"Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy," No
17; in the handwriting of Richard Heber.
| 1 |
The guid Earl o Boyn's awa to Lonon gone,
An a' his gallan grooms wie him,
But, for a' the ribbons that hing at her hat,
He has left his fair lady behind him. |
| 2 |
He had not been in London toun
A month but barely one, O,
Till the letters an the senes they came to her hand
That he was in love with another woman. |
| 3 |
'O what think ye o this, my bonny boy?' she says,
'What think ye o my lord at london?
What think ye o this, my bonny boy?' she says,
'He's in love wie another woman.' |
| 4 |
That lady lookd out at her closet-window,
An saw the gallan grooms coming;
'What think ye o this, my bonny boy?' she says,
'For yonder the gallan grooms coming.' |
| 5 |
Stately, stately steppit she doun
To welcome the gallan grooms from London:
'Ye're welcome, ye're welcome, gallan grooms a';
Is the guid Earl o Boyn a coming? |
| 6 |
'What news, what news, my gallan grooms a'?
What news have ye from London?
What news, what news, my gallan grooms a'?
Is the guid Earl o Boyn a-coming?' |
| 7 |
'No news, no news,' said they gallan grooms a',
'No news hae we from London;
No news, no news,' said the gallan grooms a',
'But the guid Earl o Boyn's a coming,
An he's not two miles from the palace-gates,
An he's fast coming hame from London.' |
| 8 |
'Ye stable-grooms a', be ready at the ca,
An have a' your stables in shening,
An sprinkle them over wie some costly water,
Since the guid Earl o Boyn's a coming. |
| 9 |
'Ye pretty cooks a', be ready at the ca,
An have a' your spits in turning,
An see that ye spare neither cost nor pains,
Since the guid Earl o Boyn's a coming. |
| 10 |
'Ye servant-maids, ye'll trim up the beds,
An wipe a' the rooms oer wie linnen,
An put a double daisy at every stair-head,
Since the guid Earl o Boyn's a coming. |
| 11 |
'Ye'll call to me my chambermaid,
An Jean, my gentlewoman,
An they'll dress me in some fine array,
Since the good Earl o Boyn's a coming.' |
| 12 |
Her stockens were o the good fine silk,
An her shirt it was o the camric,
An her goun it was a' giltit oer,
An she was a' hung oer wie rubbies. |
| 13 |
That lady lookd out at her closet-window,
An she thought she saw him coming:
'Go fetch to me some fine Spanish wine,
That I may drink his health that's a coming.' |
| 14 |
Stately, stately steppit she doun
To welcome her lord from london,
An as she walked through the close
She's peed him from his horse. |
| 15 |
'Ye're welcome, ye're welcome, my dearest dear,
Ye're three times welcome from London!'
'If I be as welcome as ye say,
Ye'll kiss my for my coming;
Come kiss me, come kiss me, my dearest dear,
Come kiss me, my bonny Peggy Harboun.' |
| 16 |
O she threw her arms aroun his neck,
To kiss him for his coming:
'If I had stayed another day,
I'd been in love wie another woman. |
| 17 |
She turned her about wie a very stingy look,
She was as sorry as any woman;
She threw a napkin out-oure her face,
Says, Gang kiss your whore at London. |
| 18 |
'Ye'll mount an go, my gallan grooms a',
Ye'll mount and back again to London;
Had I known this to be the answer my Meggy's gein me,
I had stayed some longer at London.' |
| 19 |
'Go, Jack, my livery boy,' she says,
'Go ask if he'll take me wie him;
An he shall hae nae cumre o me
But mysel an my waiting-woman.' |
| 20 |
'O the laus o London the're very severe,
They are not for a woman;
And ye are too low in coach for to ride,
I'm your humble servant, madam. |
| 21 |
'My friends they were a' angry at me
For marrying ane o the house o Harvey;
And ye are too low in coach for to ride,
I'm your humble servant, lady. |
| 22 |
'Go saddle for me my steeds,' he says,
'Go saddle them soon and softly,
For I maun awa to the Bogs o the Geich,
An speak wi the Marquess o Huntly.' |
| 23 |
The guid Earl o Boyn's awa to London gone,
An a' his gallan gro[o]ms wie him;
But his lady fair he's left behind
Both a sick an a sorry woman. |
| 24 |
O many were the letter she after him did send,
A' the way back again to London,
An in less than a twelvemonth her heart it did break,
For the loss o her lord at London. |
| 25 |
He was not won well to the Bogs o the Geich,
Nor his horses scarcely batit,
Till the letters and the senes they came to his hand
That his lady was newly Strickit. |
| 26 |
'O is she dead? or is she sick?
O woe's me for my coming!
I'd rather lost a' the Bogs o the Geich
Or I'd lost my bonny Peggy Harboun.' |
| 27 |
He took the table wi his foot,
Made a' the room to tremble:
'I'd rather a lost a' the Bogs o the Geich
Or I'd lost my bonny Peggy Harboun. |
| 28 |
'Oh an alas! an O woe's me!
An wo to the Marquess o Huntly,
Wha causd the Earl o Boyn prove sae very unkin
To a true an a beautiful lady!' |
| 29 |
There were fifteen o the bravest gentlemen,
An the bravest o the lords o London,
They went a' to attend her burial-day,
But the Earl o Boyn could not go wi them. |
