Herd's Ancient and Modern Scots Songs, p. 244; ed. 1776, I, 83.
| 1 |
As Bothwell was walking in the lowlands alane,
Hey down and a down
He met six ladies sae gallant and fine.
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| 2 |
He cast his lot among them a',
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And on the youngest his lot did fa.
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| 3 |
He's brought her frae her mother's bower,
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Unto his strongest castle and tower.
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| 4 |
But ay she cried and made great moan,
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And ay the tear came trickling down.
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| 5 |
'Come up, come up,' said the foremost man,
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'I think our bride comes slowly on.'
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| 6 |
'O lady, sits your saddle awry,
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Or is your steed for you owre high?'
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| 7 |
'My saddle is not set awry,
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Nor carries me my steed owre high;
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| 8 |
'But I am weary of my life,
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Since I maun be Lord Bothwell's wife.'
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| 9 |
He's blawn his horn sae sharp and shrill,
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Up start the deer on evry hill.
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| 10 |
He's blawn his horn sae lang and loud,
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Up start the deer in gude green-wood.
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| 11 |
His lady mother lookit owre the castle wa,
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And she saw them riding ane and a'.
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| 12 |
She's calld upon her maids by seven,
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To mak his bed baith saft and even.
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| 13 |
She's calld upon her cooks by nine,
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To make their dinner fair and fine.
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| 14 |
When day was gane, and night was come,
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'What ails my love on me to frown?
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| 15 |
'Or does the wind blow in your glove?
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Or runs your mind on another love?'
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| 16 |
'Nor blows the wind within my glove,
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Nor runs my mind on another love;
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| 17 |
'But I nor maid nor maiden am,
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For I'm wi bairn to another man.'
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| 18 |
'I thought I'd a maiden sae meek and sae mild,
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But I've nought but a woman wi child.'
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| 19 |
His mother's taen her up to a tower,
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And lockit her in her secret bower.
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| 20 |
'Now, doughter mine, come tell to me,
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Wha's bairn this is that you are wi.'
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| 21 |
'O mother dear, I canna learn
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Wha is the faither of my bairn.
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| 22 |
'But as I walkd in the lowlands my lane,
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I met a gentleman gallant and fine.
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| 23 |
'He keepit me there sae late and sae lang,
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Frae the evning late till the morning dawn.
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| 24 |
'And a' that he gied me to my propine
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Was a pair of green gloves and a gay gold ring;
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| 25 |
'Three lauchters of his yellow hair,
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In case that we shoud meet nae mair.'
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| 26 |
His lady mother went down the stair:
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. . .
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| 27 |
'Now son, now son, come tell to me,
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Where's the green gloves I gave to thee?'
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| 28 |
'I gied to a lady sae fair and so fine
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The green gloves and a gay gold ring.
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| 29 |
'But I wad gie my castles and towers,
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I had that lady within my bowers.
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| 30 |
'But I wad gie my very life,
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I had that lady to be my wife.'
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| 31 |
'Now keep, now keep your castles and towers,
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You have that lady within your bowers.
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| 32 |
'Now keep, now keep your very life,
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You have that lady to be your wife.'
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| 33 |
'O row my lady in sattin and silk,
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And wash my son in the morning milk.'
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