Transcriber's Notes
Archaic, dialect and inconsistent spellings have been retained as in the original.Typographical errors such as wrongly placed line numbers, punctuation or inconsistent formatting have been corrected without comment. Where changes have been made to the wording these are listed at the end of the book.
Notes with reference to ballad line numbers are presented at the end of each ballad and the presence of a note is indicated by links in the text.
ENGLISH AND SCOTTISH
BALLADS.
EDITED BY
FRANCIS JAMES CHILD.
VOLUME VI.
BOSTON:
LITTLE, BROWN AND COMPANY.
M.DCCC.LX.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1858, by Little, Brown and Company, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts.
RIVERSIDE, CAMBRIDGE:
STEREOTYPED AND PRINTED BY
H. O. HOUGHTON AND COMPANY.
CONTENTS OF VOLUME SIXTH.
BOOK VI.
THE LOCHMABEN HARPER.
This fine old ballad was first printed in the Musical Museum (O heard ye e'er of a silly blind Harper, p. 598). Scott inserted a different copy, equally good, in the Border Minstrelsy, i. 422, and there is another, of very ordinary merits, in Scottish Traditional Versions of Ancient Ballads (The Jolly Harper), p. 37. In this the theft is done on a wager, and the booty duly restored. On account of the excellence of the ballad, we give two versions, though they differ but slightly.
Liv'd long in Lochmaben town,
How he did gang to fair England,
To steal King Henry's Wanton Brown?
Wi' a' the speed that he coud thole:
"This wark," quo' he, "will never work,
Without a mare that has a foal."
That'll rin o'er hills baith low and hie;10
Gae tak' the grey mare in thy hand,
And leave the foal at hame wi' me.
And o' thy purpose dinna fail;
But wap it o'er the Wanton's nose;15
And tie her to the grey mare's tail:
O'er moss and muir and ilka dale,
For she'll ne'er let the Wanton bite,
Till she come hame to her ain foal."20
Even as fast as he can hie,
Till he came to King Henry's yeate;
And wha' was there but King Henry?
And of thy harping let me hear;"
"O, by my sooth," quo' the silly blind Harper,
"I'd rather hae stabling for my mare."
And says unto his stable groom,30
"Gae tak the silly poor Harper's mare,
And tie her 'side my wanton brown."
Till a' the lords gaed through the floor;
They thought the music was sae sweet,35
That they forgat the stable door.
Till a' the nobles were sound asleep,
Than quietly he took aff his shoon,
And saftly down the stair did creep.40
Wi' tread as light as light coud be,
And whan he open'd and gaed in,
There he fand thirty good steeds and three.
And of his purpose did na' fail;
He slipt it o'er the Wanton's nose,
And tied it to his grey mare's tail.
O'er moss and muir and ilka dale,50
And she loot ne'er the Wanton bite,
But held her still gaun at her tail.
And did na fail to find the way,
For she was at Lochmaben yeate,55
Fu' lang three hours ere it was day.
There she gae mony a nicher and snear;
"Rise," quo' the wife, "thou lazy lass,
Let in thy master and his mare."60
And lookit out through the lock hole;
"O, by my sooth," then quoth the lass,
"Our mare has gotten a braw big foal."
The moon's but glancing in thy ee,
I'll wad my haill fee 'gainst a groat,
It's bigger than e'er our foal will be."
Cried to the wife to put her in;70
"By my sooth," then quoth the wife,
"She's better than ever he rade on."
When they had ended a' their chear,
King Henry's Wanton Brown was stawn,75
And eke the poor old Harper's mare.
"Alace! alace! that I came here,
In Scotland I've tint a braw cowte foal,
In England they've stawn my guid grey mare."
And of thy alacing let me be,
For thou shall get a better mare,
And weel paid shall thy cowte foal be."
LOCHMABEN HARPER.
Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, i. 422.
How long he lived in Lochmaben town?
And how he wad gang to fair England,
To steal the Lord Warden's Wanton Brown?
Wi' a the haste that he could thole—
"This wark," quo' he, "will ne'er gae weel,
Without a mare that has a foal."
That can baith lance o'er laigh and hie;10
Sae set thee on the gray mare's back,
And leave the foal at hame wi' me."
And even as fast as he may drie;
And when he cam to Carlisle gate,15
O whae was there but the Warden hie?
And of thy harping let me hear!"
"O, by my sooth," quo' the silly blind Harper,
"I wad rather hae stabling for my mare."20
And said unto his stable groom—
"Gae take the silly blind Harper's mare,
And tie her beside my Wanton Brown."
Till a' the lordlings footed the floor;
But an the music was sae sweet,
The groom had nae mind o' the stable door.
Till a' the nobles were fast asleep;30
Then quickly he took aff his shoon,
And saftly down the stair did creep.
Wi' tread as light as light could be;
And when he open'd and gaed in,35
There he fand thirty steeds and three.
And o' his purpose he didna fail;
He slipt it ower the Wanton's nose,
And tied it to his gray mare's tail.40
Ower muir and moss and ilka dale;
And she ne'er let the Wanton bait,
But kept him a-galloping hame to her foal.
She didna fail to find the way;
For she was at Lochmaben gate
A lang three hours before the day.
There she gave mony a nicker and sneer—50
"Rise up," quo' the wife, "thou lazy lass;
Let in thy master and his mare."
And keekit through at the lock-hole—
"O, by my sooth," then cried the lass,55
"Our mare has gotten a braw brown foal!"
The morn's but glancing in your ee;
I'll wad my hail fee against a groat,
He's bigger than e'er our foal will be."60
The Harper harped to hie and law,
And the fiend dought they do but listen him to,
Until that the day began to daw.
When they had ended a' their cheer,
Behold the Wanton Brown was gane,
And eke the poor blind Harper's mare!
"And ever allace that I cam here;70
In Scotland I hae lost a braw cowt foal,
In England they've stown my gude gray mare!"
And again of thy harping let us hear;
And weel payd sall thy cowt-foal be,75
And thou sall have a far better mare."
Sae sweet were the harpings he let them hear!
He was paid for the foal he had never lost,79
And three times ower for the gude Gray Mare.
JOHNIE OF BREADISLEE.
AN ANCIENT NITHSDALE BALLAD.
Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, iii. 114.
"The hero of this ballad appears to have been an outlaw and deer-stealer—probably one of the broken men residing upon the Border. There are several different copies, in one of which the principal personage is called Johnie of Cockielaw. The stanzas of greatest merit have been selected from each copy. It is sometimes said, that this outlaw possessed the old Castle of Morton, in Dumfries-shire, now ruinous: "Near to this castle there was a park, built by Sir Thomas Randolph, on the face of a very great and high hill; so artificially, that, by the advantage of the hill, all wild beasts, such as deers, harts, and roes, and hares, did easily leap in, but could not get out again; and if any other cattle, such as cows, sheep, or goats, did voluntarily leap in, or were forced to do it, it is doubted if their owners were permitted to get them out again." Account of Presbytery of Penpont, apud Macfarlane's MSS. Such a park would form a convenient domain to an outlaw's castle, and the mention of Durisdeer, a neighboring parish, adds weight to this tradition."
Johnie of Breadislee was first printed in the Border Minstrelsy. Fragments of two other versions, in which the hero's name is Johny Cock, were given in Fry's Pieces of Ancient Poetry, Bristol, 1814, p. 55, and the editor did not fail to notice that he had probably lighted on the ballad of Johny Cox, which Ritson says the Rev. Mr. Boyd faintly recollected, (Scottish Song, I. p. xxxvi.) Motherwell, not aware of what Fry had done, printed a few stanzas belonging to the first of these versions, under the title of Johnie of Braidisbank (Minstrelsy, Ancient and Modern, p. 23), and Kinloch recovered a nearly complete story. Another copy of this last has been published from Buchan's manuscripts in Scottish Traditional Versions of Ancient Ballads (Percy Society, vol. xvii. p. 77). Chambers, in his Scottish Ballads, p. 181, has compounded Scott's, Kinloch's, and Motherwell's copies, interspersing a few additional stanzas of no value. Scott's and Kinloch's versions are given in this place, and Fry's fragments (which contain several beautiful stanzas)
Call'd for water to wash his hands—
"Gar loose to me the gude graie dogs,
That are bound wi' iron bands."
Her hands for dule she wrang—
"O Johnie! for my benison,
To the greenwood dinna gang!
And eneugh o' the blood-red wine;10
And, therefore, for nae venison, Johnie,
I pray ye, stir frae hame."
His arrows, ane by ane,
And he has gane to Durrisdeer,15
To hunt the dun deer down.
And in by the benty line,
There has he espied a deer lying
Aneath a bush of ling.20
And he wounded her on the side;
But atween the water and the brae,
His hounds they laid her pride.
That he's had out her liver and lungs;
And wi' these he has feasted his bluidy hounds,
As if they had been earl's sons.
And drank sae much o' the blude,30
That Johnie and a' his bluidy hounds
Fell asleep as they had been dead.
An ill death mote he die!
For he's awa' to Hislinton,35
Where the Seven Foresters did lie.
What news bring ye to me?"
"I bring nae news," said the gray-headed carle,
"Save what these eyes did see.40
And down among the scroggs,
The bonniest childe that ever I saw
Lay sleeping amang his dogs.
Was o' the Holland fine;
The doublet which was over that
Was o' the Lincome twine.
Were o' the goud sae gude:50
The gude graie hounds he lay amang,
Their mouths were dyed wi' blude."
The heid man ower them a'—
"If this be Johnie o' Breadislee,55
Nae nearer will we draw."
(His sister's son was he,)
"If this be Johnie o' Breadislee,
We soon shall gar him die!"60
They wounded him on the knee;
And out and spak the Seventh Forester,
"The next will gar him die."
His fute against a stane;
And he has slain the Seven Foresters,
He has slain them a' but ane.
But and his collar bane;70
He's laid him twa-fald ower his steed,
Bade him carry the tidings hame.
Can sing as I can say,
Could flee away to my mother's bower,75
And tell to fetch Johnie away?"
It whistled and it sang;
And aye the ower word o' the tune
Was—"Johnie tarries lang!"80
Another o' the slae-thorn tree,
And mony mony were the men
At fetching o'er Johnie.
And fast her tears did fa'—
"Ye wad nae be warn'd, my son Johnie,
Frae the hunting to bide awa'.
The less gear and the mair,90
But I ne'er brought to Breadislee
What grieved my heart sae sair.
An ill death shall he die!
For the highest tree in Merriemas95
Shall be his morning's fee."
And his gude graie dogs are slain;
And his bodie lies dead in Durrisdeer,
And his hunting it is done.100
JOHNIE OF COCKLESMUIR.
From Kinloch's Ancient Scottish Ballads, p. 38. This version was procured in the
Call'd for water to wash his hands;
And he has call'd for his gude gray hunds,
That lay bund in iron bands, bands,
That lay bund in iron bands.
Ye'll busk and mak them boun,
For I'm going to the Broadspear-hill,
To ding the dun deer doun, doun, &c.
She til her son has gane—10
"Ye'll win your mither's benison,
Gin ye wad stay at hame.
And your drink o' the finest wine;
And ye will win your mither's benison,15
Gin ye wad stay at hame."
Nor wad he stay at hame;
But he's on to the Broadspear-hill,
To ding the dun deer doun.20
And a little below the sun;
And there he spied the dun deer sleeping,
Aneath a buss o' brume.
And he's woundit him in the side;
And atween the water and the wud
He laid the dun deer's pride.
And drank sae meikle o' the blude,30
That Johnie and his twa gray hunds,
Fell asleep in yonder wud.
And a silly auld man was he;
And he's aff to the proud foresters,35
To tell what he did see.
What news? come tell to me;"
"Na news, na news," said the silly auld man,
"But what my een did see.40
And doun amang the scrogs,
The bonniest youth that e'er I saw,
Lay sleeping atween twa dogs.
Was o' the Holland sma';
And the coat that he had on his back,
Was laced wi' gowd fu' braw."
The first forester of a'—50
"And this be Johnie o' Cocklesmuir,
It's time we were awa."
The niest forester of a'—
"And this be Johnie Cocklesmuir,55
To him we winna draw."
They woundit him on the thie;
Up bespak the uncle's son,—
"The niest will gar him die."60
Stand stout and dinna flee;
Stand fast, stand fast, my gude gray hunds,
And we will mak them die."
And wounded the seventh sair;
He laid his leg out owre his steed,
Says, "I will kill na mair."
THE SANG OF THE OUTLAW MURRAY.
Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, i. 369.
"This ballad appears to have been composed about the reign of James V. It commemorates a transaction supposed to have taken place betwixt a Scottish monarch and an ancestor of the ancient family of Murray of Philiphaugh, in Selkirkshire. The Editor is unable to ascertain the historical foundation of the tale; nor is it probable that any light can be thrown upon the subject, without an accurate examination of the family charter-chest....
"The merit of this beautiful old tale, it is thought, will be fully acknowledged. It has been, for ages, a popular song in Selkirkshire. The scene is by the common people supposed to have been the Castle of Newark upon Yarrow. This is highly improbable, because Newark was always a royal fortress. Indeed, the late excellent antiquarian, Mr. Plummer, Sheriff-depute of Selkirkshire, has assured the Editor that he remembered the insignia of the unicorns, &c., so often mentioned in the ballad, in existence upon the old Tower of Hangingshaw, the seat of the Philiphaugh family; although, upon first perusing a copy of the ballad, he was inclined to subscribe to the popular opinion. The Tower of Hangingshaw has been demolished for many years. It stood in a romantic and solitary situation, on the classical banks of the Yarrow. When the mountains around Hangingshaw were covered with the wild copse which constituted a Scottish forest, a more secure stronghold for an outlawed baron can scarcely be imagined.
"The tradition of Ettrick Forest bears, that the outlaw was a man of prodigious strength, possessing a baton or club, with which he laid lee (i. e. waste) the country for many miles round; and that he was at length slain by Buccleuch, or some of his clan, at a little mount, covered with fir-trees, adjoining to Newark Castle, and said to have been a part of the garden. A varying tradition bears the place of his death to have been near to the house of the Duke of Buccleuch's gamekeeper, beneath the castle; and that the fatal arrow was shot by Scott of Haining, from the ruins of a cottage on the opposite side of Yarrow. There were extant, within these twenty years, some verses of a song on his death. The feud betwixt the Outlaw and the Scots, may
"In publishing the following ballad, the copy principally resorted to is one apparently of considerable antiquity, which was found among the papers of the late Mrs. Cockburn of Edinburgh, a lady whose memory will be long honoured by all who knew her. Another copy, much more imperfect, is to be found in Glenriddel's MSS. The names are in this last miserably mangled, as is always the case when ballads are taken down from the recitation of persons living at a distance from the scenes in which they are laid. Mr. Plummer also gave the editor a few additional verses, not contained in either copy, which are thrown into what seemed their proper place. There is yet another copy in Mr. Herd's MSS., which has been occasionally made use of. Two verses are restored in the present edition, from the recitation of Mr. Mungo Park, whose toils during his patient and intrepid travels in Africa have not eradicated from his recollection the legendary lore of his native country."—S.
Since the above was printed, Mr. Aytoun has published still another copy of this piece, (Ballads of Scotland, ii. 129,) from a manuscript in the Philiphaugh charter-chest. I cannot assent to the praise bestowed by Scott on The Outlaw Murray. The story lacks point, and the style is affected—not that of the unconscious poet of the real traditional ballad.