English and Scottish Ballads Volume VII Part 20

Sir John Schaw, that great knight, with broad sword most bright,[L15] 15 On horseback he briskly did charge, man; A hero that's bold, none could him withhold,[L17]

He stoutly encounter'd the targemen.

_And we ran, &c._

For the cowardly Whittam, for fear they should cut him, Seeing glittering broad swords with a pa', man, And that in such thrang, made Baird edicang, 21 And from the brave clans ran awa, man.

_And we ran, &c._

[The great Colonel Dow gade foremost, I trow, When Whittam's dragoons ran awa, man; Except Sandy Baird, and Naughtan the laird, 25 Their horse shaw'd their heels to them a', man.

_And we ran, &c._]

Brave Mar and Panmure were firm, I am sure:[L27]

The latter was kidnapt awa, man; With brisk men about, brave Harry retook His brother, and laugh'd at them a', man. 30 _And we ran, &c._

Brave Marshall, and Lithgow, and Glengary's pith, too,[L31]

a.s.sisted by brave Loggia, man, And Gordons the bright, so boldly did fight, That the redcoats took flight and awa, man.

_And we ran, &c._

Strathmore and Clanronald cried still, "Advance, Donald,"[L35] 35 Till both of these heroes did fa', man; For there was such has.h.i.+ng, and broad swords a-clas.h.i.+ng, Brave Forfar himsel got a claw, man.

_And we ran, &c._

Lord Perth stood the storm, Seaforth but lukewarm,[L39]

Kilsyth, and Strathallan not slaw, man; 40 And Hamilton pled the men were not bred, For he had no fancy to fa', man.

_And we ran, &c._

Brave gen'rous Southesk, Tullibardin was brisk,[L43]

Whose father indeed would not draw, man, Into the same yoke, which serv'd for a cloak, 45 To keep the estate 'twixt them twa, man.

_And we ran, &c._

Lord Rollo not fear'd, Kintore and his beard,[L47]

Pitsligo and Ogilvie, a', man, And brothers Balflours they stood the first show'rs, Clackmannan and Burleigh did claw, man. 50 _And we ran, &c._

But Cleppan fought pretty, and Strowan the witty,[L51]

A poet that pleases us a', man; For mine is but rhyme in respect of what's fine, Or what he is able to draw, man.

_And we ran &c._

For Huntly and Sinclair, they both play'd the tinkler,[L55] 55 With consciences black as a craw, man; Some Angus and Fife men, they ran for their life, man, And ne'er a Lot's wife there at a', man.

_And we ran, &c._

Then Laurie the traitor, who betray'd his master,[L59]

His king, and his country, an' a', man, 60 Pretending Mar might give orders to fight, To the right of the army awa, man.

_And we ran, &c._

Then Laurie, for fear of what he might hear, Took Drummond's best horse, and awa, man: 'Stead of going to Perth, he crossed the Firth, 65 Alongst Stirling bridge, and awa, man.

_And we ran, &c._

To London he press'd, and there he profess'd That he behav'd best o' them a', man, And so, without strife, got settled for life, A hundred a-year to his fa', man. 70 _And we ran, &c._

In Borrowstounness he resides with disgrace, Till his neck stand in need of a thraw, man; And then in a tether he'll swing from a ladder, And go off the stage with a pa', man.

_And we ran, &c._

Rob Roy there stood watch on a hill, for to catch[L75]

The booty, for ought that I saw, man; 76 For he ne'er advanc'd from the place he was stanc'd, Till no more was to do there at a', man.

_And we ran, &c._

So we all took the flight, and Moubray the wright, And Lethem the smith was a braw man, 80 For he took a fit of the gout, which was wit, By judging it time to withdraw, man.

_And we ran, &c._

And trumpet Maclean, whose breeks were not clean, Through misfortune he happen'd to fa', man; By saving his neck, his trumpet did break, 85 And came off without music at a', man.

_And we ran, &c._

So there such a race was as ne'er in that place was, And as little chace was at a', man; From each other they run without touk of drum, They did not make use of a paw, man. 90 _And we ran, &c._

[Whether we ran, or they ran, or we wan, or they wan, Or if there was winning at a', man, There no man can tell, save our brave genarell,[L93]

Who first began running of a', man.

_And we ran, &c._

Wi' the Earl o' Seaforth, and the c.o.c.k o' the North;[L95] 95 But Florence ran fastest of a', man, Save the laird o' Phinaven, who sware to be even W' any general or peer o' them a', man.]

_And we ran, &c._

6. Florence was the Marquis of Huntly's horse. HOGG.

7-10. Lord Belhaven, the Earl of Leven, and the Earls of Rothes and Haddington, who all bore arms as volunteers in the royal army. Major-General Joseph Wightman, who commanded the centre of the royal army.

11-14. John, fifth Duke of Roxburgh, a loyal volunteer.

Archibald, Duke of Douglas, who commanded a body of his va.s.sals in the royal army. Hugh Campbell, third Earl of Loudoun, of the royal army.

The Earl of Ilay, brother to the Duke of Argyle. He came up to the field only a few hours before the battle, and had the misfortune to be wounded.

15. Sir John Shaw of Greenock, an officer in the troop of volunteers, noted for his keen Whiggish spirit.

17. Major-General Whitham, who commanded the left wing of the King's army.

39-42. James, Lord Drummond, eldest son of the Earl of Perth, was Lieutenant-general of horse under Mar, and behaved with great gallantry. William Mackenzie, fifth Earl of Seaforth. The Viscount Kilsyth. The Viscount Strathallan. Lieutenant-general George Hamilton, commanding under the Earl of Mar.

27-30. James, Earl of Panmure. The Honourable Harry Maule of Kellie, brother to the foregoing, whom he recaptured after the engagement.

31-4. The Earls of Marischal and Linlithgow. The Chief of Glengary. Thomas Drummond of Logie Almond.

35-8. The Earl of Strathmore, killed in the battle. The Chief of Clanra.n.a.ld. The Earl of Forfar--on the King's side--wounded in the engagement.

43. James, fifth Earl of Southesk. The Marquis of Tullibardine, eldest son of the Duke of Athole.

47-50. Lord Rollo. The Earl of Kintore. Lord Pitsligo. Lord Ogilvie, son of the Earl of Airly. Bruce, Laird of Clackmannan--the husband, I believe, of the old lady who knighted Robert Burns with the sword of Bruce, at Clackmannan Tower. Lord Burleigh.

51. Major William Clephane. Alexander Robertson of Struan, chief of the Robertsons.

55. Alexander, Marquis of Huntly, afterwards Duke of Gordon. The Master of Sinclair.

59-74. These four stanzas seem to refer to a circ.u.mstance reported at the time; namely, that a person had left the Duke of Argyle's army, and joined the Earl of Mar's, before the battle, intending to act as a spy; and that, being employed by Mar to inform the left wing that the right was victorious, he gave a contrary statement, and, after seeing them retire accordingly, went back again to the royal army.

75. The celebrated Rob Roy. This redoubted hero was prevented, by mixed motives, from joining either party. He could not fight against the Earl of Mar, consistent with his conscience, nor could he oppose the Duke of Argyle, without forfeiting the protection of a powerful friend.