:* v. *am > J* l i J *^BD*3" ^>3 THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES > > .Jfe 3> >"}^ k "lfe > ,> j *>j i* >v it. *> ' :i * >> \ L*> > :u * BMW* ** ""* > >> >J1 >3D > > )J> 3B>^> > > ! . ., >- > 1 > * ' > > I A COLLECTION OF ANCIENT AND MODERN &c*tttf|) ^allatr*, TALES, AND SONGS: WITH EXPLANATORY NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS, BY JOHN GILCHRIST. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. I. EDINBURGH; PRINTED FOR WILLIAM BLACKWOOD: WD BALDWIN', CUADOCK, JOY, PATERNOSTER-BOW, LONDON. 1815. Gilchrist 6i Heriot, Printers, Leith. /5f a 7 PKEFACE. Our relations and intercourse with the sister kingdom have become, from a variety of causes, so intimate, that our manners, our customs, and even our language, are assimilating with rapid strides to those of that country. Not- withstanding, however, that the simple, ex- pressive style of our fathers be becoming less and less frequent in conversation among the middle ranks, yet our poetry is still understood and ad- mired by every Scotchman, and is fondly trea- sured up in the memory of such of our coun- trymen whom adventitious circumstances have placed at a distance from their native land, who pore with delight over the rich humour, tender oOJ : ^ IV pathos, and descriptive beauty of their country's bards. Our language may fluctuate, and per- haps be lost in the English, but so long as there remains amongst us a taste for simplicity in writ- ing, and beauty in poetry, so long will our an- cient ballads and songs be admired. They are very numerous, and exhibit an astonishing fer- tility of genius in their authors, who relate the loves, depict the manners, and record the actions of a rude but gallant people, with a brevity of description, and a tenderness of feeling, that take a firm hold of the mind ; and may therefore be studied with much advantage by the lover of true poetry, and perused with no little mental profit by the politician and historian. It was on these foundations that Burns raised that fame which immortalises him ; his enthusiastic admiration led him to imitate, and he surpassed them in feeling, and equalled them in humour ; his cri- tical taste improved many of our old songs, and Ins compositions have raised the lyric poetry of Scotland above that of every other country. To him have succeeded Macneill, Hogg, and Tannahill, who uphold the lustre of their pre- decessors by the lively images and natural feel- ing which pervade their pieces, and by, that want of gaudy colouring which dazzles the eye but never reaches the affections. Ill some of our early poems, it must be ad- mitted, there is a broadness of humour, a free- dom of thought and expression, which in mo- dern productions would be turned from with disgust, but which our virtuous but less polish- ed ancestors not only countenanced but ad- mired. The collector of Scottish poetry has therefore before him wide and extensive fields, abound- ing in beautiful and variegated flowers, with here and there a few rank weeds ; much conse- quently depends on his selection of the mate- rials, in his rejecting the baneful, retaining the useful, elegant, and beautiful, and in some measure on the manner in which he disposes the flowers he has culled, by placing in their proper light the dark shades, sprightly glow, and airy colours, so as to form a combination at once pleasing and instructive. It has been the Editor's endeavour to form this Collection- on these principles. He has rejected every gross and indelicate poem or song which could raise a blush on the cheek of modesty, at the same time he has not been so fastidious as omit those delineation.'* of nature which mark the pure morals and honest character of our forefathers, 83 fi and give a faithful picture of the manners of those times. The Collection is divided into three Parts ; in the classification of the First and Third, the plan of the acute and learned Mr Ritson has been followed. The First Part consists of His- torical and Romantic Ballads ; the Second of Tales; and the Third of Songs, under the heads Humorous, Love, and Miscellaneous. To the poems in the First and Second Parts brief observations are prefixed, with a view to eluci- date the transactions related ; and in the Third Part are given the author's names, and anecdotes regarding many of the Songs. Such informa- tion has been long wanting, and it is wholly owing to Burns' 1 s passion for Scottish poetry, that so much is now known of the history of, our lyrics ; lie procured all the late Mr Tytler of Woodhouselee 1 s anecdotes, which, with his own strictures, are published in Mr Cromek's Reliques of the immortal bard ; from that au- thentic source, from Ritson's Scottish Songs, and from other Collections, the Editor has gleaned much of his information on this subject. In every instance he has followed the most correct copies he could obtain of the various poems, being convinced that accuracy in the readings Vll ought to be a main object in all publications of this nature : typographical errors may have crept in notwithstanding the greatest care, yet these it is hoped occur but in a few instances. AYhile he thus vouches for its correctness, he is well aware that this epitome of Scottish poetry derives little interest from his observations, in- deed he lays no claim to literary attainments, and has only humbly followed the track of men eminent for their erudition and talents, of some of the first literary characters of the present day, but he trusts, from its combining many of the best pieces of our ancient and modern bards, with a greater variety of Songs and Ballads than is to be met with in any other Collection, that it exhibits in their true light the genius, senti- ments, and manners of this portion of the island in its rude as well as in its more enlightened state. CONTENTS OF VOLUME FIRST. Part I. BALLADS. Historical. Page. Sir Patrick Spens, 4 Hardyknute, 8 Gude Wallace 20 Battle of Otterbourne, 23 The Battle of Harlaw, 31 J.ohnie Armstrang, . 40 The Battle of Corichie, 49 Edom o' Gordon, 54 The Battle of Reidswire 60 Dick o' the Cow, , 67 Jock o' the Side, 77 Hobbie Noble, 83 The Bonnie Earl o' Murray, ...^ 89 The Young Laird of Ochiltrie, 93 Frennet Ha', 97 The Battle of Killicrankie, 103 The Chevalier's Muster Roll, 109 T^ie Battle of Sheriff-muir, 112 X. CONTENTS. Page. Dialogue between Will Lick-ladle and Tam Clean- cogue, 120 Up and war 'em a' Willie, 124 Tranent Muir, 126 Johnie Cope, ~..~ 135 Romantic. GilMorrice, 139 Fair Annie of Lochroyan, 148 Clerk Saunders, 154 Sweet Willie and Fair Annie 160 Lammikin, 168 Sweet Willie 174 Glenkindie, 179 The Young Johnstone, 185 Lord Barnaby, 190 The Gypsie Laddie, 195 Lord Thomas and Fair Annie, ..... 199 The Cruel Brother, 205 Sir Hugh, 210 Lady Maisry, 214 Fause Foodrage, 220 The Young Tamlane, 226 Jamie Douglas, 238 Bonny Barbara Allan, 241 Fair Helen, 243 Gilderoy, 247 The Braes of Yarrow, by Hamilton of Bangour, 251 Ditto, by the Rev. John Logan, 257 Willie's drowned in Yarrow, 259 Sir James the Ross, 260 The Wee Wee Man, 268 Clerk Colvill ; or, the Mermaid, 270 Willie and May Margaret, n... 273 CONTEXTS. Part II. TALES. Page. Peblis to the Play, 279 Christis Kirk of the Grene. Canto 1 290 Canto II 304 Canto III 313 The Wife of Auchtennuchty, 322 The Friers of Berwik, 327 The Monk and Miller's Wife 346 The Heir of Linne, 354 Hallow Fair, 363 Leith Races, 368 The Farmer's Ingle, 375 The Fanner's Ha', 380 POPULAR SCOTTISH BALLADS, TALES, AND SONGS. part i. ifeHafysu VOL. I. Part I. BALLADS. f@t0tor(cal< SIR PATRICK SPENS. [This is supposed to be one of the oldest Scottish ballads extant, and relates an event that must have occurred at a remote period of our history, no account of such an expedition being recorded by any of our early writers.] The King sits in Dumfermline toun, Drinking the blude-red wine ; " O whare will I get a skeely skipper, * To sail this ship of mine ?" O up and spak an cldern knight, Sat at the King's right knee, " Sir Patrick Spens is the best sailor That ever sail'd the sea." * Skilful mariner. 4 Our King has written a braid letter, And sign'd it w'f his hand, And sent it to Sir Patrick Spens, Was walking on the strand. " To Noroway, to Noroway, To Noroway o'er the faem ; The King's daughter o' Noroway, It's thou maun bring her hame." The first word that Sir Patrick read, Sae loud loud laughed he ; The neist word that Sir Patrick read, The tear blinded his e'e. " O wha is this has done this deed, And tauld the King o' me, To send us out at this time o' the year * To sail upon the sea? " Be it wind, be it weet, be it hail, be it sleet. Our ship maun sail the faem ; The King's daughter o' Noroway, It's we maun fetch her hame." At a later period than that which may be supposed the era of this expedition, so insufficient were the Scottish ships, so unskilful the mariners, and so many shipwrecks happened from these causes, that James III. enacted a law, prohibiting all vessels from being navigated "Fra the feast of St Simon's day and Jude, unto the feast of the purification of our Lady, called Candelmess." " It is somewhat remarkable," says Arnot, " that there are but three celebrated captains men- tioned in Scottish story, Sir Patrick Spence, Sir Andrew Wood, and Andrew Barton, of whom the two first perished in storms, the last in a naval engagement with the English." Hist, of Edinburgh. They hoysed their sails on Monenday mom, Wi' a* the speed they may ; They hae landed in Noroway Upon a Wodensday. They hadna been a week, a week In Noroway but twae, When that the lords o' Noroway Began aloud to say, " Ye Scottishmen spend a' our King's goud, And a' our Queen is fee !" '*' Ye lie, ye lie, ye liars loud ! Fu' loud I hear ye lie. " For I brought as much white monie, As gane * my men and me ; And I brought a half-fou' o' gude red goud Out o'er the sea wi' me. " Make ready, make ready, my merrymen a', Our gude ship sails the mom." " O say no sae, my master deal*, For I fear a deadly storm. " Late late yestreen I saw the new moon, Wi' the auld moon in her arm; And I fear, I fear, my master dear, That we will come to harm." They hadna sailed a league, a league, A league but barely three, Whan the lift + grew dark, and the wind blew loud, And gurly % grew the sea. * Suffice. f. Sky. \ Stormy. A 3 The ankers brak, and the top-masts lap, It was sic a deadly storm, And the waves cam o'er the broken ship, Till a' her sides were torn. -' O whare will I get a gude sailor To tak my helm in hand, Till I get up to the tall top-mast, To see if I can spy land ?" ' O here am T, a sailor gude, To tak the helm in hand, Till you go up to the tall top-mast; But I fear you'll ne'er spy land." He hadna gane a step, a step, A step but barely ane, When a bout * flew out of. our goodly ship, And the salt sea it cam in. ' Gae fetch a web o' the silken claith, Another o' the twine, And wap them into our gude ship's side, And let na the sea come in." They fetched a web o' the silken claith, Another o' the twine, And they wapped them round that gude ship's side. But still the sea cam in. O laith, laith were our gude Scots lords, To weet^ their cork-heeled shoon ; But lang or a' the play was played. They wat their hats aboon. * Bolt. And mony was the feather-bed, That flattered on the faem ; And mony was the gude lord's son, That never mair cam hame. The ladyes wrang their fingers white, The maidens tore their hair, A' for the sake o' their true loves ; For them they'll see na mair. O lang, lang may the ladyes sit, Wi' their fans into their hand, Before they see Sir Patrick Spens Come sailing to the strand ! And lang, lang may the maidens sit, Wi' their goud kaims in their hair, A' waiting for their ain dear loves ! For them they'll see na mair. Half owre, half owre to Aberdour, It's fifty fathom deep, And there lies gude Sir Patrick Spens, Wi' the Scots lords at his feet. HARDYKNUTE. A FRAGMENT. [In 1265, Haco, King of Norway or Denmark, under pre- tence that Arran and the islands adjacent formed part of the Western Isles, then subject to him, fitted out a large armament, with which he overran Kintire and the islands in dispute. Elated with success, he determined on pursuing his predatory enterprise still farther, and with this view came to anchor with his fleet at the Cum- bras, whence he sent a detachment up the Clyde, which plundered the islands in Loch Lomond, at that time very populous. But before he had sufficient time to carry his other plans into effect, a storm arose in which several of his ships were driven on shore near Largs, where the Scottish army had collected, and was watching his mo- tions. Those vessels which ran aground were immedi- ately attacked by the Soots, and obstinately defended by the Norwegians, who being successively reinforced from their fleet, remained on shore all night ; next morning (2d October) Haco landed with a numerous body of troops, was again attacked by the Scots, and, after a desperate conflict, finally routed and driven to his ships, with the loss of sixteen thousand men, according to Buchanan and other Scottish writers, but of only about six hundred, according to an ancient manuscript account of the expedition in the library of the King of Denmaxk. Such arc the historical events on which this ballad is founded. It was first published at Edinburgh in 1719, as a fragment of some ancient ballad, and to make it ap- pear of great antiquity, the letter y was every where changed to z. The many imitations of and allusions to old ballads, excited suspicion that it was of modern date, and it was at last tacitly acknowledged by Lady Wardlaw of Balmulie, in Fifeshire, who added sixteen stanzas to the second edition printed in the Evergreen. In a Collection of Tragic Ballads, published by Mr Pinker- ton in 1791, a Second Part was added to this poem, which he pretended to have recovered from the memory of a Lady in Lanarkshire ; but being charged with the forgery by a writer in the " Gentleman's Magazine," he confessed his guilt, and pleaded his youth in pallia- tion of the offence.] Stately stept he east the wa', And stately stept he west; Full seventy ziers he now had sene, With skerss seven ziers of rest. He livit quhen Britons breach of faith VVroucht Scotland meikle wae : And ay his sword tauld, to their cost, He was their deadly fae. Hie on a hill his castle stude, With halls and towirs a-hicht. And guidly chambers fair to see, Quhair he lodgit mony a knicht. His dame sae pierless anes and fair. For chast and bewtie deimt, Xae marrow had in all the land, Saif Elenor the Quene. 10 Full thirtein sons to him scho bare, All men of valour stout; In bluidy ficht, with sword in hand, Nyne lost their lives bot * doubt ; Four zit remain, lang may they live To stand by liege and land ; Hie was their fame, hie was their micht, And hie was their command. Great luve they bare to Fairly fair, Their sister saft and deir ; Her girdle shaw'd her middle jimp, t And gowden glist J her hair. Quhat Avaefu wae her bewtie bred ! Waefu to zoung and auld; Waefu, I trou, to kyth and kin, As story ever tauld. The King of Norse, || in summer tyde, Puft up with powir and micht, Landed in fair Scotland the yle With mony a hardy knicht. The tydings to our gude Scots King Came as he sat at dyne, With noble chiefs in braif aray, Drinking the blude-reid wyne. u To horse, to horse, my royal liege, Zour faes stand on the strand ; Full twenty thousand glittering spears The King of Norse commands." " Bring me my steed, Mage, dapple gray," Our gude King raise and cryd ; A trustier beast in all the land, A Scots King never seyd. * Without. f Slender. % Shone. Relations. |) Norway. 11 V Go, little page, tell Hardyknute, That lives on hill so hie, To draw his sword, the dried of faes, And haste and follow me." The little page flew swift as dart Flung by his master's arm, " Cum down, cum down, Lord Hardyknute, And red * zour King frae harm." Then reid, reid grew his dark-brown cheiks, Sae did his dark-brown brow ; His luiks grew kene as they were wont In dangers great to do. I le has tane a horn as grene as grass, And gien five sounds sae shrill, That trees in grene-wood schuke thereat, Sae loud rang ilka hill. His sons, in manly sport and glie, Had past that summer's morn, Quhen low doun in a grassy dale, They heard their fatheris horn. " That horn," quod they, " neir sounds in peace, We haif other sport to byde ;" And sune they heyd them up the hill, And sune were at his syde. " Late, late zestrene, I weind t in peace To end my lengthened lyfe, My aije micht well excuse my arm Frae manly feats of stryfe : But now that Norse dois proudly boast Fair Scotland to inthrall, Its neir be said of Hardyknute, He feird to ficht or fall. * Extricate. f Thought. 12 " Robin of Rothsay, bend thy bow, Thy arrows schute sae leil, That mony a comely countenance They've turned to deidly pale. Brade Thomas, talc ze but zour lance, Ze neid nae weapons mair, Gif ze ficht wi't as ze did anes 'Gainst Westmoreland's ferss heir. " Malcom, licht of foot as stag That runs in forest wyld, Get me my thousands thrie of men, Well bred to sword and schield : Bring me my horse and harnisine, My blade of mettal cleir ;" If faes kend but the hand it bare, They sune had fled for feir. " Farewell, my dame, sae pierless gude,' And tuke her by the hand, " Fairer to me in age zou seim, Than maids for bewtie fam'd : My zoungest son sail here remain To guard these stately towirs, And shut the silver bolt that keips Sae fast zour painted bowirs." And first scho wet her comely cheiks And then hir bodice grene ; Her silken cords of twirtle twist Weil plett with silver schene ; * And apron set with mony a dice Of neidle-wark sae rare, Wove by nae hand, as ze may guess, Saif that of Fairly fair. * Shining silver. 13 And he has ridden owre muir and moss, Owre hills and mony a glen, (^uhen he cam to a wounded knicht, Making a heavy mane : " Here maun 1 lye, here maun I die, By treachery's false gyles; Witless I -was that eir gait' faith To wicked woman's smyles." ** Sir knicht, gin ze were in my howir, To lean on silken seat, My lady is kyndfie care zou'd prove, Quha neir kend deidly hate : Hir self wald watch ze all the day, Hir maids at deid of nicht ; And Fairly lair zour heart wald cheir, As scho stands in zour srcht. " Arise, zoung knicht, and mount zour steid, Full lown's * the schynand day ; Cheis f Vae my menzie + quhom ze pleis, To kid ze on the way." With smyless hike, and visage wan, The wounded knicht replyd, " Kind chiftain, zour intent pursue, For here 1 maun ahyde. " To me nae after day nor nicht Can eir be sweit or fair, But sane beneath sum draping trie Cauld death sail end my care." With him nae pleiding micht preVail ; Braif Ilardyknute to gain, With fairest words and reason Strang, Straif courteously in vain. * Calm. f Men. 14 Syne he has g.ine far hynd attowre * Lord Chattan's land sae wyde ; That lord a worthy wicht was ay, Quhen faes his courage seyd : Of Pictish race, by mother's syde ; Quhen Picts ruled Caledon, Lord Chattan claim'd the princely maid Quhen he saift Pictish crown. Now with his ferss and stalwart t train He reicht a rysing heicht, Quhair, braid encampit on the dale, Norse mcnzie lay in sicht : ,e Zonder, my valiant sons, and feris, Our raging revers % wait, On the unconquerit Scottish swaird, To try with us thair fate. " Mak orisons to Him that saift Our sauls upon the rude ; || Syne braifly schaw zour veins are fill'd With Caledonian blude." Then forth he drew his trusty glaive, Quhyle thousands all around, Drawn frae their sheaths glanst in the sun, And loud the bougills sound. To join his King, adoun the hill In haste his march he made, Quhyle playand pibrochs % minstralls meit Afore him stately strade. " Thryse Avelcum, valziant stoup of weir, Thy nation's scheild and pryde, Thy King nae reason has to feir, Quhen thou art be his syde." * Out over. f Stout. % Robbers. Ground. || Cross. f Highland martial airs. 15 Quhen bows were bent, and darts were thrown. For thrang scarce could they fhe, The darts clove arrows as they met, The arrows dart the trie. Lang did they rage, and fecht full ferss, With little skaith to man ; But bludy, bludy was the field Or that lang day was done ! The King of Scots that sindle * bruik'd The war that luikt lyke play, Drew his braid sword, and brake his bow, Sen bows seimt but delay. Quoth noble Rothsay, " Myne I'll keip, I wate t its bleid a skore." " Haste up my merry men," cry'd the King, As he rade on before. The King of Norse he socht to find, With him to mense the faucht ; % But on his forehead there did licht A sharp unsonsie shaft ; As he his hand put up to find The wound, an arrow kene, O waefou chance ! there pinn'd his hand In midst betwene his een. " Revenge ! revenge \" cry'd Rothsay's heir, " Your mail-coat sail nocht byde - The strength and sharpness of my dart," Then sent it through his syde. Another arrow weil he mark'd, \ It persit his neck in twa ; His hands then quat the silver reins, He law as eard did fa'. * Seldom, f Know. Try the fight. Unlucky. 1G " Sair bleids my leige ! Sair, sair he bleids !" Again with micht.he drew, And gesture dreid, his sturdy bow; Fast the braid arrow flew : Wae to the knicht he ettled * at; Lament now, Quene Elgreid ; Hie dames to wail zour darling's fall, His zouth and comely meid. " Take aff, take aff his costly jupe," t (Of gold weil was it twyn'd, Knit like the fowler's net, throuch quhilk His steily hames shynd.) " Take, Norse, that gift frae me, and bid Him 'venge the blude it beirs.; Say, if he face my bended bow He sure nae weapon feirs." Proud Norse with giant body tall, Braid shoulder, and arms strong, Cry'd, " Quhair is Hardyknute sae fam'd. And feird at Britain's throne ? Tho' Britons tremble at his name, I sune sail mak him war! That eir my sword was made sae sharp, Sae saft his coat of mail." That brag his stout heart could na byde, It lent him zouthfu micht : " I'm Hardyknute. This day," he cr/d, " To Scotland's King I hecht To lay thee law as horse's hufe, My word I mean to keip." Syne with the first strake eir he strak He garrd his body bleid. * Aimed. f Military vest. J Promised 17 Norse ene lyke gray gosehawk's staird wyld, He sicht with shame and spyte : " Disgrac'd is now my far-fam'd arm That left thee power to stryke." Then gaif his head a blaw sae fell, It made him doun to stoup, As law as he to ladies usit, In courtly gyse to lout. * Full sune he rais'd his bent body ; His bow he marvell'd sair, Sen blaws till then on him but darr'd As touch of Fairly fair. Norse ferliet t too as sair as he, To see his stately luke ; Sae sune as eir he strake a fae, Sae sune his lyfe he tuke. Quhair, lyke a fyre to hether set, Bauld Thomas did advance, A sturdy fae, with luke enrag'd, Up towards him did prance : He spur'd his steid throw thickest ranks The hardy zouth to quell, Quha stude unmuvit at his approach, His furie to repell. " That schort brown shaft, sae meanly trim'dj Lukis lyke poor Scotland's geir ; But driedfull seims the rusty poynt !" And loud he leuch in jeir. ^ " Aft Britons' blude has dim'd its shyne, This poynt cut short their vaunt ;" Syne pierc'd the boisteris bairded cheik, Nae tyme he tuke to taunt. * To bow. f Wondered. ^ Derision. B 3 18 Sehort qnhyle he in his sadill swang; His stirrip was nae stay, Sae feible hang his unbent knie, Sure taken he was fey. * Swith on the harden'd clay he fell, Richt far was hard the thud, But Thomas luikt not as he lay All waltering in his blude. With cairles gesture, mind unmuvit, On raid he north the plain, Kis seim in thrang of fiercest stryfe, Quhen winner ay the same. Nor zit his heart dames' dimpelit cheik Coud meise t saft luve to bruik ; Till vengeful Ann returned his scorn, Then languid grew his luke. In thrawis of death, with wallowit cheik, All panting on the plain, r J he fainting corps of warriours lay, Neir to aryse again: Neir to return to native land ; Nae mair with blythsom sounds. To boist the glories of the day, . And schaw their shyning wounds. On Norway's coast the widowit dame May wash the rocks with teirs, May lang luke owre the schiples seis Befoir hir mate appeirs. Ceise, Emma, ceise to hope in vain, Thy lord lyis in the clay ; The valziant Scots nae revers thole To carry lyfe away. * Under a fatality. f Soften. f Suffer. 19 There on a lie, quhair stands a cross Set up for monument, Thousands full fierce, that summer's day, Fill'd kene waris black intent. Let Scots, quhyle Scots, praise Hardyknute, Let Norse the name ay dried ; Ay how he faucht, aft how he spaird, Sal latest ages reid. Loud and chill blew the westlin wind, Sair beat the heavy showir, Mirk grew the nicht eir Hardyknute Wan * neir his stately towir : His towir that us'd with torches bleise To shyne sae far at nicht, Seim'd now as black as mourning weid ; Nae marvel sair he sich'd. " Thair's nae licht in my lady's bowir, Thair's nae licht in my hall ; Nae blink shynes round my Fairly fair, Nor ward stands on my wall. Quhat bodes it? Robert, Thomas, say !" Nae answer fits their dreid. " Stand back, my sons, I'll be zour gyde ;" But by they past with speid. " As fast I haif sped owre Scotland's faes" There ceist his brag of weir, Sair schamit to mynd ocht but his dame, And maiden Fairly fair. Black feir he felt, but quhat to feir, He wist not zit with dreid : Sair schuke his body, sair his limbs, And all the warrior fled. * Arrived. 20 GUDE WALLACE. [This poem is founded on an incident related in the fifth book of Henry's metrical Life of Wallace. The narra- tive differs considerably from that in Henry, but not more than what might be looked for in a relation dis- joined from its original source.] " O for my ain King," quo' gude Wallace, '* The rightfu' King of fair Scotland ! Between me and my sovereign blude I think I see some ill seed sawn." Wallace out over yon river he lap, And he has lighted low down on yon plain ; And he was aware of a gay ladie, As she was at the well washing. " What tydins, what tydins, fair lady," he says, " What tydins hast thou to tell unto me? What tydins, what tydins, fair lady," he says, " What tydins hae ye in the south countrie ?" 21 ' Low down in yon wee ostler house, + There is fifteen Englishmen, And they are seekin for gude Wallace, It's him to take, and him to hang." " There's nought in my purse," quo' gude Wallace, " There's nought, not even a bare pennie ; But I will down to yon wee ostler house, Thir fyfteen Englishmen to see." And when he came to yon wee ostler house, He bade benedicite be there ; " Where was ye born, auld crook it carl, Where was ye born, in what countrie ?" " I am a true Scot born and bred, And an auld crookit carl, just sic as ye see." " I wad gie fifteen shillings to onie crookit carl, To onie crookit carl, just sic as ye, If ye will get me gude Wallace, For he is the man I wad very fain see." He hit the proud captain alang the chafft's blade, "hat never a bit o' meal he ate mair; And he sticket the rest at the table where they sat, And he left them a' lyin sprawlin there. " Get up, get up, gudewife," he says, " And get to me some dinner in haste. For it will soon be three lang days Sin* I a bit o' meat did taste." \ Small inn. QO The dinner was na weel readie, Nor was it on the table set, Till other fifteeen Englishmen Were a lighted about the yett. " Come out, come out, now gude Wallace, This is the day that thou maun die." " I lippen na sae little to God," he says, " Altho' I be but ill wordie." * The gude wife had an auld gudeman, By gude Wallace he stiffly stude, Till ten o' the fyfteen Englishmen Before the door lay in their blude. The other five to the greenwood ran, And he hang'd thae five upon a grain ; t And on the morn, wi' his merry men a', He sat at dine in Lochmaben town. * Worthy. f The branch of a tree. 23 BATTLE OF OTTERBOURNE. [To avenge the ravages committer? in Lothian and Berwick- shire by the English army under Richard II. in 138.5, and taking advantage of the distracted state of Richard's kingdom, Robert II. assembled a Parliament at Aberdeen in 1388, in which it was resolved, and immediately carried into execution, to invade England at two points. His sons, the Earls of Fife and Strathearn, commanded one army that entered the western borders, which they laid waste, and returned unmolested with a considerable booty. The other, under the orders of the Earls of Douglas and March ravaged Northumberland and part of Durham. The renowned Hotspur, his brother Sir Ralph, and almost all the gentlemen of the adjacent counties, retired to Newcastle, to which Douglas ad- vanced with about three thousand men. In a skirmish before the walls, and in sight of both armies, he person- ally encountered Hotspur, unhorsed him at the first shock, an I would have taken him prisoner, had he not been rescued by the garrison ; the Earl, however, brought off his antagonist's lance and pennon, which he waved around his head, calling out that he would carry it as a trophy into Scotland, to which he began his march the 24 same night. The fiery and impetuous temper of Percy- could neither brook this taunt nor the loss of his stand- ard, therefore hastily collecting a considerable army (ten thousand men according to our Scottish historians), he pursued the Scots, and overtook them at Otterbourne, about thirty-two miles from Newcastle, where they were advantageously posted. Though the day was almost spent, and his troops fatigued with a long march, Percy immediately attacked the Scots, and by the fury of his first onset threw them into confusion ; but they were quickly rallied by Douglas, who, armed with an iron mace, rushed into the thickest of the enemy, followed only by his chap- lain and two squires. After performing prodigies of va- lour, the brave hero, overpowered by numbers, received three mortal wounds, and was fainting with loss of blood when his friends penetrated to the spot where he lay, with his two squires dead by his side, and his chaplain alone defending him with a lance. Feeling his end approach- ing, and afraid lest the report of his fall would dispirit his soldiers, the gallant chief said to those around him, " Conceal my death, defend my standard, and avenge my fall ! Tt is an old prophecy, that a dead man shall gain a field, and I hope it will be accomplished this night." With these words lie expired. The fight was continued by both parties with the greatest obstinacy until morning, when the English gave way on all sides, and were totally routed with the loss of twelve hundred killed, the two Percies, above an hundred gentlemen and officers, and two thousand soldiers prisoners. Bravely and dearly purchased as their victory was, the conquerors would have lost all its advantages, hid the Bishop of Durham, who was approaching with a large body of troops to the assistance of Percy, made an attack upon them in their 25 exhausted state, hut learning the fate of Hotspur from the fugitives, he fell back upon Newcastle, leaving the Scots to return home at their leisure. The place where tiie battle was fought is still called Battle Rigg?.] It fell about the Lammas tide, When the muir-men win their hay, The doughty Earl of Douglas rode Into England, to catch a prey. He chose the Gordons and the Graemes, With them the Lindesays, light and gay ; But the Jardines wald not with him ride, And they rue it to this day. And he has burn'd the dales of Tyne, And part of Bambrough shire ; And three good towers on Roxburgh fells, He left them all on fire. And he march'd up to Newcastle, And rode it round about ; " O wha's the lord of this castle, Or wha's the lady o't ?" But up spake proud Lord Percy, then, And O but he spake hie ! " I am the lord of this castle, My wife's the lady gay." " If thour't the lord of this castle, Sae weel it pleases me ! For, ere I cross the border fells, The tane of us shall die." vol. I. c 26 He took a lang spear in his hand, Shod with the metal free, And for to meet the Douglas there, He rode right furiouslie. But O how pale his lady look'd Frae aff the castle wa', When down, hefore the Scottish spear, She saw proud Percy fa'. " Had we twa been upon the green, And never an eye to see, I wad hae had you, flesh and fell ; * But your sword sail gae wi' me." " But gae ye up to Otterbourne, And wait there dayis three ; And, if I come not ere three dayis end, A fause knight ca' ye me." " The Otterbourne's a bonnie burn ; 'Tis pleasant there to be ; But there is nought at Otterbourne, To feed my men and me. " The deer rins wild on hill and dale, The birds fly wild from tree to tree ; But there is neither bread nor kale, To fend my men and me. " Yet I will stay at Otterbourne, Where you shall welcome be, And, if ye come not at three dayis end, A fause lord I'll ca' thee." Hide. 27 " Thither will I come," proud Percy said, " By the might of our Lady !" " There will I bide thee," said the Douglas, " My trowth I plight to thee." They lighted high on Otterbourne, Upon the bent sae brown ; They lighted high on Otterbourne, And threw their pallions * down. And he that had a bonnie boy, Sent out his horse to grass ; And he that had not a bonnie boy, His ain servant he was. But up then spake a little page, Before the peep of dawn " O waken ye, waken ye, my good lord, For Percy's hard at hand. " Ye lie, ye lie, ye liar loud ! Sae loud I hear ye lie : For Percy had not men yestreen, To dight t my men and me. " But I hae dream'd a dreary dream ; Beyond the Isle of Sky, I saw a dead man win a fight, And I think that man was I." He belted on his good braid sword, And to the field he ran ; But he forgot the helmet good, That should have kept his brain. * Tents. f Beat. 28 When Percy wi' the Douglas met, I wat he was fu' fain ! They swakked * their swords, till sair they swat, And the blood ran down like rain. But Percy, with his good broad sword, That could so sharply wound, Has wounded Douglas on the brow, Till he fell to the ground. Then he call'd on his little foot-page, And said " Run speedilie, And fetch my ain dear sister's son, Sir Hugh Montgomery. " My nephew good," the Douglas said, " What recks the death of ane ? Last night I dream 'd a dreary dream, And I ken the day's thy ain. " My wound is deep ; I fain wou'd sleep ; Take thou the vanguard of the three, And hide me by the braken bush, + That grows on yonder lilye lee. " O bury me by the braken bush, Beneath the blooming briar ; Let never living mortal ken, That ere a kindly Scot lies here." He lifted up that noble lord, Wi' the saut tear in his e'e ! He hid him in the braken bush, That his merrie men might not see. * Struck violently. f Fern. 29 The moon was clear, the day drew near, The spears in flinders flew, But mony a gallant Englishman Ere day the Scotsmen slew. The Gordons good, in English blood, They steep'd their hose and shoon ; The Lindsays flew like fire about, Till all the fray was done. The Perry and Montgomery met, That either of other were fain ; They swapped swords, and they twa swat, And aye the blood ran down between. " Yield thee, O yield thee, Percy \" he said, " Or else I vow I'll lay thee low !" " Whom to shall I yield," said Earl Percy, " Now that I see it must be so ?" " Thou shalt not yield to lord nor loun, Nor yet shalt thou yield to me ; But yield thee to the braken bush, That grows upon yon lilye lee !" ** I will not yield to a braken bush, Nor yet will I yield to a briar ; But I would yield to Earl Douglas, Or Sir Hugh the Montgomery, if he were here. As soon as he knew it was Montgomery, He stuck his sword's point in the gr onde ; And the Montgomery was a courteous knight, And quickly took him by the honde. c 3 30 This deed was done at Otterbourne, About the breaking of the day ; Earl Douglas was buried at the braken bush, t And the Percy led captive away. f The ballad is incorrect in this particular, for " three days after [the battle] the bodies of Douglas, and the other great commanders that fell, were carried to Melrose, and there, with military pomp, interred.'* Buchanan's History