Glenriddell Manuscripts, XI, 78: 1791.
| 1 |
Johnny's into England gane,
Three quarters of a year;
Johnny's into England gane,
The king's banner to bear. |
| 2 |
He had na been in England lang,
But and a little while,
Untill the king's daughter
To Johnny gaes wi child. |
| 3 |
Word is to the kitchin gane,
And word is to the ha,
And word is to the king's palace,
Amang the nobles a'. |
| 4 |
Word's gane to the king's palace,
The palace where she sat,
That his ae daughter gaes wi child
To Jock, the Little Scot. |
| 5 |
'If she be wi child,' he says,
'As I trow well she be,
I'll put her into strang prison,
And hang her till she die.' |
| 6 |
But up and spak young Johnny,
And O he spake in time:
Is there never a bony boy here
Will rin my errand soon? |
| 7 |
That will gae to yon castle,
And look it round about?
And there he'll see a fair lady,
The window looking out. |
| 8 |
Up then spak a bony boy,
And a bony boy was he:
I'll run thy errand, Johnny, he said,
Untill the day I die. |
| 9 |
'Put on your gown o silk, madam,
And on your hand a glove,
And gang into the good green-wood,
To Johnny, your true-love.' |
| 10 |
'The fetters they are on my feet,
And O but they are cauld!
My bracelets they are sturdy steel,
Instead of beaten gold. |
| 11 |
'But I will write a lang letter,
And seal it tenderlie,
And I will send to my true-love,
Before that I do die.' |
| 12 |
The first look that Johnny lookd,
A loud laughter gae he;
But the next look that Johnny gae,
The tear blinded his ee. |
| 13 |
He says, I'll into England gae,
Whatever may betide,
And a' to seek a fair woman
That sud hae been my bride. |
| 14 |
But up and speaks his father,
And O he spak in time:
If that ye into England gae,
I'm feerd ye neer come hame. |
| 15 |
But up then speaks our gude Scotch king,
And a brisk young man was he:
He's hae five hunder o my life-guard,
To bear him companie. |
| 16 |
When Johnny was on saddle set,
And seemly for to see,
There was not a married man
Into his companie. |
| 17 |
When Johnny sat on saddle-seat,
And seemly to behold,
The hair that hang on Johnny's head
Was like the threads o gold. |
| 18 |
When he cam to . . .
He gard the bells a' ring,
Untill the king and a' his court
Did marvel at the thing. |
| 19 |
'Is this the brave Argyle,' he said,
'That's landed and come hame?
Is this the brave Argyle,' he said,
'Or James, our Scottish king?' |
| 20 |
'It's no the brave Argyle,' they said,
'That's landed and come hame;
But it is a brave young Scottish knight,
McNaughtan is his name.' |
| 21 |
'If McNaughtan be his name,' he says,
'As I trow weel it be,
The fairest lady in a' my court
Gangs wi child to thee.' |
| 22 |
'If that she be wi child,' he says,
'As I wat weel she be,
I'll mak it lord o a' my land,
And her my gay lady.' |
| 23 |
'I have a champion in my court
Will fight you a' by three;'
But up then speaks a brisk young man,
And a brisk young man was he:
I will fight to my life's end,
Before poor Johnny die. |
| 24 |
The king but and his nobles a'
Went out into the plain,
The queen but and her maidens a',
To see young Johnny slain. |
| 25 |
The first wound that Johnny gae the champion
Was a deep wound and sair;
The next wound that he gae the champion,
He never spak mair. |
| 26 |
'A priest, a priest,' young Johnny cries,
'To wed me and my love;'
'A clerk, a clerk,' the king he cried,
'To sign her tocher gude.' |
| 27 |
'I'll hae nane o your goud,' he says,
'I'll hae nane o your gear,
But a' I want is my true-love,
For I hae bought her dear.' |
| 28 |
He took out a little goat-horn,
And blew baith loud and shill;
The victry's into Scotland gane,
Tho sair against their will. |
