297
EARL ROTHES
‘Earl Rothes,’ Kinloch MSS, I, 333.
‘Earl Rothes,’ Kinloch MSS, I, 333.
Lady Ann has an adulterous connection with Earl Rothes, and her youthful brother seeks to sunder it. He offers to pay a tocher for her if she will forsake the earl’s company; to keep her in his castle till she is safely brought to bed, and make her a marquis’s lady; she rejects all his offers with scorn. The boy declares that when he is old enough to wear a sword he will thrust it through Earl Rothes for using his sister so badly.
1‘O Earl Rothes, an thou wert mine,And I were to be thy ladie,I wad drink at the beer, and tipple at the wine,And be my bottle with any.’2‘Hold thy tongue, sister Ann,’ he says,‘Thy words they are too many;What wad ye do wi sae noble a lord,When he has so noble a ladie?3‘O I’ll pay you your tocher, Lady Ann,Both in gear and money,If ye’ll forsake Earl Rothes’s companie,And mind that he has a ladie.’4‘I do not value your gold,’ she says,‘Your gear it’s no sae readie;I’ll neer forsake Earl Rothes’s companie,And I don’t gie a fig for his ladie.’5‘I’ll keep ye i the castle, Lady Ann,O servants ye shall hae monie;I’ll keep ye till ye’re safely brocht to bed,And I’ll mak you a marquis’s ladie.’6‘I do not value your castle,’ she says,‘Your servants are no sae readie;Earl Rothes will keep me till I’m brocht to bed,And he’ll mak me a marquis’s ladie.’7‘Woe be to thee, Earl Rothes,’ he says,‘And the mark o the judge be upon thee,For the using o this poor thing sae,For the using my sister so badly.8‘When I’m come to the years of a man,And able a sword to carry,I’ll thrust it thro Earl Rothes’ bodieFor the using my sister sae basely.9‘Fare thee well, Lady Ann,’ he says,‘No longer will I tarry;You and I will never meet again,Till we meet at the bonny town o Torry.’
1‘O Earl Rothes, an thou wert mine,And I were to be thy ladie,I wad drink at the beer, and tipple at the wine,And be my bottle with any.’2‘Hold thy tongue, sister Ann,’ he says,‘Thy words they are too many;What wad ye do wi sae noble a lord,When he has so noble a ladie?3‘O I’ll pay you your tocher, Lady Ann,Both in gear and money,If ye’ll forsake Earl Rothes’s companie,And mind that he has a ladie.’4‘I do not value your gold,’ she says,‘Your gear it’s no sae readie;I’ll neer forsake Earl Rothes’s companie,And I don’t gie a fig for his ladie.’5‘I’ll keep ye i the castle, Lady Ann,O servants ye shall hae monie;I’ll keep ye till ye’re safely brocht to bed,And I’ll mak you a marquis’s ladie.’6‘I do not value your castle,’ she says,‘Your servants are no sae readie;Earl Rothes will keep me till I’m brocht to bed,And he’ll mak me a marquis’s ladie.’7‘Woe be to thee, Earl Rothes,’ he says,‘And the mark o the judge be upon thee,For the using o this poor thing sae,For the using my sister so badly.8‘When I’m come to the years of a man,And able a sword to carry,I’ll thrust it thro Earl Rothes’ bodieFor the using my sister sae basely.9‘Fare thee well, Lady Ann,’ he says,‘No longer will I tarry;You and I will never meet again,Till we meet at the bonny town o Torry.’
1‘O Earl Rothes, an thou wert mine,And I were to be thy ladie,I wad drink at the beer, and tipple at the wine,And be my bottle with any.’
1
‘O Earl Rothes, an thou wert mine,
And I were to be thy ladie,
I wad drink at the beer, and tipple at the wine,
And be my bottle with any.’
2‘Hold thy tongue, sister Ann,’ he says,‘Thy words they are too many;What wad ye do wi sae noble a lord,When he has so noble a ladie?
2
‘Hold thy tongue, sister Ann,’ he says,
‘Thy words they are too many;
What wad ye do wi sae noble a lord,
When he has so noble a ladie?
3‘O I’ll pay you your tocher, Lady Ann,Both in gear and money,If ye’ll forsake Earl Rothes’s companie,And mind that he has a ladie.’
3
‘O I’ll pay you your tocher, Lady Ann,
Both in gear and money,
If ye’ll forsake Earl Rothes’s companie,
And mind that he has a ladie.’
4‘I do not value your gold,’ she says,‘Your gear it’s no sae readie;I’ll neer forsake Earl Rothes’s companie,And I don’t gie a fig for his ladie.’
4
‘I do not value your gold,’ she says,
‘Your gear it’s no sae readie;
I’ll neer forsake Earl Rothes’s companie,
And I don’t gie a fig for his ladie.’
5‘I’ll keep ye i the castle, Lady Ann,O servants ye shall hae monie;I’ll keep ye till ye’re safely brocht to bed,And I’ll mak you a marquis’s ladie.’
5
‘I’ll keep ye i the castle, Lady Ann,
O servants ye shall hae monie;
I’ll keep ye till ye’re safely brocht to bed,
And I’ll mak you a marquis’s ladie.’
6‘I do not value your castle,’ she says,‘Your servants are no sae readie;Earl Rothes will keep me till I’m brocht to bed,And he’ll mak me a marquis’s ladie.’
6
‘I do not value your castle,’ she says,
‘Your servants are no sae readie;
Earl Rothes will keep me till I’m brocht to bed,
And he’ll mak me a marquis’s ladie.’
7‘Woe be to thee, Earl Rothes,’ he says,‘And the mark o the judge be upon thee,For the using o this poor thing sae,For the using my sister so badly.
7
‘Woe be to thee, Earl Rothes,’ he says,
‘And the mark o the judge be upon thee,
For the using o this poor thing sae,
For the using my sister so badly.
8‘When I’m come to the years of a man,And able a sword to carry,I’ll thrust it thro Earl Rothes’ bodieFor the using my sister sae basely.
8
‘When I’m come to the years of a man,
And able a sword to carry,
I’ll thrust it thro Earl Rothes’ bodie
For the using my sister sae basely.
9‘Fare thee well, Lady Ann,’ he says,‘No longer will I tarry;You and I will never meet again,Till we meet at the bonny town o Torry.’
9
‘Fare thee well, Lady Ann,’ he says,
‘No longer will I tarry;
You and I will never meet again,
Till we meet at the bonny town o Torry.’