Golden Numbers Part 75

'Tis much that a young lady will do To her true love to win."

They drapped the het lead on her cheek, They drapped it on her chin, They drapped it on her bosom white, But she spake none again.

Her brothers they went to a room, To make to her a bier; The boards were a' o' the cedar wood, The edges o' silver clear.

Her sisters they went to a room, To make to her a sark; The cloth was a' o' the satin fine, And the st.i.tching silken-wark.

"Now well is me, my gay gos-hawk, That ye can speak and flee!

Come show me any love-tokens That you have brought to me."

"She sends you the ring frae her white finger, The garland frae her hair; She sends you the heart within her breast; And what would you have mair?

And at the fourth kirk o' fair Scotland, She bids you wait for her there."

"Come hither, all my merry young men!

And drink the good red wine; For we must on towards fair England To free my love frae pine."

The funeral came into fair Scotland, And they gart the bells be rung; And when it came to the second kirk, They gart the ma.s.s be sung.

And when it came to the third kirk, They dealt gold for her sake; And when it came to the fourth kirk, Her love was waiting thereat.

At the fourth kirk in fair Scotland Stood spearmen in a row; And up and started her ain true love, The chieftain over them a'.

"Set down, set down the bier," he says, "Till I look upon the dead; The last time that I saw her face, Its color was warm and red."

He stripped the sheet from aff her face A little below the chin; The lady then she open'd her eyes, And looked full on him.

"O give me a s.h.i.+ve o' your bread, love, O give me a cup o' your wine!

Long have I fasted for your sake, And now I fain would dine.

"Gae hame, gae hame, my seven brothers, Gae hame and blaw the horn!

And ye may say that ye sought my skaith, And that I hae gi'en you the scorn.

"I cam' na here to bonny Scotland To lie down in the clay; But I cam' here to bonny Scotland To wear the silks sae gay!

"I cam' na here to bonny Scotland Amang the dead to rest; But I cam' here to bonny Scotland To the man that I lo'e best!"

OLD BALLAD.

_Earl Mar's Daughter_

It was intill a pleasant time, Upon a simmer's day, The n.o.ble Earl of Mar's daughter Went forth to sport and play.

And as she played and sported Below a green aik tree, There she saw a sprightly doo Set on a branch sae hie.

"O Coo-my-doo, my love sae true, If ye'll come doun to me, Ye'se hae a cage o' gude red goud Instead o' simple tree.

"I'll tak' ye hame and pet ye weel, Within my bower and ha'; I'll gar ye s.h.i.+ne as fair a bird As ony o' them a'!"

And she had nae these words weel spoke, Nor yet these words weel said, Till Coo-my-doo flew frae the branch, And lighted on her head.

Then she has brought this pretty bird Hame to her bower and ha', And made him s.h.i.+ne as fair a bird As ony o' them a'.

When day was gane, and night was come, About the evening-tide, This lady spied a bonny youth Stand straight up by her side.

"Now whence come ye, young man," she said, "To put me into fear?

My door was bolted right secure, And what way cam' ye here?"

"O haud your tongue, my lady fair, Lat a' your folly be; Mind ye not o' your turtle-doo Ye coax'd from aff the tree?"

"O wha are ye, young man?" she said, "What country come ye frae?"

"I flew across the sea," he said, "'Twas but this verra day.

"My mither is a queen," he says, Likewise of magic skill; 'Twas she that turned me in a doo, To fly where'er I will.

"And it was but this verra day That I cam' ower the sea: I loved you at a single look; With you I'll live and dee."

"O Coo-my-doo, my love sae true, Nae mair frae me ye'se gae."

"That's never my intent, my love; As ye said, it shall be sae."

There he has lived in bower wi' her, For six lang years and ane; Till sax young sons to him she bare, And the seventh she's brought hame.

But aye, as soon's a child was born, He carried them away, And brought them to his mither's care, As fast as he could fly.

Thus he has stay'd in bower wi' her For seven lang years and mair; Till there cam' a lord o' hie renown To court that lady fair.

But still his proffer she refused, And a' his presents too; Says, "I'm content to live alane Wi' my bird Coo-my-doo!"

Her father sware an angry oath, He sware it wi' ill-will: "To-morrow, ere I eat or drink, That bird I'll surely kill."

The bird was sitting in his cage, And heard what he did say; He jumped upon the window-sill: "'Tis time I was away."

Then Coo-my-doo took flight and flew Beyond the raging sea, And lighted at his mither's castle, Upon a tower sae hie.

The Queen his mither was walking out, To see what she could see, And there she saw her darling son Set on the tower sae hie.

"Get dancers here to dance," she said, "And minstrels for to play; For here's my dear son Florentine Come back wi' me to stay."

"Get nae dancers to dance, mither, Nor minstrels for to play; For the mither o' my seven sons, The morn's her wedding day."

"Now tell me, dear son Florentine, O tell, and tell me true; Tell me this day, without delay, What sall I do for you?"

"Instead of dancers to dance, mither, Or minstrels for to play, Turn four-and-twenty well-wight men, Like storks, in feathers gray;

"My seven sons in seven swans, Aboon their heads to flee; And I myself a gay gos-hawk, A bird o' high degree."

Then, sighing, said the Queen to hersell, "That thing's too high for me!"

But she applied to an auld woman, Who had mair skill than she.