Kinloch Manuscripts, V, 395; in the handwriting of John Hill
Barton, when a youth.
| 1 |
The king he sits in Dumfermline,
Birlin at the wine,
And callin for the best skipper
That ever sailed the faem. |
| 2 |
Then out it spak a bonny boy,
Sat at the king's right knee;
'Earl Patrick is the best skipper
That ever sailed the sea.' |
| 3 |
The king he wrote a braed letter,
And sealed it wi his ring,
And sent it to Earl Patrick,
. . . |
| 4 |
'Oh wha is this, or wha is that,
Has tald the king o me?
For I was niver a gude mariner,
And niver sailed the sea.
* * * * * |
| 5 |
'Ye'll eat and drink, my merry young men,
The red wine you amang,
For blaw it wind, or blaw it sleet,
Our ship maun sail the morn. |
| 6 |
'Late yestreen I saw the new meen
Wi the auld meen in hir arm,'
And sichand said him Earl Patrick,
'I fear a deadly storm.' |
| 7 |
They sailed up, sae did they down,
Thro mony a stormy stream,
Till they saw the Dam o Micklengaem,
When she sank amang the faem. |
| 8 |
They sailed up, sae did they down,
Thro many a stormy stream,
Till they saw the Duke o Normandy,
And she sank among the faem. |
| 9 |
They sailed up, sae did they down,
Thro many a stormy stream,
Till they saw the Black Shater o Leve London
And her topmast gaed in nine. |
| 10 |
'Where will I get a bonny boy
That will tack my helm in hand
Till I gang up to my topmast,
And spy for some dry land?' |
| 11 |
'Now here am I, a bonny boy
Will tack yer helm in hand
Till ye go up to your topmast
But I fear ye'll never see land.' |
| 12 |
'Cum down, cum down, my gude master,
Ye see not what I see,
For through and through yer bonny ship
I see the raging sea.' |
| 13 |
'Ye'll tak four-and-twenty fether-beds,
And lay my bonny ship roun,
And as muckle o the fine canvas
As make her haill and soun. |
| 14 |
'And where she wants an iron nail
O silver she's hae three,
And where she wants a timmer-pin
We'll rap the red goud in.'
* * * * * |
| 15 |
The firsten shore that they cam till,
They cad it shore the Linn;
Wi heart and hand and good command,
They towed their bonny ship in. |
| 16 |
The nexten shore that they came till,
They caad it shore the Lee;
With heart and hand and good command,
They towed the bonny ship tee. |
| 17 |
There was twenty ships gaed to the sea,
Twenty ships and ane,
And there was na ane came back again
But Earl Patrick alane. |
