| 1 |
Young Johnie's up to England gane
Three quarters of a year;
Young Johnie's up to England gane,
The king's banner for to bear. |
| 2 |
But he had not in England been
The one half of the time
Till the fairest laidy in all the court
Was going with child to him. |
| 3 |
Word unto the kitchen's gane,
And word's to the hall,
And word unto the court has gane,
Among the nobles all. |
| 4 |
And word unto the chamber's gane,
The place where the king sat,
That his only daughter is with child
To Johnie, the little Scott. |
| 5 |
'If this be true,' then sais the king,
'As I true well it be,
I'll put hir in a strong castle,
And hungre hir till she dee.' |
| 6 |
Hir breast-plate was made of iron,
In place of the beaten gold,
A belt of steel about hir waist,
And O but she was cold! |
| 7 |
'O where will I get a pritty little boy,
That will win hoes ahd shoon,
That will go doun to yonder lee
And tell young Johnie to come?' |
| 8 |
'Here am I, a pritty little boy,
That will win hoes ahd shoon,
And I'll go doun to yonder lee
And tell young Johnie to come.' |
| 9 |
She has wrote a brod letter,
And seald it tenderly,
And she has sent it to Johnie the Scott,
That lay on yonder lee. |
| 10 |
When Johnie first the letter got,
A blith, blith man was be;
But or he read the half of it
The salt teer blind Johnie's ee. |
| 11 |
'I will go to fair England,' says he,
'What ever may betide,
For to releave that gay laidy
Who last lay by my side.' |
| 12 |
Up then spoke his old mother,
A sorrifull woman was she;
'If you go to England, John,
I'll never see you mare.' |
| 13 |
Up then spoke Johnie's father,
His head was growing gray;
'If you go to England, John,
O fair you well for me!' |
| 14 |
Up then spoke Johnie's uncle,
Our Scottish king was he;
'Five hundred of my merry men
Shall bear you company.' |
| 15 |
When Johnie was mounted on his steed
He looked wondorous bold,
The hair that oer his shouldiers hang
Like threeds of yellow gold. |
| 16 |
'Now come along with me, my men,
O come along with me,
We'l blow thier castles in the air,
And set free my gay laidy.' |
| 17 |
The first gay town that they came to,
Made mass for to be sung;
The nixt gay town that they came to,
Made bells for to be rung.' |
| 18 |
But when they came to London town,
They made the drums beat round,
Who made the king and all his court
To wonder at the sound. |
| 19 |
'Is this the Duke of Mulberry,
Or James the Scottish king?
Or is it a young gentleman
To England new come home?' |
| 20 |
'It is not the Duke of Mulberry,
Nor James the Scottish [king];
But is a young gentleman,
MacNaughten is his name.' |
| 21 |
'If MacNaughten be your name,' says the king,
'As I true well it be,
Before the morn at eight o clock
Dead hanged you shall be.' |
| 22 |
Up bespoke one of Johnie's little boys,
And a well-spoke boy was he;
'Before we see our master hangd,
We'l all fight till we dee.' |
| 23 |
'Well spoke, well spoke, my little boy,
That is well spoke of thee;
But I have a champian in my bower
That will fight you three by three.' |
| 24 |
Up then spoke Johnie himself,
And he spoke manfully;
'If it please your Majesty,
May I this champian see?' |
| 25 |
The king and all his nobles then
Rode down unto the plain,
The queen and all [her] gay marries,
To see young Johnie slain. |
| 26 |
When the champian came out of the bower,
He looked at Johnie with disdain;
But upon the tope of Johnie's brodsword
This champian soon was slain. |
| 27 |
He fought on, and Johnie fought on,
With swords of tempered steel,
And ay the blood like dropes of rain
Came trinkling down thier hiel. |
| 28 |
The very nixt stroke that Johnie gave,
He brought him till his knee;
The nixt stroke that Johnie gave,
He clove his head in twa. |
| 29 |
He swapt his sword on every side,
And turned him on the plain:
'Have you any more of your English dogs
That wants for to be slain?' |
| 30 |
'A clerk, a clerk!' the king he crys,
'I'll seal her taucher free;'
'A priest, a priest!' the queen she crys,
'For weded they shall be.' |
| 31 |
'I'll have none of your [gold],' say[s] he,
'Nor any of your white money;
But I will have my ain true-love;
This day she has cost me dear.' |
