Motherwell's Manuscript, p. 543, from the recitation of May
Richmond, at the Old Kirk of London.
| 1 |
It was in and about the Martinmas time,
When the wind blew schill and cauld,
That Adam o Gordon said to his men,
Whare will we get a hauld? |
| 2 |
'Do ye not see yon bonnie castell,
That stands on Loudon lee?
The lord and I hae a deadlie feed,
And his lady fain wuld I see.' |
| 3 |
Lady Campbell was standing in the close,
A preenin o her goun,
Whan Adam o Gordon and his men
Cam riding thro Galston toun. |
| 4 |
The dinner was na weel set doun,
Nor yet the grace weel said,
Till Adam o Gordon and a' his men
Around the wa's war laid. |
| 5 |
'Come doun, come down, Ladie Campbell,' he said,
'Come doun and speak to me;
I'll kep thee in a feather bed,
And thy warraner I will be.' |
| 6 |
'I winna come doun and speak to thee,
Nor to ony lord nor loun;
Nor yet to thee, thou bloody butcher,
The laird o Auchruglen toun.' |
| 7 |
'Come doun, come doun, Ladye Campbell,' he said,
'Cum doun and speak to me;
I'll kep thee on the point o my sword,
And thy warraner I will be.' |
| 8 |
'I winna come doun and speak to thee,
Nor to ony lord or loun,
Nor yet to thee, thou bludie butcher,
The laird o Auchruglen toun.' |
| 9 |
'Syne gin ye winna come doun,' he said,
'A' for to speak to me,
I'll tye the bands around my waist,
And fire thy death sall be.' |
| 10 |
'I'd leifer be burnt in ashes sma,
And cuist in yon sea-faem,
Or I'd gie up this bonnie castell,
And my gude lord frae hame. |
| 11 |
'For my gude lord's in the army strong,
He's new gane ower the sea;
He bade me keep this bonnie castell,
As lang's it wuld keep me.' |
| 12 |
'Set fire to the house,' said bauld Gordon,
'Set fire to the house, my men;
We'll gar Lady Campbell come for to rew
As she burns in the flame.' |
| 13 |
'O wae be to thee, Carmichael,' she said,
'And an ilk death may ye die!
For ye hae lifted the pavement-stane,
And loot up the lowe to me. |
| 14 |
'Seven years ye war about my house,
And received both meat and fee:'
'And now I'm Adam o Gordon's man,
I maun either do or dee.' |
| 15 |
'Oh I wad gie the black,' she said,
'And I wuld gie the brown,
All for ae cup o the cauld water
That rins to Galstoun toun.' |
| 16 |
Syne out and spak the auld dochter,
She was baith jimp and sma:
'O row me in a pair o sheets,
And fling me ower the wa!' |
| 17 |
They row't her in a pair o sheets,
And flang her ower the wa,
And on the point o Gordon's sword
She gat a deadlie fa. |
| 18 |
He turned her ower, and ower again,
And oh but she looked wan!
'I think I've killed as bonnie a face
As ere the sun shined on.' |
| 19 |
He turned her ower, and ower again,
And oh but she lookt white!
'I micht hae spared this bonnie face,
To hae been some man's delight!' |
| 20 |
Syne out and spak Lady Margaret,
As she stood on the stair:
'The fire is at my gowd garters,
And the lowe is at my hair.' |
| 21 |
Syne out and spak fair Ladie Ann,
Frae childbed whare she lay:
'Gie up this bonnie castell, mother,
And let us win away.' |
| 22 |
'Lye still, lye still, my fair Annie,
And let your talking be;
For ye maun stay in this bonnie castell
And dree your death wi me.' |
| 23 |
'Whatever death I am to dree,
I winna die my lane:
I'll tak a bairn in ilka arm
And the third is in my wame.' |
| 24 |
Syne out and spak her youngest son,
A bonnie wee boy was he:
'Gae doun, gae doun, mother,' he said,
'Or the lowe will worry me.' |
| 25 |
'I'd leifer be brent in ashes sma
And cuist in yon sea-faem,
Or I'd gie up this bonnie castell,
And my guid lord frae hame. |
| 26 |
'For my gude lord's in the army strong,
He's new gane ower the sea;
But gin he eer returns again,
Revenged my death sall be.' |
| 27 |
Syne out and spak her waitin-maid:
Receive this babe frae me,
And save the saikless babie's life,
And I'll neer seek mair fee. |
| 28 |
'How can I tak the bairn?' she said,
'How can I tak't?' said she,
'For my hair was ance five quarters lang,
And 'tis now brent to my bree.' |
| 29 |
She rowit it in a feather-bed,
And flang it ower the wa,
But on the point o Gordon's sword
It gat a deidlie fa. |
| 30 |
'I wuld gie Loudon's bonnie castell,
And Loudon's bonnie lee,
All gin my youngest son Johnnie
Could charge a gun to me. |
| 31 |
'Oh, I wuld gie the black,' she said,
'And sae wuld I the bay,
Gin young Sir George could take a steed
And quickly ride away.' |
| 32 |
Syne out and spak her auldest son,
As he was gaun to die:
'Send doun your chamber-maid, mother,
She gaes wi bairn to me.' |
| 33 |
'Gin ye were not my eldest son,
And heir o a' my land,
I'd tye a sheet around thy neck,
And hang thee with my hand. |
| 34 |
'I would gie my twenty gude milk-kye,
That feed on Shallow lee,
A' for ae blast o the norland wind,
To blaw the lowe frae me.' |
| 35 |
Oh was na it a pitie o yon bonnie castell,
That was biggit wi stane and lime!
But far mair pity o Lady Ann Campbell,
That was brunt wi her bairns nine. |
| 36 |
Three o them war married wives,
And three o them were bairns,
And three o them were leal maidens,
That neer lay in men's arms. |
| 37 |
And now Lord Loudon he's come hame,
And a sorry man was he:
'He micht hae spared my lady's life,
And wreakit himsell on me! |
| 38 |
'But sin we've got thee, bauld Gordon,
Wild horses shall thee tear,
For murdering o my ladie bricht,
Besides my children dear.' |
