Skene Manuscript, p. 10; taken down in the north of Scotland, 1802-3.
| 1 |
'Ye are the Duke of Athol's nurse,
And I'm the new-come darling;
I'll gie you my gay gold rings
To get ae word of my leman.' |
| 2 |
'I am the Duke Athol's nurse,
And ye're the new-come darling;
Keep well your gay gold rings,
Ye sall get twa words o your leman.' |
| 3 |
He leand oure his saddle-bow,
It was not for to kiss her:
'Anither woman has my heart,
And I but come here to see ye.' |
| 4 |
'If anither woman has your heart,
O dear, but I am sorry!
Ye hie you down to yon ale house,
And stay untill 't be dawing,
And if I be a woman true
I'll meet you in the dawing.' |
| 5 |
He did him down to yon ale-house,
And drank untill 't was dawing;
He drank the bonnie lassie's health
That was to clear his lawing. |
| 6 |
He lookit out of a shot-window,
To see if she was coming,
And there he seed her seven brithers,
So fast as they were running! |
| 7 |
He went up and down the house,
Says, 'Landlady, can you save me?
For yonder comes her seven brithers,
And they are coming to slay me.' |
| 8 |
So quick she minded her on a wile
How she might protect him!
She dressd him in a suit of woman's attire
And set him to her baking. |
| 9 |
'Had you a quarterer here last night,
Or staid he to the dawing?
Shew us the room the squire lay in,
We are come to clear his lawing.' |
| 10 |
'I had a quarterer here last night,
But he staid not to the dawing;
He called for a pint, and paid as he went,
You have nothing to do with his lawing.' |
| 11 |
They searchd the house baith up and down,
The curtains they spaird not to rive em,
And twenty times they passd
The squire at his baking. |
