Motherwell's Manuscript, p. 1,
from the recitation of Mrs. Thomspn, Kilbarchan, February 25, 1825;
Motherwell's Minstrelsy, p. 234.
| 1 |
Lady Marjory was her mother's only daughter,
Her father's only heir, O
And she is awa to Strawberry Castle,
To get some unco lair. O |
| 2 |
She had na been in Strawberry Castle
A twelve month and a day,
Till Lady Marjory she gaes wi child,
As big as she can gae. |
| 3 |
Word is to her father gone,
Before he got on his shoon,
That Lady Marjory she gaes wi child,
And it is to an Irish groom. |
| 4 |
But word is to her mother gane,
Before that she gat on her gown,
That Lady Marjorie she goes wi child,
To a lord of high renown. |
| 5 |
'O wha will put on the pot?' they said,
'Or wha will put on the pan?
Or wha will put on a bauld, bauld fire,
To burn Lady Marjorie in?' |
| 6 |
Her father he put on the pot,
Her sister put on the pan,
And her brother he put on a bauld, bauld fire,
To burn Lady Marjorie in;
And her mother she sat in a golden chair,
To see her daughter burn. |
| 7 |
'But where will I get a pretty little boy,
That will win hose and shoon,
That will go quickly to Strawberry Castle
And bid my lord come doun?' |
| 8 |
'O here am I a pretty boy,
That'll win hose and shoon,
That will rin quickly to Strawberry Castle,
And bid thy lord come doun.' |
| 9 |
O when he came to broken brigs,
He bent his bow and swam,
And when he came to good dry land,
He let down his foot and ran. |
| 10 |
When he came to Strawberry Castle,
He tirled at the pin;
None was so ready as the gay lord himsell
To open and let him in. |
| 11 |
'O is there any of my towers burnt?
Or any of my castles broken?
Or is Lady Marjorie brought to bed,
Of a daughter or a son?' |
| 12 |
'O there is nane of thy towers burnt,
Nor nane of thy castles broken,
But Lady Marjorie is condemned to die,
To be burnt in a fire of oaken.' |
| 13 |
'O gar saddle to me the black,' he said,
'Gar saddle to me the brown;
Gar saddle to me the swiftest steed
That eer carried a man from town.' |
| 14 |
He left the black into the slap,
The brown into the brae,
But fair fa that bonny apple-gray
That carried this gay lord away! |
| 15 |
He took a little horn out of his pocket,
And he blew 't both loud and shrill,
And the little life that was in her,
She hearkend to it full weel. |
| 16 |
'Beet on, beet on, my brother dear,
I value you not one straw,
For yonder comes my own true-love,
I hear his horn blaw. |
| 17 |
'Beet on, beet on, my father dear,
I value you not a pin,
For yonder comes my own true-love,
I hear his bridle ring.' |
| 18 |
But when he came into the place,
He lap unto the wa;
He thought to get a kiss o her bonny lips,
But her body fell in twa. |
| 19 |
'Oh vow, oh vow, oh vow,' he said,
'Oh vow but ye've been cruel!
Ye've taken the timber out of my own wood
And burnt my ain dear jewel. |
| 20 |
'Now for thy sake, Lady Marjorie,
I'll burn both father and mother;
And for thy sake, Lady Marjorie,
I'll burn both sister and brother. |
| 21 |
'And for thy sake, Lady Marjorie,
I'll burn both kith and kin;
But I will remember the pretty little boy
That did thy errand rin.' |
