She had her to her father"s ha", _Edinbro"_, _Edinbro"_, She had her to her father"s ha", _Stirling for aye_; She had her to her father"s ha", She was the meekest maid amang them a", _So proper Saint Johnston stands fair upon Tay_. 45
It fell ance upon a day, _Edinbro"_, _Edinbro"_, It fell ance upon a day, _Stirling for aye_; It fell ance upon a day, She saw twa babies at their play, _So proper Saint Johnston stands fair upon Tay_. 50
"O bonny babies, gin ye were mine, _Edinbro"_, _Edinbro"_, O bonny babies, gin ye were mine, _Stirling for aye_; O bonny babies, gin ye were mine, I"d cleathe you in the silks sae fine,"
_So proper Saint Johnston stands fair upon Tay_. 55
"O wild mother, when we were thine, _Edinbro"_, _Edinbro"_, O wild mother, when we were thine, _Stirling for aye_; O wild mother, when we were thine, You cleath"d us not in silks sae fine, _So proper Saint Johnston stands fair upon Tay_. 60
"But now we"re in the heavens high, _Edinbro"_, _Edinbro"_, But now we"re in the heavens high, _Stirling for aye_; But now we"re in the heavens high, And you"ve the pains o" h.e.l.l to try,"
_So proper Saint Johnston stands fair upon Tay_. 65
She threw hersell ower the castle-wa", _Edinbro"_, _Edinbro"_, She threw hersell ower the castle-wa", _Stirling for aye_; She threw hersell ower the castle-wa", There I wat she got a fa", _So proper Saint Johnston stands fair upon Tay_. 70
THE MINISTER"S DOCHTER O" NEWARKE.
See p. 262.
From _Scottish Traditional Versions of Ancient Ballads_, Percy Society, vol. xvii. p. 51. This is the same ballad, with trifling variations, as _The Minister"s Daughter of New York_, Buchan, ii.
217.
The Minister"s dochter o" Newarke, _Hey wi" the rose and the lindie O_, Has fa"en in luve wi" her father"s clerk, _Alane by the green burn sidie O_.
She courted him sax years and a day, 5 _Hey wi" the rose and the lindie O_, At length her fause-luve did her betray, _Alane by the green burn sidie O_.
She did her doun to the green woods gang, _Hey wi" the rose and the lindie O_, 10 To spend awa" a while o" her time, _Alane by the green burn sidie O_.
She lent her back unto a thorn, _Hey wi" the rose and the lindie O_; And she"s got her twa bonnie boys born, 15 _Alane by the green burn sidie O_.
She"s ta"en the ribbons frae her hair, _Hey wi" the rose and the lindie O_, Boun" their bodies fast and sair, _Alane by the green burn sidie O_. 20
She"s put them aneath a marble stane, _Hey wi" the rose and the lindie O_, Thinkin" a may to gae her hame, _Alane by the green burn sidie O_.
Leukin" o"er her castel wa", 25 _Hey wi" the rose and the lindie O_, She spied twa bonny boys at the ba", _Alane by the green burn sidie O_.
"O bonny babies, if ye were mine, _Hey wi" the rose and the lindie O_, 30 I woud feed ye wi" the white bread and wine, _Alane by the green burn sidie O_.
"I wou"d feed ye with the ferra cow"s milk, _Hey wi" the rose and the lindie O_, An" dress ye i" the finest silk," 35 _Alane by the green burn sidie O_.
"O cruel mother, when we were thine, _Hey wi" the rose and the lindie O_, We saw nane o" your bread and wine, _Alane by the green burn sidie O_. 40
"We saw nane o" your ferra cow"s milk, _Hey wi" the rose and the lindie O_, Nor wore we o" your finest silk,"
_Alane by the green burn sidie O_.
"O bonny babies, can ye tell me, 45 _Hey wi" the rose and the lindie O_, What sort o" death for ye I maun dee,"
_Alane by the green burn sidie O_.
"Yes, cruel mother, we"ll tell to thee, _Hey wi" the rose and the lindie O_, 50 What sort o" death for us ye maun dee, _Alane by the green burn sidie O_.
"Seven years a fool i" the woods, _Hey wi" the rose and the lindie O_, "Seven years a fish i" the floods, 55 _Alane by the green burn sidie O_.
"Seven years to be a church bell, _Hey wi" the rose and the lindie O_, Seven years a porter i" h.e.l.l,"
_Alane by the green burn sidie O_. 60
"Welcome, welcome, fool i" the wood, _Hey wi" the rose and the lindie O_, Welcome, welcome, fish i" the flood, _Alane by the green burn sidie O_.
"Welcome, welcome, to be a church bell, 65 _Hey wi" the rose and the lindie O_, But heavens keep me out o" h.e.l.l,"
_Alane by the green burn sidie O_.
BONDSEY AND MAISRY. See p. 298.
From Buchan"s _Ballads of the North of Scotland_, ii. 265.
"O come along wi" me, brother, Now come along wi" me; And we"ll gae seek our sister Maisry, Into the water o" Dee."
The eldest brother he stepped in, 5 He stepped to the knee; Then out he jump"d upo" the bank, Says, "This water"s nae for me."
The second brother he stepped in, He stepped to the quit; 10 Then out he jump"d upo" the bank, Says, "This water"s wond"rous deep."
When the third brother stepped in, He stepped to the chin; Out he got, and forward wade, 15 For fear o" drowning him.
The youngest brother he stepped in, Took "s sister by the hand; Said, "Here she is, my sister Maisry, Wi" the hinny draps on her chin. 20
"O if I were in some bonny ship, And in some strange countrie, For to find out some conjurer, To gar Maisry speak to me!"
Then out it speaks an auld woman, 25 As she was pa.s.sing by; "Ask of your sister what you want, And she will speak to thee."
"O sister, tell me who is the man, That did your body win? 30 And who is the wretch, tell me, likewise, That threw you in the lin?"
"O Bondsey was the only man That did my body win; And likewise Bondsey was the man 35 That threw me in the lin."
"O will we Bondsey head, sister?
Or will we Bondsey hang?
Or will we set him at our bow end, Lat arrows at him gang?" 40
"Ye winna Bondsey head, brothers, Nor will ye Bondsey hang; But ye"ll take out his twa grey e"en, Make Bondsey blind to gang.
"Ye"ll put to the gate a chain o" gold, 45 A rose garland gar make; And ye"ll put that in Bondsey"s head, A" for your sister"s sake."