Laing's Thistle of Scotland, p. 93; compounded, with some
alterations, from two copies, one from Miss Harper, Kildrummy,
the other from the Rev. R. Scott, Glenbucket.
| 1 |
Rob Roy frae the Highlands came
Doun to our Lowland border;
It was to steal a lady away,
To haud his house in order. |
| 2 |
With four-and-twenty Highland men,
His arms for to carry,
He came to steal Blackhill's daughter,
That lady for to marry. |
| 3 |
Nae ane kend o his comming,
Nae tiddings came before him,
Else the lady woud hae been away,
For still did she abhore him. |
| 4 |
They guarded doors and windows round,
Nane coud their plot discover;
Rob Roy enterd then alane,
Expressing how he lovd her. |
| 5 |
'Come go with me, my dear,' he said,
'Come go with me, my honey,
And ye shall be my wedded wife,
For I love you best of any.' |
| 6 |
'I will not go with you,' she said,
'I'll never be your honey;
I will not be your wedded wife,
Your love is for my money.' |
| 7 |
They woud not stay till she was drest
As ladies when thei'r brides, O,
But hurried her awa in haste,
And rowd her in their plaids, O. |
| 8 |
He drew her out among his crew,
She holding by her mother;
With mournful cries and watry eyes
They parted from each other. |
| 9 |
He placed her upon a steed,
Then jumped on behind her,
And they are to the Highlands gone,
Her friends they cannot find her. |
| 10 |
With many a heavy sob and wail,
They saw, as they stood by her,
She was so guarded round about
Her friends could not come nigh her. |
| 11 |
Her mournful cries were often heard,
But no aid came unto her;
They guarded her on every side
That they could not rescüe her. |
| 12 |
Over rugged hills and dales
They rode; the lady fainted;
Cried, Woe be to my cursed gold
That has such roads invented! |
| 13 |
As they came in by Drimmen town
And in by Edingarry,
He bought to her both cloak and gown,
Still thinking she would marry. |
| 14 |
As they went down yon bonny burn-side,
They at Buchanan tarried;
He clothed her there as a bride,
Yet she would not be married. |
| 15 |
Without consent they joind their hands,
Which law ought not to carry;
His passion waxed now so hot
He could no longer tarry. |
| 16 |
Two held her up before the priest,
Four laid her in the bed then,
With sighs and cries and watery eyes
When she was laid beside him. |
| 17 |
'Ye are come to our Highland hills,
Far frae thy native clan, lady;
Never think of going back,
But take it for thy home, lady. |
| 18 |
'I'll be kind, I'll be kind,
I'll be kind to thee, lady;
All the country, for thy sake,
Shall surely favourd be, lady. |
| 19 |
'Rob Roy was my father calld,
MacGregor was his name, lady,
And all the country where he dwelt
He did exceed for fame, lady. |
| 20 |
'Now or then, now or then,
Now or then deny, lady;
Don't you think yourself well of
With a pretty man like I, lady? |
| 21 |
'He was a hedge about his friends,
A heckle to his foes, lady,
And all that did him any wrong,
He took them by the nose, lady. |
| 22 |
'Don't think, don't think,
Don't think I lie, lady,
Ye may know the truth by what
Was done in your country, lad'y. |
| 23 |
'My father delights in cows and horse,
Likewise in goats and sheep, lady,
And you with thirty thousand marks
Makes me a man complete, lady. |
| 24 |
'Be content, be content,
Be content and stay, lady;
Now ye are my wedded wife
Untill your dying day, lady. |
| 25 |
'Your friends will all seek after me,
But I'll give them the scorn, lady;
Before dragoons come oer the Forth,
We shall be doun by Lorn, lady. |
| 26 |
'I am bold, I am bold,
But bolder than before, lady;
Any one dare come this way
Shall feel my good claymore, lady. |
| 27 |
'We shall cross the raging seas,
We shall go to France, lady;
There we'll gar the piper play,
And then we'll have a dance, lady. |
| 28 |
'Shake a foot, shake a foot,
Shake a foot wi me, lady,
And ye shall be my wedded wife
Until the day ye die, lady.' |
