Campbell Manuscripts, II, 70.
| 1 |
Lady Margery was her mother's ain daughter,
And her father's only heir,
And she's away to Strawberry Castle,
To learn some unco lair. |
| 2 |
She hadna been in Strawberry Castle
A year but only three,
Till she has proved as big with child,
As big as woman could be. |
| 3 |
Word has to her father gone,
As he pat on his shoon,
That Lady Margery goes wi child,
Unto some English loon. |
| 4 |
Word has to her mother gane,
As she pat on her gown,
That Lady Margery goes wi child,
Unto some English loon. |
| 5 |
The father he likes her ill,
The mother she likes her waur,
But her father he wished her in a fire strang,
To burn for ever mair.
* * * * * |
| 6 |
'Will ye hae this auld man, Lady Margery,
To be yeer warldly make?
Or will ye burn in fire strang,
For your true lover's sake?' |
| 7 |
'I wunna hae that old, old man
To be my worldly make,
But I will burn in fire strang,
For my true lover's sake.' |
| 8 |
'O who will put of the pot?
O who will put of the pan?
And who will build a bale-fire,
To burn her body in.' |
| 9 |
The brother took of the pot,
The sister took of the pan,
And her mother builded a bold bale-fire,
To burn her body in. |
| 10 |
'O where will I get a bony boy
That will run my errand soon?
That will run to Strawberry Castle,
And tell my love to come soon?' |
| 11 |
But then started up a little boy,
Near to that lady's kin:
'Often have I gane your errands, madam,
But now it is time to rin.' |
| 12 |
O when he came to Strawberry Castle,
He tirled at the pin;
There was nane sae ready as that lord himsell
To let the young body in. |
| 13 |
'O is my towers broken?
Or is my castle wone?
Or is my lady Margery lighter
Of a daughter or a son?' |
| 14 |
'Your towers are not broken,
Nor is your castle wone;
But the fairest lady of a' the land
For thee this day does burn.' |
| 15 |
'Go saddle for me the black, black horse,
Go saddle to me the brown;
Go saddle to me as swift a steed
As ever man rade on.' |
| 16 |
They saddled to him the black horse,
They saddled to him the brown;
They've saddled to him as swift a steed
As ever man rade on. |
| 17 |
He put his foot into the stirrup,
He bounded for to ride;
The silver buttons lap of his breast,
And his nose began to bleed. |
| 18 |
He bursted fifteen gude stout steeds,
And four o them were dappled gray,
And the little foot-page ran aye before,
Crying, Mend it, an ye may! |
| 19 |
When he came to the bale-fire,
He lighted wi a glent,
Wi black boots and clean spurs,
And through the fire he went. |
| 20 |
He laid ae arm about her neck,
And the other beneath her chin;
He thought to get a kiss o her,
But her middle it gade in twain. |
| 21 |
'But who has been so false,' he said,
'And who has been sae cruel,
To carry the timber from my ain wood
To burn my dearest jewel? |
| 22 |
'But I'll burn for ye, Lady Margery,
Yeer father and yeer mother;
And I'll burn for ye, Lady Margery,
Yeer sister and yeer brother. |
| 23 |
'I'll do for ye, Lady Margery,
What never was done for nane;
I'll make many lady lemanless,
And many a clothing thin. |
| 24 |
'And I'll burn for yeer sake, Lady Margery,
The town that yeer burnt in,
And [make] many a baby fatherless,
That's naething o the blame.' |
