Motherwell Manuscript, p. 205:
1 |
O Johnnie Scot walks up and down
Among the woods sae wild;
Who but the Earl of Percy's ae daughter
To him goes big with child! |
2 |
O word is to the kitchen gone,
And word's gone to the hall,
And word is to King Henry gane,
And amongst his nobles all. |
3 |
O Johnnie's called his waiting-man,
His name was Germanie:
'O thou must to fair England go,
Bring me that fair ladie.' |
4 |
He rode till he came to Earl Percy's gate,
He tirled at the pin;
'O who is there?' said the proud porter,
'But I daurna let thee in.' |
5 |
So he rade up, and he rode down,
Till he rode it round about;
Then he saw her at a wee window,
Where she was looking out. |
6 |
'O thou must go to Johnnie Scot,
Unto the woods so green,
In token of thy silken shirt,
Thine own hand sewed the seam.' |
7 |
'How can I go to Johnnie Scot?
Or how can I get out?
My breast plate's o the hard, hard iron,
With fetters round about. |
8 |
'But I will write a lang letter,
And give it unto thee,
And thou must take that to Johnnie Scot,
See what answer he sends to me.' |
9 |
When Johnnie looked the letter upon
A sorry man was he;
He had not read one line but two
Till the saut tear did blind his ee. |
10 |
'O I must to fair England go,
Whatever me betide,
All for to fight for that gay ladie
That last lay by my side.' |
11 |
O out and spoke his father then,
And he spoke well in time:
O if you to fair England go,
I doubt your coming home. |
12 |
'O no, O no,' said good King James,
'Before such a thing shall be,
I'll send five hundred of my life-guards,
To bear Johnnie company.' |
13 |
When they were all on saddle set,
Most pleasant to behold,
The hair that hung over Johnnie's neck
Was like the links of gold. |
14 |
When they were all marching away,
Most beautiful to see,
There was not so much as a married man
In Johnnie's company. |
15 |
O Johnnie was the foremost man
In the company that did ride;
King James he was the second man,
Wi his rapier by his side. |
16 |
They rode till they came to Earl Percy's yate,
They tirled at the pin:
'O who is there?' said the proud porter;
'But I daurnot let thee in. |
17 |
'Is it the Duke of York,' he said,
'Or James, our Scotish king?
Or is it one of the Scotish lords,
From hunting new come home?' |
18 |
'It's not the Duke of York,' he said,
'Nor James, our Scotish king;
But it is one of the Scotish lords,
Earl Hector is my name.' |
19 |
When Johnnie came before the king,
He fell low down on his knee:
'O the brawest lady in a' my court
With child goes big to thee.' |
20 |
'O if she be with child,' Johnnie said,
'As I trew well she be,
I will make it heir of all my land,
And her my gay ladie.' |
21 |
'But if she be with child,' said the king,
'As I trew well she be,
Before the morn at ten o clock
High hanged thou shalt be.' |
22 |
'O no, O no,' said good King James,
'Before such a thing shall be,
Before that Johnnie Scot be hanged,
We'll a' fight till we die.' |
23 |
'But there is a Talliant in my court,
Of men he will fight five;
Go bring them out to the green wood,
See wha will gain the prize.' |
24 |
Lords and ladies flocked all,
They flocked all amain,
They flocked all to the green wood,
To see poor Johnnie slain. |
25 |
This Talliant he could find no way
To be poor Johnnie's dead,
But, like unto a swallow swift,
He jumped oer Johnnie's head. |
26 |
But Johnnie was a clever man,
Cunning and crafty withal,
And up on the top of his braid sword
He made this Talliant fall. |
27 |
'A priest, a priest,' then Johnnie cried,
'To marry my love and me;'
'A clerk, a clerk,' her father cried,
'To sum the tocher free.' |
28 |
'I'll take none of your gold,' Johnnie said,
'Nor none of your other gear,
But I'll just have my own true-love,
This day I've won her dear.' |