Kinloch's Ancient Scottish Ballads, p. 252; a North
Country version.
| 1 |
'Whan I was a babe, and a very little babe,
And stood at my mither's knee,
Nae witch nor warlock did unfauld
The death I was to dree. |
| 2 |
'But my mither was a proud woman,
A proud woman and a bauld;
And she hired me to Queen Mary's bouer,
When scarce eleven years auld. |
| 3 |
'O happy, happy is the maid,
That's born of beauty free!
It was my dimpling rosy cheeks
That's been the dule o me;
And wae be to that weirdless wicht,
And a' his witcherie!' |
| 4 |
Word's gane up and word's gane doun,
An word's gane to the ha,
That Mary Hamilton was wi bairn,
An na body kend to wha. |
| 5 |
But in and cam the queen hersel,
Wi gowd plait on her hair:
Says, Mary Hamilton, whare is the babe
That I heard greet sae sair? |
| 6 |
'There is na babe within my bouer,
And I hope there neer will be;
But it's me wi a sair and sick colic,
And I'm just like to dee.' |
| 7 |
But they looked up, they looked down,
Atween the bowsters and the wa,
It's there they got a bonnie lad-bairn,
But its life it was awa. |
| 8 |
'Rise up, rise up, Mary Hamilton,
Rise up, and dress ye fine,
For you maun gang to Edinbruch,
And stand afore the nine. |
| 9 |
'Ye'll no put on the dowie black,
Nor yet the dowie brown;
But ye'll put on the robes o red,
To sheen thro Edinbruch town.' |
| 10 |
'I'll no put on the dowie black,
Nor yet the dowie brown;
But I'll put on the robes o red,
To sheen thro Edinbruch town.' |
| 11 |
As they gaed thro Edinbruch town,
And down by the Nether-bow,
There war monie a lady fair
Siching and crying, Och how! |
| 12 |
'O weep nae mair for me, ladies,
Weep nae mair for me!
Yestreen I killed my ain bairn,
The day I deserve to dee. |
| 13 |
'What need ye hech and how, ladies?
What need ye how for me?
Ye never saw grace at a graceless face,
Queen Mary has nane to gie.' |
| 14 |
'Gae forward, gae forward,' the queen she said,
'Gae forward, that ye may see;
For the very same words that ye hae said
Sall hang ye on the gallows-tree.' |
| 15 |
As she gaed up the Tolbooth stairs,
She gied loud lauchters three;
But or ever she cam down again,
She was condemnd to dee. |
| 16 |
'O tak example frae me, Maries,
O tak example frae me,
Nor gie your luve to courtly lords,
Nor heed their witchin' ee. |
| 17 |
'But wae be to the Queen hersel,
She micht hae pardond me;
But sair she's striven for me to hang
Upon the gallows-tree. |
| 18 |
'Yestreen the Queen had four Maries,
The nicht she'll hae but three;
There was Mary Beatoun, Mary Seaton,
And Mary Carmichael, and me. |
| 19 |
'Aft hae I set pearls in her hair,
Aft hae I lac'd her gown,
And this is the reward I now get,
To be hangd in Edinbruch town! |
| 20 |
'O a' ye mariners, far and near,
That sail ayont the faem,
O dinna let my father and mither ken
But what I am coming hame! |
| 21 |
'O a' ye mariners, far and near,
That sail ayont the sea,
Let na my father and mither ken
The death I am to dee! |
| 22 |
'Sae, weep na mair for me. ladies,
Weep na mair for me;
The mither that kills her ain bairn
Deserves weel for to dee.' |
