A Collection of Ballads Part 7

"I am neither a witch nor a wile warlock, Nor mer-maid of the sea, I am Fair Annie of Rough Royal; O open the door to me."

"Gin ye be Annie of Rough Royal-- And I trust ye are not she-- Now tell me some of the love-tokens That past between you and me."

"O dinna you mind now, Love Gregor, When we sat at the wine, How we changed the rings frae our fingers?

And I can show thee thine.

"O yours was good, and good enough, But ay the best was mine; For yours was o' the good red goud, But mine o' the diamonds fine.

"But open the door now, Love Gregor, O open the door I pray, For your young son that is in my arms Will be dead ere it be day."

"Awa, awa, ye ill woman, For here ye shanno win in; Gae drown ye in the raging sea, Or hang on the gallows-pin."

When the c.o.c.k had crawn, and day did dawn, And the sun began to peep, Then up he rose him, Love Gregor, And sair, sair did he weep.

"O I dreamd a dream, my mother dear, The thoughts o' it gars me greet, That Fair Annie of Rough Royal Lay cauld dead at my feet."

"Gin it be for Annie of Rough Royal That ye make a' this din, She stood a' last night at this door, But I trow she wan no in."

"O wae betide ye, ill woman, An ill dead may ye die!

That ye woudno open the door to her, Nor yet woud waken me."

O he has gone down to yon sh.o.r.e-side, As fast as he could fare; He saw Fair Annie in her boat, But the wind it tossd her sair.

And "Hey, Annie!" and "How, Annie!

O Annie, winna ye bide?"

But ay the mair that he cried "Annie,"

The braider grew the tide.

And "Hey, Annie!" and "How, Annie!

Dear Annie, speak to me!"

But ay the louder he cried "Annie,"

The louder roard the sea.

The wind blew loud, the sea grew rough, And dashd the boat on sh.o.r.e; Fair Annie floats on the raging sea, But her young son rose no more.

Love Gregor tare his yellow hair, And made a heavy moan; Fair Annie's corpse lay at his feet, But his bonny young son was gone.

O cherry, cherry was her cheek, And gowden was her hair, But clay cold were her rosey lips, Nae spark of life was there,

And first he's kissd her cherry cheek, And neist he's kissed her chin; And saftly pressd her rosey lips, But there was nae breath within.

"O wae betide my cruel mother, And an ill dead may she die!

For she turnd my true-love frae my door, When she came sae far to me."

Ballad: The Queen's Marie

(Child, vi., Border Minstrelsy.)

Marie Hamilton's to the kirk gane, Wi ribbons in her hair; The king thought mair o Marie Hamilton, Than ony that were there.

Marie Hamilton's to the kirk gane, Wi ribbons on her breast; The king thought mair o Marie Hamilton, Than he listend to the priest.

Marie Hamilton's to the kirk gane, Wi gloves upon her hands; The king thought mair o Marie Hamilton, Than the queen and a' her lands.

She hadna been about the king's court A month, but barely one, Till she was beloved by a' the king's court, And the king the only man.

She hadna been about the king's court A month, but barely three, Till frae the king's court Marie Hamilton, Marie Hamilton durst na be.

The king is to the Abbey gane, To pu the Abbey tree, To scale the babe frae Marie's heart; But the thing it wadna be.

O she has rowd it in her ap.r.o.n, And set it on the sea: "Gae sink ye, or swim ye, bonny babe, Ye's get na mair o me."

Word is to the kitchen gane, And word is to the ha, And word is to the n.o.ble room, Amang the ladyes a', That Marie Hamilton's brought to bed, And the bonny babe's mist and awa.

Scarcely had she lain down again, And scarcely faen asleep, When up then started our gude queen, Just at her bed-feet, Saying "Marie Hamilton, where's your babe?

For I am sure I heard it greet."

"O no, O no, my n.o.ble queen!

Think no such thing to be!

'Twas but a st.i.tch into my side, And sair it troubles me."

"Get up, get up, Marie Hamilton, Get up, and follow me, For I am going to Edinburgh town, A rich wedding for to see."

O slowly, slowly raise she up, And slowly put she on; And slowly rode she out the way, Wi mony a weary groan.

The queen was clad in scarlet, Her merry maids all in green; And every town that they cam to, They took Marie for the queen.

"Ride hooly, hooly, gentlemen, Ride hooly now wi' me!

For never, I am sure, a wearier burd Rade in your c.u.mpanie."

But little wist Marie Hamilton, When she rade on the brown, That she was ga'en to Edinburgh town, And a' to be put down.

"Why weep ye so, ye burgess-wives, Why look ye so on me?

O, I am going to Edinburgh town, A rich wedding for to see!"

When she gaed up the Tolbooth stairs, The corks frae her heels did flee; And lang or eer she cam down again, She was condemned to die.

When she cam to the Netherbow Port, She laughed loud laughters three; But when she cam to the gallows-foot, The tears blinded her ee.

"Yestreen the queen had four Maries, The night she'll hae but three; There was Marie Seaton, and Marie Beaten, And Marie Carmichael, and me.

"O, often have I dressd my queen, And put gold upon her hair; But now I've gotten for my reward The gallows to be my share.

"Often have I dressd my queen, And often made her bed: But now I've gotten for my reward The gallows-tree to tread.