Dr. Joseph Robertson's Journal of Excursions, No 7.
Taken down from a man in the parish of Leochel, Aberdeenshire, February 12, 1829.
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'SOME ca'ss me James, some ca'as me John,
I carena what they ca me,
But when I [am] at hame in my ain country,
It's Lispcock that they ca me.' |
| 2 |
The lassie being well beuk-learned,
She spelled it ower again;
Says, Lispcock in a Latin beuk
Spells Erl Richard in plain. |
| 3 |
. . . . .
. . . . .
The lassie kilted up her green claithing,
And fast, fast followed on. |
| 4 |
Till they cam till a wide water,
. . . . .
He's turned his hie horse head about,
Says, Lassie will ye ride? |
| 5 |
'I learned it in my mother's bower,
I wish I'd learned it better,
Whanever I cam to any wide water,
To soum like ony otter.' |
| 6 |
The laird he chused the ford to ride,
The ladie the pot to swim,
And or the laird was half water,
The ladie was on dry lan. |
| 7 |
O he rade on to yon hie castell,
He rade it richt and roun about;
The laird gaed in at ae back-door,
But the ladie beet to knock. |
| 8 |
Out it cam the proud porter,
Wi his hat into his han,
. . . . .
. . . . . |
| 9 |
She's pitten her hand in her pocket,
Pulld out guineas three,
And that she's given to the proud porter,
To cause her to get entrance there. |
| 10 |
The proud porter ran up the stair,
O fifteen steps he made but three:
'The prettiest lady stands at yer yetts
That ever my een did see.' |
| 11 |
. . . . .
. . . . .
'Goe doun, goe doun, you proud porter,
Cause her to cum up to me.' |
| 12 |
When she gaed in before the queen,
She fell low down on her knee:
'There is a man into your courts
This day has robbed me.' |
| 13 |
'Has he robbed you o your fine clothing,
Or o your white monie?
Or taen frae you your maidenhead,
The flower o your bodie?' |
| 14 |
'He hasna robbed me o my fine clothing,
Nor o my white monie,
But he's taen frae me my maidenhead,
The flower o my bodie.' |
| 15 |
'O gin he be a married man,
High hanged sall he be;
And gin he be a batchelere,
Well wedded shall ye be.' |
| 16 |
O she has called in her merry young men,
By thirties and by threes;
Earl Richard should hae been the foremost man,
But the hindmost man was he. |
| 17 |
He cam limpin on a staff,
And blinkin on an ee,
And sichand says that gay ladie,
That samen man is he.
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