Motherwell's Manuscript, p. 467, "received in Manuscript by Buchan
from Mr. Nicol, of Strichen, who wrote as he had learned
early in life from old people:" Motherwell's Minstrelsy,
p. 335.
| 1 |
'Seven years have I loved my love,
And seven years my love's loved me,
But now to-morrow is the day
That billy Archie, my love, must die.' |
| 2 |
O then out spoke him Little Dickie,
And still the best fellow was he:
'Had I but five men and my self,
Then we would borrow billy Archie.' |
| 3 |
Out it spoke him Caff o Lin,
And still the worst fellow was he:
'You shall have five men and yourself,
And I will bear you companye.' |
| 4 |
We will not go like to dragoons,
Nor yet will we like grenadiers,
But we will go like corn-dealers,
And lay our brechams on our meares. |
| 5 |
'And twa of us will watch the road,
And other twa will go between,
And I will go to jail-house door,
And hold the prisoner unthought lang.' |
| 6 |
'Who is this at jail-house door,
So well as they do know the gin?'
'It's I myself,' [said] him Little Dickie,
'And oh sae fain's I would be in!' |
| 7 |
'Away, away, now, Little Dickie!
Away let all your folly be!
If the Lord Lieutenant come on you,
Like unto dogs he'll cause you die.' |
| 8 |
'Hold you, hold you, billy Archie,
And now let all your folly be!
Tho I die without, you'll not die within,
For borrowed shall your body be.' |
| 9 |
'Away, away, now, Little Dickie!
Away, let all this folly be!
An hundred pounds of Spanish irons
Is all bound on my fair bodie.' |
| 10 |
Wi plough-culters and gavellocks
They made the jail-house door to flee;
'And in God's name,' said Little Dickie,
'Cast you the prisoner behind me!' |
| 11 |
They had not rode a great way off,
Will all the haste that ever could be,
Till they espied the Lord Lieutenant,
With a hundred men in's companie. |
| 12 |
But when they came to wan water,
It now was rumbling like the sea;
Then were they got into a strait,
As great a strait as well could be. |
| 13 |
Then out did speak him Caff o Lin,
And aye the warst fellow was he:
'Now God be with my wife and bairns!
For fatherless my babes will be. |
| 14 |
'My horse is young, he cannot swim;
The water's deep, and will not wade;
My children must be fatherless,
My wife a widow, whateer betide.' |
| 15 |
hen cried out him Little Dickie,
And still the best fellow was he:
'Take you my mare, I'll take your horse,
And Devil drown my mare and thee!' |
| 16 |
Now they have taken the wan water,
Tho it was roaring like the sea,
And whan they got to the other side,
I wot they bragged right crouselie, |
| 17 |
'Come thro, come thro now, Lord Lieutenant!
O do come thro, I pray of thee!
There is an alehouse not far off,
We'll dine you and your companye.' |
| 18 |
'Away, away, now, Little Dickie!
O now let all your taunting be!
There's not a man in the king's army
That would have tried what's done by thee. |
| 19 |
'Cast back, cast back my fetters again!
Cast back my fetters! I say to thee;
And get you gane the way you came,
I wish no prisoners like to thee.' |
| 20 |
'I have a mare, she's called Meg,
The best in all our low countrie;
If she gang barefoot till they are done,
An ill death may your lordship die!' |
