Skene Manuscripts, p. 70. North of Scotland, 1802-3.
| 1 |
Young Beachen was born in fair London,
And foreign lands he langed to see;
He was taen by the savage Moor,
An the used him most cruellie. |
| 2 |
Through his showlder they pat a bore,
And through the bore the pat a tree;
They made him trail their ousen carts,
And they used him most cruellie. |
| 3 |
The savage Moor had ae daughter,
I wat her name was Susan Pay;
And she is to the prison house,
To hear the prisoner's moan. |
| 4 |
He made na his moan to a stocke,
He made na it to a stone,
Bit it was to the Queen of Heaven
That he made his moan. |
| 5 |
'Gin a lady wad borrow me,
I at her foot wad run;
An a widdow wad borrow me,
I wad become her son. |
| 6 |
'But an a maid wad borrow me,
I wad wed her wi a ring;
I wad make her lady of haas and bowers,
An of the high towers of Line.' |
| 7 |
'Sing oer yer sang, Young Beachen,' she says,
'Sing oer yer sang to me;'
'I never sang that sang, lady,
But I wad sing to thee. |
| 8 |
'Gin a lady wad borrow me,
I at her foot wad run;
An a widdow wad borrow me,
I wad become her son. |
| 9 |
'But an a maid wad borrow me,
I wad wed her wi a ring;
I wad make her lady of haas and bowers,
An of the high towers of Line.' |
| 10 |
Saftly, [saftly] gaed she but,
An saftlly gaed she ben,
It was na for want of hose nor shoon,
Nor time to pet them on. |
| 11 |
. . . . .
. . . . .
An she has staen the keys of the prison,
An latten Young Beachen gang. |
| 12 |
She gae him a leaf of her white bread,
An a bottle of her wine,
She bad him mind on the lady's love
That freed him out of pine. |
| 13 |
She gae him a steed was guid in need,
A saddle of the bane,
Five hundred pown in his pocket,
Bad him gae speeding hame. |
| 14 |
An a leash of guid grayhounds,
. . . . .
. . . . .
. . . . . |
| 15 |
Whan seven lang years were come and gane,
Shusie Pay thought lang,
An she is on to fair London,
As fast as she could gang. |
| 16 |
Whan she cam to Young Beachen's gate,
. . . . .
'Is Young Beachan at hame,
Or is he in this countrie?' |
| 17 |
'He is at hame, is hear,' they said,
. . . . .
An sighan says her Susie Pay,
Has he quite forgotten me? |
| 18 |
On every finger she had a ring,
On the middle finger three;
She gae the porter ane of them:
'Get a word o your lord to me.' |
| 19 |
He gaed up the stair,
Fell low down on his knee:
'Win up, my proud porter,
What is your will wi me?' |
| 20 |
'I hae been porter at yer gate
This thirty year and three;
The fairst lady is at yer gate
Mine eyes did ever see.' |
| 21 |
Out spak the bride's mither,
An a haghty woman was she:
'If ye had na eccepted the bonny bride,
Ye might well ha eccepted me.' |
| 22 |
'No disparagement to you, madam,
Nor none unto her Grace;
The sole of yonr lady's foot
Is fairer than her face.' |
| 23 |
He's gaen the table wi his foot,
And couped it wi his knee:
'I wad my head and a' my land
'Tis Susie Pay, come oer the sea.' |
| 24 |
The stair was thirty steps,
I wat he made them three;
He took her in his arms twa:
'Susie Pay, ye'r welcome to me.' |
| 25 |
'Gie me a shive of your white bread,
An a bottle of your wine;
Dinna ye mind on the lady's love
That freed ye out of pine?' |
| 26 |
He took her . . . .
Down to yon garden green,
An changed her name fra Susie Pay,
An called her bonny Lady Jean. |
| 27 |
'Yer daughter came here on high horse-back,
She sal gae hame in coaches three,
An I sall double her tocher our,
She's nane the war o me.' |
| 28 |
'It's na the fashion o our countrie,
Nor yet o yer nane,
To wed a maid in the morning,
An send her hame at een.' |
| 29 |
'It's na the fashion o my countrie,
Nor is it of my nane,
But I man mind on the lady's love
That freed me out of pine.' |
