Bulchevy's Book of English Verse Part 65

They had nae sooner supper set, Nae sooner said the grace, But Edom o' Gordon an' his men Were lighted about the place.

The lady ran up to her tower-head, Sae fast as she could hie, To see if by her fair speeches She could wi' him agree.

'Come doun to me, ye lady gay, Come doun, come doun to me; This night sall ye lig within mine arms, To-morrow my bride sall be.'

'I winna come down, ye fals Gordon, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me.'

'Gie owre your house, ye lady fair, Gie owre your house to me; Or I sall brenn yoursel therein, But and your babies three.'

'I winna gie owre, ye fals Gordon, To nae sic traitor as yee; And if ye brenn my ain dear babes, My lord sall mak ye dree.

'Now reach my pistol, Glaud, my man, And charge ye weel my gun; For, but an I pierce that bluidy butcher, My babes, we been undone!'

She stood upon her castle wa', And let twa bullets flee: She miss'd that bluidy butcher's heart, And only razed his knee.

'Set fire to the house!' quo' fals Gordon, All wud wi' dule and ire: 'Fals lady, ye sall rue this deid As ye brenn in the fire!'

Wae worth, wae worth ye, Jock, my man!

I paid ye weel your fee; Why pu' ye out the grund-wa' stane, Lets in the reek to me?

'And e'en wae worth ye, Jock, my man!

I paid ye weel your hire; Why pu' ye out the grund-wa' stane, To me lets in the fire?'

'Ye paid me weel my hire, ladye, Ye paid me weel my fee: But now I'm Edom o' Gordon's man-- Maun either do or die.'

O then bespake her little son, Sat on the nurse's knee: Says, 'Mither dear, gie owre this house, For the reek it smithers me.'

'I wad gie a' my gowd, my bairn, Sae wad I a' my fee, For ae blast o' the western wind, To blaw the reek frae thee.'

O then bespake her dochter dear-- She was baith jimp and sma': 'O row me in a pair o' sheets, And tow me owre the wa'!'

They row'd her in a pair o' sheets, And tow'd her owre the wa'; But on the point o' Gordon's spear She gat a deadly fa'.

O bonnie, bonnie was her mouth, And cherry were her cheiks, And clear, clear was her yellow hair, Whereon the red blood dreips.

Then wi' his spear he turn'd her owre; O gin her face was wane!

He said, 'Ye are the first that e'er I wish'd alive again.'

He turn'd her owre and owre again; O gin her skin was white!

'I might hae spared that bonnie face To hae been some man's delight.

'Busk and boun, my merry men a', For ill dooms I do guess; I canna look in that bonnie face As it lies on the gra.s.s.'

'Wha looks to freits, my master dear, It 's freits will follow them; Let it ne'er be said that Edom o' Gordon Was daunted by a dame.'

But when the lady saw the fire Come flaming owre her head, She wept, and kiss'd her children twain, Says, 'Bairns, we been but dead.'

The Gordon then his bugle blew, And said, 'Awa', awa'!

This house o' the Rodes is a' in a flame; I hauld it time to ga'.'

And this way lookit her ain dear lord, As he cam owre the lea; He saw his castle a' in a lowe, As far as he could see.

The sair, O sair, his mind misgave, And all his heart was wae: 'Put on, put on, my wighty men, Sae fast as ye can gae.

'Put on, put on, my wighty men, Sae fast as ye can drie!

For he that 's hindmost o' the thrang Sall ne'er get good o' me.'

Then some they rade, and some they ran, Out-owre the gra.s.s and bent; But ere the foremost could win up, Baith lady and babes were brent.

And after the Gordon he is gane, Sae fast as he might drie; And soon i' the Gordon's foul heart's blude He 's wroken his dear ladye.

town] stead. buskit] attired. wud] mad. grund-wa']

ground-wall. jimp] slender, trim. row] roll, wrap. Busk and boun] trim up and prepare to go. freits] ill omens. lowe]

flame. wighty] stout, doughty.

Ballads and Songs By Unknown Authors. 17th Cent.

375. The Queen's Marie

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 listen'd 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 durstna 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 row'd it in her ap.r.o.n, And set it on the sea-- 'Gae sink ye or swim ye, bonny babe, Ye'se get nae 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 ladies a', That Marie Hamilton 's brought to bed, And the bonny babe 's miss'd and awa'.

Scarcely had she lain down again, And scarcely fa'en asleep, When up and 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 sic 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 rase she up, And slowly put she on; And slowly rade 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.