| 1 |
There lived a man in the North Countree
And he had doghters three;
The youngest o them's to Edinbourgh gaen,
Ane o the queen's Marys to be. |
| 2 |
Queen Mary's bread it was sae white,
And her wine it ran sae clear,
It shewed her the way to the butler's bed,
And I wait she's bought dear. |
| 3 |
For Mary's to the garden gaen,
To eat o the saven tree,
And a' 's to pit her young son back,
But back he wad na be. |
| 4 |
So Mary's to her chamber gaen,
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . . |
| 5 |
Queen Mary she came down the stair,
And a' her maids afore her:
'Oh, Mary Miles, where is the child
That I have heard greet sae sore O?' |
| 6 |
'There is no child with me, madam,
There is no child with me;
It was only a bit of a cholick I took,
And I thought I was gawen to dee.' |
| 7 |
So they looked up, and they looked down,
And they looked beneath the bed-foot,
And there they saw a bonnie boy,
Lying weltering in his blood. |
| 8 |
. . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . .
'Since that you have killed your own dear child,
The same death you shall dee.' |
| 9 |
When Mary came afore the court,
A loud laugh laughed she;
But when she came to the [gallows-]fit
The tear blinded her ee.
* * * * * * * |
| 10 |
'O wha will comb Queen Mary's heed?
Or wha will brade her hair?
And wha will lace her middle sae jimp
Whan [I] am nae langer there? |
| 11 |
'Yestreen the queen [had] four Maries,
The night she'll hae but three;
There was Mary Seaten, and Mary Beaten,
And Mary Carmichal, and me.
* * * * * * * |
| 12 |
'I'll not put on my robes of black,
Nor yet my robes of brown,
But I'll put on a shining braw garb,
That will shine thro Edinbourgh town.'
* * * * * * * |
| 13 |
Oh, whan she came to the Cannongate,
The Cannongate sae hee,
There mony a lord and belted knight
Was grieved for her beautee.
* * * * * * * |
| 14 |
And whan she came to [the] Hee Town,
The Hee Town sae hee,
* * * * * * * |
