine wi thee.’

7‘What ails you at our youngest son,That sits upon the nurse’s knee?I’m sure he’s never done any harmAnd it’s not to his ain nurse and me.’

‘What ails you at our youngest son,

That sits upon the nurse’s knee?

I’m sure he’s never done any harm

And it’s not to his ain nurse and me.’

8My loving father got word of this,But and an angry man was he;He sent three score of his soldiers braveTo take me to my own countrie.

My loving father got word of this,

But and an angry man was he;

He sent three score of his soldiers brave

To take me to my own countrie.

* * * * * *

9‘O fare ye weel now, Jamie Douglas!And fare ye weel, my children three!God grant your father may prove kindTill I see you in my own countrie.’

‘O fare ye weel now, Jamie Douglas!

And fare ye weel, my children three!

God grant your father may prove kind

Till I see you in my own countrie.’

10When she was set into her coach. . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . .

When she was set into her coach

. . . . . . .

11‘Cheer up your heart, my loving daughter,Cheer up your heart, let your weeping bee!A bill of divorce I will write to him,And a far better lord I’ll provide for thee.’

‘Cheer up your heart, my loving daughter,

Cheer up your heart, let your weeping bee!

A bill of divorce I will write to him,

And a far better lord I’ll provide for thee.’

12It’s very true, and it’s often said,The hawk she’s flown and she’s left her nest;But a’ the warld may plainly seeThey’re far awa that I luve best.

It’s very true, and it’s often said,

The hawk she’s flown and she’s left her nest;

But a’ the warld may plainly see

They’re far awa that I luve best.

Motherwell’s MS., p. 500; from Mrs Notman.

1‘O waly, waly up yon bank!And waly, waly down yon brae!And waly, waly by yon burn-bank,Where me and my lord wont to gae!2‘A gentleman of good account,A friend of mine, came to visit me,And Blackly whispered in my lord’s earsHe was too long in chamber with me.3‘When my father came to hear ‘t,I wot an angry man was he;He sent five score of his soldiers brightTo take me safe to my own countrie.4‘Up in the mornin when I arose,My bonnie palace for to lea,And when I came to my lord’s door,The neer a word he would speak to me.5‘Come down, come down, O Jamie Douglas,And drink the Orange wine with me;I’ll set thee in a chair of gold,That neer a penny it cost thee.’6‘When sea and sand turns foreign land,And mussels grow on every tree,When cockle-shells turn silver bells,I’ll drink the Orange wine with thee.’7‘Wae be to you, Blackly,’ she said,‘Aye and an ill death may you die!You are the first, and I hope the last,That eer made my lord lichtly me.’8‘Fare ye weel then, Jamie Douglas!I value you as little as you do me;The Earl of Mar is my father dear,And I soon will see my own countrie.9‘Ye thought that I was like yoursell,And loving each ane I did see;But here I swear, by the day I die,I never loved a man but thee.10‘Fare ye weel, my servants all!And you, my bonny children three!God grant your father grace to be kindTill I see you safe in my own countrie.’11‘As I came into Edinburgh toune,With trumpets sounding my father met me;But no mirth nor musick sounds in my ear,Since the Earl of March has forsaken me.’12‘O hold your tongue, my daughter dear,And of your weeping let abee;I’ll send a bill of divorce to the Earl of March,And get a better lord for thee.’13‘Hold your tongue, my father dear,And of your folly let abee;No other lord shall lye in my arms,Since the Earl of March has forsaken me.14‘An I had known what I know now,I’d never crossed the water o Tay,But stayed still at Atholl’s gates;He would have made me his lady gay.’15When she came to her father’s lands,The tenants a’ came her to see;Never a word she could speak to them,But the buttons off her clothes did flee.16‘The linnet is a bonnie bird,And aften flees far frae its nest;So all the warld may plainly seeThey’re far awa that I luve best.’

1‘O waly, waly up yon bank!And waly, waly down yon brae!And waly, waly by yon burn-bank,Where me and my lord wont to gae!

‘O waly, waly up yon bank!

And waly, waly down yon brae!

And waly, waly by yon burn-bank,

Where me and my lord wont to gae!

2‘A gentleman of good account,A friend of mine, came to visit me,And Blackly whispered in my lord’s earsHe was too long in chamber with me.

‘A gentleman of good account,

A friend of mine, came to visit me,

And Blackly whispered in my lord’s ears

He was too long in chamber with me.

3‘When my father came to hear ‘t,I wot an angry man was he;He sent five score of his soldiers brightTo take me safe to my own countrie.

‘When my father came to hear ‘t,

I wot an angry man was he;

He sent five score of his soldiers bright

To take me safe to my own countrie.

4‘Up in the mornin when I arose,My bonnie palace for to lea,And when I came to my lord’s door,The neer a word he would speak to me.

‘Up in the mornin when I arose,

My bonnie palace for to lea,

And when I came to my lord’s door,

The neer a word he would speak to me.

5‘Come down, come down, O Jamie Douglas,And drink the Orange wine with me;I’ll set thee in a chair of gold,That neer a penny it cost thee.’

‘Come down, come down, O Jamie Douglas,

And drink the Orange wine with me;

I’ll set thee in a chair of gold,

That neer a penny it cost thee.’

6‘When sea and sand turns foreign land,And mussels grow on every tree,When cockle-shells turn silver bells,I’ll drink the Orange wine with thee.’

‘When sea and sand turns foreign land,

And mussels grow on every tree,

When cockle-shells turn silver bells,

I’ll drink the Orange wine with thee.’

7‘Wae be to you, Blackly,’ she said,‘Aye and an ill death may you die!You are the first, and I hope the last,That eer made my lord lichtly me.’

‘Wae be to you, Blackly,’ she said,

‘Aye and an ill death may you die!

You are the first, and I hope the last,

That eer made my lord lichtly me.’

8‘Fare ye weel then, Jamie Douglas!I value you as little as you do me;The Earl of Mar is my father dear,And I soon will see my own countrie.

‘Fare ye weel then, Jamie Douglas!

I value you as little as you do me;

The Earl of Mar is my father dear,

And I soon will see my own countrie.

9‘Ye thought that I was like yoursell,And loving each ane I did see;But here I swear, by the day I die,I never loved a man but thee.

‘Ye thought that I was like yoursell,

And loving each ane I did see;

But here I swear, by the day I die,

I never loved a man but thee.

10‘Fare ye weel, my servants all!And you, my bonny children three!God grant your father grace to be kindTill I see you safe in my own countrie.’

‘Fare ye weel, my servants all!

And you, my bonny children three!

God grant your father grace to be kind

Till I see you safe in my own countrie.’

11‘As I came into Edinburgh toune,With trumpets sounding my father met me;But no mirth nor musick sounds in my ear,Since the Earl of March has forsaken me.’

‘As I came into Edinburgh toune,

With trumpets sounding my father met me;

But no mirth nor musick sounds in my ear,

Since the Earl of March has forsaken me.’

12‘O hold your tongue, my daughter dear,And of your weeping let abee;I’ll send a bill of divorce to the Earl of March,And get a better lord for thee.’

‘O hold your tongue, my daughter dear,

And of your weeping let abee;

I’ll send a bill of divorce to the Earl of March,

And get a better lord for thee.’

13‘Hold your tongue, my father dear,And of your folly let abee;No other lord shall lye in my arms,Since the Earl of March has forsaken me.

‘Hold your tongue, my father dear,

And of your folly let abee;

No other lord shall lye in my arms,

Since the Earl of March has forsaken me.

14‘An I had known what I know now,I’d never crossed the water o Tay,But stayed still at Atholl’s gates;He would have made me his lady gay.’

‘An I had known what I know now,

I’d never crossed the water o Tay,

But stayed still at Atholl’s gates;

He would have made me his lady gay.’

15When she came to her father’s lands,The tenants a’ came her to see;Never a word she could speak to them,But the buttons off her clothes did flee.

When she came to her father’s lands,

The tenants a’ came her to see;

Never a word she could speak to them,

But the buttons off her clothes did flee.

16‘The linnet is a bonnie bird,And aften flees far frae its nest;So all the warld may plainly seeThey’re far awa that I luve best.’

‘The linnet is a bonnie bird,

And aften flees far frae its nest;

So all the warld may plainly see

They’re far awa that I luve best.’

Motherwell’s MS., p. 299; from the recitation of Rebecca Dunse, a native of Galloway, 4 May, 1825. “A song of her mother’s, an old woman.”

1O waly, waly up yon bank!And waly, waly doun yon brae!And waly, waly by yon burn-side,Where me and my luve used to gae!2Oh Johnie, Johnie, but love is bonnieA little while, when it is new;But when love grows aulder, it grows mair caulder,And it fades awa like the mornin dew.3I leaned my back against an aik,I thocht it was a trusty tree;But first [it] bowed, and syne it brak,And sae did my fause luve to me.4Once I lay sick, and very sick,And a friend of mine cam to visit me,But the small bird whispered in my love’s earsThat he was ower lang in the room wi me.5‘It’s come down stairs, my Jamie Douglas,Come down stairs, luve, and dine wi me;I’ll set you on a chair of gold,And court ye kindly on my knee.’6‘When cockle-shells grow silver bells,And gold it grows on every tree,When frost and snaw turns fiery balls,Then, love, I’ll come down and dine wi thee.’7If I had known what I know now,That love it was sae ill to win,I should neer hae wet my cherry cheekFor onie man or woman’s son.8When my father he cam to knowThat my first luve had sae slighted me,He sent four score of his soldiers brightTo guard me home to my own countrie.9Slowly, slowly rose I up,And slowly, slowly I came down,And when he saw me sit in my coach,He made his drums and trumpets sound.10It’s fare ye weel, my pretty palace!And fare ye weel, my children three!And I hope your father will get mair grace,And love you better than he’s done to me.11When we came near to bonnie Edinburgh toun,My father cam for to meet me;He made his drums and trumpets sound,But they were no comfort at all to me.12‘It’s hold your tongue, my daughter dear,And of your weeping pray let be;For a bill of divorcement I’ll send to him,And a better husband I’ll you supply.’13‘O hold your tongue, my father dear,And of your folly pray now let be;For there’s neer a lord shall enter my bower,Since my first love has so slighted me.’

1O waly, waly up yon bank!And waly, waly doun yon brae!And waly, waly by yon burn-side,Where me and my luve used to gae!

O waly, waly up yon bank!

And waly, waly doun yon brae!

And waly, waly by yon burn-side,

Where me and my luve used to gae!

2Oh Johnie, Johnie, but love is bonnieA little while, when it is new;But when love grows aulder, it grows mair caulder,And it fades awa like the mornin dew.

Oh Johnie, Johnie, but love is bonnie

A little while, when it is new;

But when love grows aulder, it grows mair caulder,

And it fades awa like the mornin dew.

3I leaned my back against an aik,I thocht it was a trusty tree;But first [it] bowed, and syne it brak,And sae did my fause luve to me.

I leaned my back against an aik,

I thocht it was a trusty tree;

But first [it] bowed, and syne it brak,

And sae did my fause luve to me.

4Once I lay sick, and very sick,And a friend of mine cam to visit me,But the small bird whispered in my love’s earsThat he was ower lang in the room wi me.

Once I lay sick, and very sick,

And a friend of mine cam to visit me,

But the small bird whispered in my love’s ears

That he was ower lang in the room wi me.

5‘It’s come down stairs, my Jamie Douglas,Come down stairs, luve, and dine wi me;I’ll set you on a chair of gold,And court ye kindly on my knee.’

‘It’s come down stairs, my Jamie Douglas,

Come down stairs, luve, and dine wi me;

I’ll set you on a chair of gold,

And court ye kindly on my knee.’

6‘When cockle-shells grow silver bells,And gold it grows on every tree,When frost and snaw turns fiery balls,Then, love, I’ll come down and dine wi thee.’

‘When cockle-shells grow silver bells,

And gold it grows on every tree,

When frost and snaw turns fiery balls,

Then, love, I’ll come down and dine wi thee.’

7If I had known what I know now,That love it was sae ill to win,I should neer hae wet my cherry cheekFor onie man or woman’s son.

If I had known what I know now,

That love it was sae ill to win,

I should neer hae wet my cherry cheek

For onie man or woman’s son.

8When my father he cam to knowThat my first luve had sae slighted me,He sent four score of his soldiers brightTo guard me home to my own countrie.

When my father he cam to know

That my first luve had sae slighted me,

He sent four score of his soldiers bright

To guard me home to my own countrie.

9Slowly, slowly rose I up,And slowly, slowly I came down,And when he saw me sit in my coach,He made his drums and trumpets sound.

Slowly, slowly rose I up,

And slowly, slowly I came down,

And when he saw me sit in my coach,

He made his drums and trumpets sound.

10It’s fare ye weel, my pretty palace!And fare ye weel, my children three!And I hope your father will get mair grace,And love you better than he’s done to me.

It’s fare ye weel, my pretty palace!

And fare ye weel, my children three!

And I hope your father will get mair grace,

And love you better than he’s done to me.

11When we came near to bonnie Edinburgh toun,My father cam for to meet me;He made his drums and trumpets sound,But they were no comfort at all to me.

When we came near to bonnie Edinburgh toun,

My father cam for to meet me;

He made his drums and trumpets sound,

But they were no comfort at all to me.

12‘It’s hold your tongue, my daughter dear,And of your weeping pray let be;For a bill of divorcement I’ll send to him,And a better husband I’ll you supply.’

‘It’s hold your tongue, my daughter dear,

And of your weeping pray let be;

For a bill of divorcement I’ll send to him,

And a better husband I’ll you supply.’

13‘O hold your tongue, my father dear,And of your folly pray now let be;For there’s neer a lord shall enter my bower,Since my first love has so slighted me.’

‘O hold your tongue, my father dear,

And of your folly pray now let be;

For there’s neer a lord shall enter my bower,

Since my first love has so slighted me.’

Motherwell’s MS., p. 302; from Jean Nicol.

1O waly, waly up the bank!And waly, waly doun the brae!And waly by yon river-side,Where me and my love were wont to gae!2A gentleman, a friend of mine,Came to the toun me for to see,. . . . . . .. . . . . . .3‘Come doun the stair, Jamie Douglas,Come doun the stair and drink wine wi me;For a chair of gold I will set thee in,And not one farthing it will cost thee.’4‘When cockle-shells grow siller bells,And mussels grow on ilka tree,When frost and snaw turns out fire-bombs,Then I’ll come doun and drink wine wi thee.’5But when her father heard of this,O but an angry man was he!And he sent four score of his ain regimentTo bring her hame to her ain countrie.6O when she was set in her coach and six,And the saut tear was in her ee,Saying, Fare you weel, my bonnie palace!And fare ye weel, my children three!7O when I came into Edinburgh toun,My loving father for to see,The trumpets were sounding on every side,But they were not music at all for me.8‘O hold your tongue, my daughter dear,And of your folly I pray let be;For a bill of divorcement I’ll send him,And a better lord I’ll provide for thee.’9‘O hold your tongue, my father dear,And of your folly I pray let be;For if I had stayed in fair Orange Green,I might have been his gay ladye.’

1O waly, waly up the bank!And waly, waly doun the brae!And waly by yon river-side,Where me and my love were wont to gae!

O waly, waly up the bank!

And waly, waly doun the brae!

And waly by yon river-side,

Where me and my love were wont to gae!

2A gentleman, a friend of mine,Came to the toun me for to see,. . . . . . .. . . . . . .

A gentleman, a friend of mine,

Came to the toun me for to see,

. . . . . . .

3‘Come doun the stair, Jamie Douglas,Come doun the stair and drink wine wi me;For a chair of gold I will set thee in,And not one farthing it will cost thee.’

‘Come doun the stair, Jamie Douglas,

Come doun the stair and drink wine wi me;

For a chair of gold I will set thee in,

And not one farthing it will cost thee.’

4‘When cockle-shells grow siller bells,And mussels grow on ilka tree,When frost and snaw turns out fire-bombs,Then I’ll come doun and drink wine wi thee.’

‘When cockle-shells grow siller bells,

And mussels grow on ilka tree,

When frost and snaw turns out fire-bombs,

Then I’ll come doun and drink wine wi thee.’

5But when her father heard of this,O but an angry man was he!And he sent four score of his ain regimentTo bring her hame to her ain countrie.

But when her father heard of this,

O but an angry man was he!

And he sent four score of his ain regiment

To bring her hame to her ain countrie.

6O when she was set in her coach and six,And the saut tear was in her ee,Saying, Fare you weel, my bonnie palace!And fare ye weel, my children three!

O when she was set in her coach and six,

And the saut tear was in her ee,

Saying, Fare you weel, my bonnie palace!

And fare ye weel, my children three!

7O when I came into Edinburgh toun,My loving father for to see,The trumpets were sounding on every side,But they were not music at all for me.

O when I came into Edinburgh toun,

My loving father for to see,

The trumpets were sounding on every side,

But they were not music at all for me.

8‘O hold your tongue, my daughter dear,And of your folly I pray let be;For a bill of divorcement I’ll send him,And a better lord I’ll provide for thee.’

‘O hold your tongue, my daughter dear,

And of your folly I pray let be;

For a bill of divorcement I’ll send him,

And a better lord I’ll provide for thee.’

9‘O hold your tongue, my father dear,And of your folly I pray let be;For if I had stayed in fair Orange Green,I might have been his gay ladye.’

‘O hold your tongue, my father dear,

And of your folly I pray let be;

For if I had stayed in fair Orange Green,

I might have been his gay ladye.’

Finlay’s Scottish Ballads, II, 1, a collation of three copies, one of which wasM.

1When I fell sick, an very sick,An very sick, just like to die,A gentleman of good accountHe cam on purpose to visit me;But his blackie whispered in my lord’s earHe was owre lang in the room wi me.2‘Gae, little page, an tell your lord,Gin he will come and dine wi meI’ll set him on a chair of goldAnd serve him on my bended knee.’3The little page gaed up the stair:‘Lord Douglas, dine wi your ladie;She’ll set ye on a chair of gold,And serve you on her bended knee.’4‘When cockle-shells turn silver bells,When wine drieps red frae ilka tree,When frost and snaw will warm us a’,Then I’ll cum down an dine wi thee.’5But whan my father gat word o this,O what an angry man was he!He sent fourscore o his archers bauldTo bring me safe to his countrie.6When I rose up then in the morn,My goodly palace for to lea,I knocked at my lord’s chamber-door,But neer a word wad he speak to me.7But slowly, slowly, rose he up,And slowly, slowly, cam he down,And when he saw me set on my horse,He caused his drums and trumpets soun.8‘Now fare ye weel, my goodly palace!And fare ye weel, my children three!God grant your father grace to love youFar more than ever he loved me.’9He thocht that I was like himsel,That had a woman in every hall;But I could swear, by the heavens clear,I never loved man but himsel.10As on to Embro town we cam,My guid father he welcomed me;He caused his minstrels meet to sound,It was nae music at a’ to me.11‘Now haud your tongue, my daughter dear,Leave off your weeping, let it be;For Jamie’s divorcement I’ll send over;Far better lord I’ll provide for thee.’12‘O haud your tongue, my father dear,And of such talking let me be;For never a man shall come to my arms,Since my lord has sae slighted me.’13O an I had neer crossed the Tweed,Nor yet been owre the river Dee,I might hae staid at Lord Orgul’s gate,Where I wad hae been a gay ladie.14The ladies they will cum to town,And they will cum and visit me;But I’ll set me down now in the dark,For ochanie! who’ll comfort me?15An wae betide ye, black Fastness,Ay, and an ill deid may ye die!Ye was the first and foremost manWha parted my true lord and me.

1When I fell sick, an very sick,An very sick, just like to die,A gentleman of good accountHe cam on purpose to visit me;But his blackie whispered in my lord’s earHe was owre lang in the room wi me.

When I fell sick, an very sick,

An very sick, just like to die,

A gentleman of good account

He cam on purpose to visit me;

But his blackie whispered in my lord’s ear

He was owre lang in the room wi me.

2‘Gae, little page, an tell your lord,Gin he will come and dine wi meI’ll set him on a chair of goldAnd serve him on my bended knee.’

‘Gae, little page, an tell your lord,

Gin he will come and dine wi me

I’ll set him on a chair of gold

And serve him on my bended knee.’

3The little page gaed up the stair:‘Lord Douglas, dine wi your ladie;She’ll set ye on a chair of gold,And serve you on her bended knee.’

The little page gaed up the stair:

‘Lord Douglas, dine wi your ladie;

She’ll set ye on a chair of gold,

And serve you on her bended knee.’

4‘When cockle-shells turn silver bells,When wine drieps red frae ilka tree,When frost and snaw will warm us a’,Then I’ll cum down an dine wi thee.’

‘When cockle-shells turn silver bells,

When wine drieps red frae ilka tree,

When frost and snaw will warm us a’,

Then I’ll cum down an dine wi thee.’

5But whan my father gat word o this,O what an angry man was he!He sent fourscore o his archers bauldTo bring me safe to his countrie.

But whan my father gat word o this,

O what an angry man was he!

He sent fourscore o his archers bauld

To bring me safe to his countrie.

6When I rose up then in the morn,My goodly palace for to lea,I knocked at my lord’s chamber-door,But neer a word wad he speak to me.

When I rose up then in the morn,

My goodly palace for to lea,

I knocked at my lord’s chamber-door,

But neer a word wad he speak to me.

7But slowly, slowly, rose he up,And slowly, slowly, cam he down,And when he saw me set on my horse,He caused his drums and trumpets soun.

But slowly, slowly, rose he up,

And slowly, slowly, cam he down,

And when he saw me set on my horse,

He caused his drums and trumpets soun.

8‘Now fare ye weel, my goodly palace!And fare ye weel, my children three!God grant your father grace to love youFar more than ever he loved me.’

‘Now fare ye weel, my goodly palace!

And fare ye weel, my children three!

God grant your father grace to love you

Far more than ever he loved me.’

9He thocht that I was like himsel,That had a woman in every hall;But I could swear, by the heavens clear,I never loved man but himsel.

He thocht that I was like himsel,

That had a woman in every hall;

But I could swear, by the heavens clear,

I never loved man but himsel.

10As on to Embro town we cam,My guid father he welcomed me;He caused his minstrels meet to sound,It was nae music at a’ to me.

As on to Embro town we cam,

My guid father he welcomed me;

He caused his minstrels meet to sound,

It was nae music at a’ to me.

11‘Now haud your tongue, my daughter dear,Leave off your weeping, let it be;For Jamie’s divorcement I’ll send over;Far better lord I’ll provide for thee.’

‘Now haud your tongue, my daughter dear,

Leave off your weeping, let it be;

For Jamie’s divorcement I’ll send over;

Far better lord I’ll provide for thee.’

12‘O haud your tongue, my father dear,And of such talking let me be;For never a man shall come to my arms,Since my lord has sae slighted me.’

‘O haud your tongue, my father dear,

And of such talking let me be;

For never a man shall come to my arms,

Since my lord has sae slighted me.’

13O an I had neer crossed the Tweed,Nor yet been owre the river Dee,I might hae staid at Lord Orgul’s gate,Where I wad hae been a gay ladie.

O an I had neer crossed the Tweed,

Nor yet been owre the river Dee,

I might hae staid at Lord Orgul’s gate,

Where I wad hae been a gay ladie.

14The ladies they will cum to town,And they will cum and visit me;But I’ll set me down now in the dark,For ochanie! who’ll comfort me?

The ladies they will cum to town,

And they will cum and visit me;

But I’ll set me down now in the dark,

For ochanie! who’ll comfort me?

15An wae betide ye, black Fastness,Ay, and an ill deid may ye die!Ye was the first and foremost manWha parted my true lord and me.

An wae betide ye, black Fastness,

Ay, and an ill deid may ye die!

Ye was the first and foremost man

Wha parted my true lord and me.

Herd’s MSS, I, 54.

1Earl Douglas, than wham never knightHad valour moe ne courtesie,Yet he’s now blamet be a’ the landFor lightlying o his gay lady.2‘Go, little page, and tell your lord,Gin he will cum and dine wi me,I’ll set him on a seat of gold,I’ll serve him on my bended knee.’3The little page gaed up the stair:‘Lord Douglas, dyne wi your lady;She’ll set ye on a seat of gold,And serve ye on her bended knee.’4‘When cockle-shells turn siller bells,When mussels grow on ilka tree,When frost and snow sall warm us a’,Then I sall dyne wi my ladie.’5‘Now wae betide ye, black Fastness,Ay and an ill dead met ye die!Ye was the first and the foremost manWha parted my true lord and me.’

1Earl Douglas, than wham never knightHad valour moe ne courtesie,Yet he’s now blamet be a’ the landFor lightlying o his gay lady.

Earl Douglas, than wham never knight

Had valour moe ne courtesie,

Yet he’s now blamet be a’ the land

For lightlying o his gay lady.

2‘Go, little page, and tell your lord,Gin he will cum and dine wi me,I’ll set him on a seat of gold,I’ll serve him on my bended knee.’

‘Go, little page, and tell your lord,

Gin he will cum and dine wi me,

I’ll set him on a seat of gold,

I’ll serve him on my bended knee.’

3The little page gaed up the stair:‘Lord Douglas, dyne wi your lady;She’ll set ye on a seat of gold,And serve ye on her bended knee.’

The little page gaed up the stair:

‘Lord Douglas, dyne wi your lady;

She’ll set ye on a seat of gold,

And serve ye on her bended knee.’

4‘When cockle-shells turn siller bells,When mussels grow on ilka tree,When frost and snow sall warm us a’,Then I sall dyne wi my ladie.’

‘When cockle-shells turn siller bells,

When mussels grow on ilka tree,

When frost and snow sall warm us a’,

Then I sall dyne wi my ladie.’

5‘Now wae betide ye, black Fastness,Ay and an ill dead met ye die!Ye was the first and the foremost manWha parted my true lord and me.’

‘Now wae betide ye, black Fastness,

Ay and an ill dead met ye die!

Ye was the first and the foremost man

Wha parted my true lord and me.’

Motherwell’s Minstrelsy, Appendix, p. v, the last three stanzas.

1She looked out at her father’s window,To take a view of the countrie;Who did she see but Jamie Douglas,And along with him her children three!2There came a soldier to the gate,And he did knock right hastilie:‘If Lady Douglas be within,Bid her come down and speak to me.’3‘O come away, my lady fair,Come away now alang with me,For I have hanged fause Blackwood,At the very place where he told the lie.’

1She looked out at her father’s window,To take a view of the countrie;Who did she see but Jamie Douglas,And along with him her children three!

She looked out at her father’s window,

To take a view of the countrie;

Who did she see but Jamie Douglas,

And along with him her children three!

2There came a soldier to the gate,And he did knock right hastilie:‘If Lady Douglas be within,Bid her come down and speak to me.’

There came a soldier to the gate,

And he did knock right hastilie:

‘If Lady Douglas be within,

Bid her come down and speak to me.’

3‘O come away, my lady fair,Come away now alang with me,For I have hanged fause Blackwood,At the very place where he told the lie.’

‘O come away, my lady fair,

Come away now alang with me,

For I have hanged fause Blackwood,

At the very place where he told the lie.’

Motherwell’s Minstrelsy, Appendix, p. xvii, IX.

‘O come down stairs, Jamie Douglas,O come down stairs and speak to me,And I’ll set thee in a fine chair of gowd,And I’ll kindly daut thee upon my knee.

‘O come down stairs, Jamie Douglas,

O come down stairs and speak to me,

And I’ll set thee in a fine chair of gowd,

And I’ll kindly daut thee upon my knee.

Variations ofWaly, Waly,etc.

Put among‘Auld Sangs brushd up’in Ramsay’s “Contents,”p. 329.Printed in eight-line stanzas.

4.Burns had heard this stanza “in the west country” thus (Cromek’s Reliques,1817, p. 245):

O wherefore need I busk my head?Or wherefore need I kame my hair?Sin my fause luve has me forsook,And says he’ll never luve me mair.

O wherefore need I busk my head?

Or wherefore need I kame my hair?

Sin my fause luve has me forsook,

And says he’ll never luve me mair.

73. my cry: mein the London edition of 1733.

11. up yon bank.

12. down yon brea.

13. And waly by yon river’s side.

14. Where my love and I was wont to gae.

2, 3 are 3, 2.

24. And sae did my fause love to me.

31. Waly, waly, gin love be bonny.

32. little while when.

33. it’s: waxes.

34. wears away like.

4.Already given.

61. O Martinmas.

64. And take a life that wearies me.

33. wlalking.

61. bells turn silver shells.

These variations in the second copy(I, 103)are Kinloch’s:

43. on a.

92. to thee.

122. let abee.

124. for thee.

131. father, I said.

133. ae kiss.

144. I’ll.

51.ForgentlemenMotherwell queries,lairds and lords?

91. Earl of Marquis; Marchqueried by Motherwell. It isMarchinI.

52, 64. Orange,notorange,in the MS.

61.Motherwell queriesfar inforforeign.

21. nonnie, nonnyis written in pencil by Motherwell between 1 and 2; no doubt as a conjectural emendation ofJohnie, Johnie.

2, 3, 4, 15 areM2–5, with slight changes.

15.“One copy here bearsblack-birdand anothera fause bird.”(Finlay.)

133. Lord Orgul.“This name is differently given by reciters.” (Finlay.)

151. Fastnessas a proper name, but evidently meant forfaustness, falseness,as Motherwell has observed.

Quham, quhen, quhaare printedwham, when, wha; zet, ze, zour,are printedyet, ye, your.

Motherwell’s ballad is “traditionary” to the extent that it is substantially made up from traditionary material. The text of the recited copies is not always strictly adhered to. The fifth stanza happens not to occur in the texts used, but may have come in in some other recitation obtained by Motherwell, or may simply have been adopted from Ramsay. The three last stanzas (N) are from some recitation not preserved in Motherwell’s relics. Neglecting unimportant divergencies, the constituent parts are as follows:

1==H11–3,G14.

2, 3==J2, 3.

4==F2.

(5==Ramsay 4.)

6==F3.

7==I14.

8–10==F4–6.

11==F71,2,4,H43.

12==H3 (seeE14,5,L14).

13==F8.

14==I51–3,O4.

15==I6.

16==H7.

17==J7.

18==F112,I31,3,4.

19, 20==I4, 8.

21==I9 (seeL93).

22==J9.

23==F12.

24==J10.

25==I10.

26==I71–3,G44.

27==G13,I113,4.

28==F15,G14.

29==F16.

30, 31==I15, 16.

(32 resemblesD101,2, 143,4; 33,D11.)

APPENDIX

A new song much in request, sung with its own proper tune.

Laing, Broadsides Ballads, No. 61, not dated but considered to have been printed towards the end of the seventeenth or the beginning of the eighteenth century, and probably at Edinburgh.

1Come lay me soft, and draw me near,And lay thy white hand over me,For I am starving in the cold,And thou art bound to cover me.2O cover me in my distress,And help me in my miserie,For I do wake when I should sleep,All for the love of my dearie.3My rents they are but very smallFor to maintain my love withall,But with my labour and my painI will maintain my love with them.4O Arthur’s Seat shall be my bed,And the sheets shall never be fil’d for me,St Anthony’s well shall be my drink,Since my true-love’s forsaken me.5Should I be bound, that may go free?Should I love them that loves not me?I’le rather travel into Spain,Where I’le get love for love again.6And I’le cast off my robs of black,And will put on the robs of blue,And I will to some other landTill I see my love will on me rue.7It’s not the cold that makes me cry,Nor is’t the weet that wearies me,Nor is’t the frost that freezes fell;But I love a lad, and I dare not tell.8O faith is gone and truth is past,And my true-love’s forsaken me;If all be true that I hear say,I’le mourn until the day I die.9Oh, if I had nere been bornThan to have dy’d when I was young!Then I had never wet my cheeksFor the love of any woman’s son.10Oh, oh, if my young babe were born,And set upon the nurse’s knee,And I my self were dead and gone!For a maid again I’le never be.11Martinmas wind, when wilt thou blow,And blow the green leafs off the treeO gentle Death, when wilt thou come!For of my life I am wearie.

1Come lay me soft, and draw me near,And lay thy white hand over me,For I am starving in the cold,And thou art bound to cover me.

Come lay me soft, and draw me near,

And lay thy white hand over me,

For I am starving in the cold,

And thou art bound to cover me.

2O cover me in my distress,And help me in my miserie,For I do wake when I should sleep,All for the love of my dearie.

O cover me in my distress,

And help me in my miserie,

For I do wake when I should sleep,

All for the love of my dearie.

3My rents they are but very smallFor to maintain my love withall,But with my labour and my painI will maintain my love with them.

My rents they are but very small

For to maintain my love withall,

But with my labour and my pain

I will maintain my love with them.

4O Arthur’s Seat shall be my bed,And the sheets shall never be fil’d for me,St Anthony’s well shall be my drink,Since my true-love’s forsaken me.

O Arthur’s Seat shall be my bed,

And the sheets shall never be fil’d for me,

St Anthony’s well shall be my drink,

Since my true-love’s forsaken me.

5Should I be bound, that may go free?Should I love them that loves not me?I’le rather travel into Spain,Where I’le get love for love again.

Should I be bound, that may go free?

Should I love them that loves not me?

I’le rather travel into Spain,

Where I’le get love for love again.

6And I’le cast off my robs of black,And will put on the robs of blue,And I will to some other landTill I see my love will on me rue.

And I’le cast off my robs of black,

And will put on the robs of blue,

And I will to some other land

Till I see my love will on me rue.

7It’s not the cold that makes me cry,Nor is’t the weet that wearies me,Nor is’t the frost that freezes fell;But I love a lad, and I dare not tell.

It’s not the cold that makes me cry,

Nor is’t the weet that wearies me,

Nor is’t the frost that freezes fell;

But I love a lad, and I dare not tell.

8O faith is gone and truth is past,And my true-love’s forsaken me;If all be true that I hear say,I’le mourn until the day I die.

O faith is gone and truth is past,

And my true-love’s forsaken me;

If all be true that I hear say,

I’le mourn until the day I die.

9Oh, if I had nere been bornThan to have dy’d when I was young!Then I had never wet my cheeksFor the love of any woman’s son.

Oh, if I had nere been born

Than to have dy’d when I was young!

Then I had never wet my cheeks

For the love of any woman’s son.

10Oh, oh, if my young babe were born,And set upon the nurse’s knee,And I my self were dead and gone!For a maid again I’le never be.

Oh, oh, if my young babe were born,

And set upon the nurse’s knee,

And I my self were dead and gone!

For a maid again I’le never be.

11Martinmas wind, when wilt thou blow,And blow the green leafs off the treeO gentle Death, when wilt thou come!For of my life I am wearie.

Martinmas wind, when wilt thou blow,

And blow the green leafs off the tree

O gentle Death, when wilt thou come!

For of my life I am wearie.

11. darw.

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