| 1 |
O heard ye of Sir James the Rose,
The young heir of Buleighen?
For he has killd a gallant squire,
An 's friends are out to take him. |
| 2 |
Now he's gone to the house of Marr,
Where the nourrice was his leman;
To see his dear he did repair,
Thinking she would befriend him. |
| 3 |
'Where are you going, Sir James?' she says,
'Or where now are you riding?'
'O I am bound to a foreign land,
For now I'm under hiding. |
| 4 |
'Where shall I go? Where shall I run?
Where shall I go to hide me?
For I have killd a gallant squire,
And they're seeking to slay me.' |
| 5 |
'O go ye down to yon ale-house,
And I'll pay there your lawing;
And, if I be a woman true,
I'll meet you in the dawing.' |
| 6 |
'I'll not go down to yon ale-house,
For you to pay my lawing;
There's forty shillings for one supper,
I'll stay in 't till the dawing.' |
| 7 |
He's turnd him right and round about
And rowd him in his brechan,
And he has gone to take a sleep,
In the lowlands of Buleighen. |
| 8 |
He was not well gone out of sight,
Nor was he past Milstrethen,
Till four and twenty belted knights
Came riding oer the Leathen. |
| 9 |
'O have you seen Sir James the Rose,
The young heir of Buleighen?
For he has killd a gallant squire,
And we're sent out to take him.' |
| 10 |
'O I have seen Sir James,' she says,
'For he past here on Monday;
If the steed be swift that he rides on,
He's past the gates of London.' |
| 11 |
But as they were going away,
Then she calld out behind them;
'If you do seek Sir James,' she says,
'I'll tell you where you'll find him. |
| 12 |
'You'll seek the bank above the mill,
In the lowlands of Buleighen,
And there you'll find Sir James the Rose,
Lying sleeping in his brechan. |
| 13 |
'You must not wake him out of sleep,
Nor yet must you affright him,
Till you run a dart quite thro his heart,
And thro the body pierce him.' |
| 14 |
They sought the bank above the mill,
In the lowlands of Buleighan,
And there they found Sir James the Rose,
A sleeping in his brechan. |
| 15 |
Then out bespoke Sir John the Gra+eme,
Who had the charge a keeping;
'It's neer be said, dear gentlemen,
We'll kill him when he's sleeping.' |
| 16 |
They seizd his broadsword and his targe,
And closely him surrounded;
But when he wak'd out of his sleep,
His senses were confounded. |
| 17 |
'O pardon, pardon, gentlemen!
Have mercy now upon me!'
'Such as you gave, such you shall have,
And so we'll fall upon thee.' |
| 18 |
'Donald my man, wait me upon,
And I'll give you my brechan,
And, if you stay here till I die,
You'll get my trews of tartan. |
| 19 |
'There is fifty pounds in my pocket,
Besides my trews and brechan;
You'll get my watch and diamond ring;
And take me to Loch Largon.' |
| 20 |
Now they have taken out his heart
And stuck it on a spear,
Then took it to the House of Marr,
And gave it to his dear. |
| 21 |
But when she saw his bleeding heart
She was like one distracted;
She smote her breaxt, and wrung her hands,
Crying, 'What now have I acted! |
| 22 |
'Sir James the Rose, now for thy sake
O but my heart's a breaking!
Curst be the day I did thee betray,
Thou brave knight of Buleighen.' |
| 23 |
Then up she rose, and forth she goes,
All in that fatal hour,
And bodily was born away,
And never was seen more. |
| 24 |
But where she went was never kend,
And so, to end the matter,
A traitor's end, you may depend,
Can be expect'd no better. |
