English and Scottish Ballads Volume II Part 40

"There is nae room at my head, Margaret, As little at my feet; 140 There is nae room at my twa sides, For a lady to lie and sleep.

"But gae hame, gae hame, now, May Margaret, Gae hame and sew your seam; For if ye were laid in your weel-made bed, 145 Your days will nae be lang."

114. The _wa'_ here is supposed to mean the wall, which, in some old castles, surrounded the court. J.

LORD WA'YATES AND AULD INGRAM.

A FRAGMENT. See p. 72.

Jamieson's _Popular Ballads_, ii. 265.

"From Mr. Herd's MS., transmitted by Mr. Scott."

Lady Maisery was a lady fair, She made her mother's bed; Auld Ingram was an aged knight, And her he sought to wed.

"Its I forbid ye, auld Ingram, 5 For to seek me to spouse; For Lord Wa'yates, your sister's son, Has been into my bowers.

"Its I forbid ye, auld Ingram, For to seek me to wed; 10 For Lord Wa'yates, your sister's son, Has been into my bed."

He has brocht to this ladie The robis of the brown; And ever, "Alas!" says this ladie, 15 "Thae robes will put me down."

And he has brocht to that ladie The robis of the red; And ever, "Alas!" says that ladie, "Thae robes will be my dead." 20

And he has brocht to that ladie The chrystal and the laumer; Sae has he brocht to her mither The curches o' the cannel.

Every ane o' her seven brethren 25 They had a hawk in hand, And every lady in the place They got a goud garland.

Every cuik in that kitchen They got a n.o.ble claith; 30 A' was blyth at auld Ingram's coming, But Lady Maisery was wraith.

"Whare will I get a bonny boy, Wad fain win hose and shoon, That wad rin on to my Wa'yates, 35 And quickly come again?"

"Here am I, a bonny boy, Wad fain win hose and shoon; Wha will rin on to your Wa'yates, And quickly come again." 40

"Ye'll bid him, and ye'll pray him baith, Gin ony prayer may dee, To Marykirk to come the morn, My weary wadding to see."

Lord Wa'yates lay o'er his castle wa', 45 Beheld baith dale and down; And he beheld a bonny boy Come running to the town.

"What news, what news, ye bonny boy?

What news hae ye to me? 50 * * * * * * *

"O are my ladie's fauldis brunt, Or are her towers won?

Or is my Maisery lichter yet O' a dear dochter or son?"

"Your ladie's faulds are neither brunt, 55 Nor are her towers won; Nor is your Maisery lichter yet O' a dear dochter or son:

"But she bids you, and she prays you baith, Gin ony prayer can dee, 60 To Mary Kirk to come the morn, Her weary wadding to see."

He dang the buird up wi' his fit, Sae did he wi' his knee; The silver cup, that was upon't, 65 I' the fire he gar'd it flee: "O whatten a lord in a' Scotland Dare marry my Maisery?

"O it is but a feeble thocht, To tell the tane and nae the t.i.ther; 70 O it is but a feeble thocht To tell it's your ain mither's brither."

"Its I will send to that wadding, And I will follow syne, The fitches o' the fallow deer, 75 And the gammons o' the swine; And the nine hides o' the n.o.ble cow-- 'Twas slain in season time.

"Its I will send to that wadding Ten tun o' the red wine; 80 And mair I'll send to that waddin', And I will follow syne."

Whan he came in into the ha', Lady Maisery she did ween; And twenty times he kist her mou', 85 Afore auld Ingram's een.

And till the kirk she wadna gae, Nor tillt she wadna ride, Till four-and-twenty men she gat her before, And twenty on ilka side, 90 And four-and-twenty milk white dows, To flee aboon her head.

A loud lauchter gae Lord Wa'yates, 'Mang the mids o' his men; "Marry that lady wha that will, 95 A maiden she is nane."

"O leuch ye at my men, Wa'yates, Or did ye lauch at me?

Or leuch ye at the bierdly bride, That's gaun to marry me?" 100

"I leuchna at your men, uncle, Nor yet leuch I at thee; But I leuch at my lands so braid, Sae weel's I do them see."

When e'en was come, and e'en-bells rung, 105 And a' man gane to bed, The bride but and the silly bridegroom In ae chamber were laid.

Wasna't a fell thing for to see Twa heads upon a cod; 110 Lady Maisery's like the mo'ten goud, Auld Ingram's like a toad.

He turn'd his face unto the stock, And sound he fell asleep; She turn'd her face unto the wa', 115 And saut tears she did weep.

It fell about the mirk midnicht, Auld Ingram began to turn him; He put his hand on's ladie's side, And waly, sair was she mournin'. 120

"What aileth thee, my lady dear?

Ever alas, and wae is me!

There is a babe betwixt thy sides,-- Oh! sae sair's it grieves me!"

"O didna I tell ye, auld Ingram, 125 Ere ye socht me to wed, That Lord Wa'yates, your sister's son, Had been into my bed?"

"Then father that bairn on me, Maisery, O father that bairn on me; 130 And ye sall hae a rigland s.h.i.+re Your mornin' gift to be."

"O sarbit!" says the Ladie Maisery, "That ever the like me befa', To father my bairn on auld Ingram, 135 Lord Wa'yates in my father's ha'.

"O sarbit!" says the Ladie Maisery, "That ever the like betide, To father my bairn on auld Ingram, And Lord Wa'yates beside." 140

SWEET WILLIE AND FAIR MAISRY. See p. 79.