'Jamie Telfer in the Fair Dodhead,' C.K.
Sharpe's papers.
| 1 |
It fell about the Martinmas,
When steads were fed wi corn and hay,
The Captain of Bewcastle said to his lads,
We'll into Tiviotdale and seek a prey. |
| 2 |
The first ae guide that they met with
Was high up in Hardhaugh swire,
The second guide that they met with
Was laigh down in Borthick water. |
| 3 |
'What tidings, what tidings, my bonny guide?'
'Nae tidings, nae tidings I hae to thee;
But if ye'll gae to the Fair Dodhead
Mony a cow's calf I'll let ye see.' |
| 4 |
When they came to the Fair Dodhead,
Right hastily they clam the peel,
They loosd the uolt out, ane and a',
And ranshakled the house right weel. |
| 5 |
Now Jamie's heart it was right sair,
The tear ay rowing in his eye;
He pled wi the Captain to hae his gear,
Or else revenged he would be. |
| 6 |
Bat the Captain turnd himsel about,
Said, Man, there's naethiug in thy house
But an auld sword without a scabbard,
That scarcely now would fell a mouse. |
| 7 |
The moon was up and the sun was down,
'T was the gryming of a new-fa'n snaw;
Jamie Telfer has run eight miles barefoot
Between Dodhead and Branxholm Ha. |
| 8 |
And when he came to Branxholm Ha
He shouted loud and cry'd weel he,
Till up bespake then auld Buccleugh,
'Whae's this that brings the fray to me?' |
| 9 |
'It's I, Jamie Telfer i the Fair Dodhead,
And a harried man I think I be;
There's naething left i the Fair Dodhead
But only wife and children three.' |
| 10 |
'Gae seek your succour frae Martin Elliot,
For succour ye's get nane frae me;
Gae seek your succour where ye paid blackmail,
For, man, ye never paid money to me.' |
| 11 |
Jamie he's turnd him round about,
And ay the tear blinded his eye:
'I'se never pay mail to Scott again,
Nor the Fair Dodhead I'll ever see.' |
| 12 |
Now Jamie is up the water-gate,
Een as fast as he can drie,
Till he came to the Coultart Cleugh,
And there he shouted and cry'd weel he. |
| 13 |
Then up bespake him auld Jock Grieve,
'Whae's this that bring[s] the fray to me?'
'It's I, Jamie Telfer i the Fair Dodhead,
And a harried man I think I be. |
| 14 |
'There's naething left i the Fair Dodhead
But only wife and children three,
And sax poor calves stand i the sta,
A' routing loud for their minnie.' |
| 15 |
'Alack, wae's me!' co auld Jock Grieve,
'Alack, alack, and wae is me!
For ye was married t' the auld sister,
And I t' the younges[t] o the three.' |
| 16 |
Then he's taen out a bonny black,
It was weel fed wi corn and hay,
And set Jamie Telfer on his back,
To the Catlock hill to take the fray. |
| 17 |
When he came to the Catlock hill,
He shouted loud and cry'd weel he;
'Whae's that, whae's that?' co Martin's Hab,
'Whae's this that brings the fray to me?' |
| 18 |
'It's I, Jamie Telfer i the Fair Dodhead,
And a harried man I think I be;
There's neathing left i the Fair Dodhead
But only wife and children three.' |
| 19 |
'Alack, wae's me!' co Martin's Hab,
'Alack, awae, my heart is sair!
I never came bye the Fair Dodhead
That ever I faund thy basket bare.' |
| 20 |
Then he's taen out a bonny black,
It was weel fed wi corn and hay,
And set Jamie Telfer on his back
To the Pricken haugh to take the fray. |
| 21 |
When he came to the Pricken haugh,
He shouted loud and cry'd weel he;
Up then bespake auld Martin Elliot,
'Whae's this that brings the fray to me?' |
| 22 |
'It's I, Jamie Telfer i the Fair Dodhead,
And a harried man I think I be;
There's naething left i the Fair Dodhead
But only wife and children three.' |
| 23 |
'Ever alack!' can Martin say,
'And ay my heart is sair for thee!
But fy, gar ca on Simmy my son,
And see that he come hastily. |
| 24 |
'Fy, gar warn the water-side,
Gar warn it soon and hastily;
Them that winna ride for Teller's kye,
Let them never look i the face o me. |
| 25 |
'Gar warn the water, braid and wide,
And warn the Currers i the shaw;
When ye come in at the Hermitage slack,
Warn doughty Willie o Gorrenberry.' |
| 26 |
The gear was driven the Frostily up,
From the Frostily into the plain;
When Simmie looked him afore,
He saw the kye right fast driving. |
| 27 |
'Whae drives the kye,' then Simmy can say,
'To make an outspeckle o me?'
'It's I, the Captain o Bewcastle, Simmy,
I winna lain my name frae thee.' |
| 28 |
'O will ye let the gear gae back?
Or will ye do ony thing for me?'
'I winna let the gear gae back,
Nor naething, Simmy, I'll do for the[e]. |
| 29 |
'But I'll drive Jamie Telfer's kye
In spite o Jamie Telfer's teeth and thee;'
'Then by my sooth,' can Simmy say,
'I'll ware my dame's calfskin on thee. |
| 30 |
'Fa on them, lads!' can Simmy say,
'Fy, fa on them cruelly!
For or they win to the Ritter ford
Mony toom saddle there shall be.' |
| 31 |
But Simmy was striken oer the head,
And thro the napskape it is gane,
And Moscrop made a dolefull rage
When Simmy on the ground lay slain. |
| 32 |
'Fy, lay on them!' co Martin Elliot,
'Fy, lay on them cruelly!
For ere they win to the Kershop ford
Mony toom saddle there shall be.' |
| 33 |
John o Biggam he was slain,
And John o Barlow, as I heard say,
And fifteen o the Captain's men
Lay bleeding on the ground that day. |
| 34 |
The Captain was shot through the head,
And also through the left ba-stane;
Tho he had livd this hundred years,
He 'd neer been loed by woman again. |
| 35 |
The word is gane unto his bride,
Een in the bower where she lay,
That her good lord was in's enemy's land
Since into Tiviotdale he led the way. |
| 36 |
'I loord a had a winding sheed
And helpd to put it oer his head,
Or he 'd been taen in's enemy's lands,
Since he oer Liddle his men did lead.' |
| 37 |
There was a man in our company,
And his name was Willie Wudespurs:
'There is a house in the Stanegarside,
If any man will ride with us.' |
| 38 |
When they came to the Stanegarside,
They bangd wi trees and brake the door,
They loosd the kye out, ane and a',
And set them furth our lads before. |
| 39 |
There was an auld wif ayont the fire,
A wee bit o the Captain's kin:
' Whae loo[s]es out the Captain's kye,
And sae mony o the Captain's men wi[t]hin?' |
| 40 |
'I, Willie Wudespurs, let out the kye,
I winna lain my name frae thee,
And I'll loose out the Captain's kye
In spite o the Captain's teeth and thee.' |
| 41 |
Now on they came to the Fair Dodhead,
They were a welcome sight to see,
And instead of his ain ten milk-kye
Jamie Telfer's gotten thirty and three. |
