Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 70; written
down from memory by Mr. Nicol, Strichen, as learned
in his earlier years from old people.
| 1 |
When Reedisdale and Wise William
Were drinking at the wine,
There fell a roosing them amang,
On an unruly time. |
| 2 |
For some o them hae roosd their hawks,
And other some their hounds,
And other some their ladies fair,
And their bowers whare they walkd in. |
| 3 |
When out it spake him Reedisdale,
And a rash word spake he;
Says, There is not a lady fair,
In bower wherever she be,
But I could aye her favour win
Wi ae blink o my ee. |
| 4 |
Then out it spake him Wise William,
And a rash word spake he;
Says, I have a sister of my own,
In bower wherever she be,
And ye will not her favour win
With three blinks of your ee. |
| 5 |
'What will ye wager, Wise William?
My lands I'll wad with thee;'
'I'll wad my head against your land,
Till I get more monie.' |
| 6 |
Then Reedisdale took Wise William,
Laid him in prison strang,
That he might neither gang nor ride,
Nor ae word to her send. |
| 7 |
But he has written a braid letter,
Between the night and day,
And sent it to his own sister
By dun feather and gray. |
| 8 |
When she had read Wise William's letter,
She smil d and she leugh;
Said, Very well, my dear brother,
Of this I have eneuch. |
| 9 |
She looked out at her west window
To see what she could see,
And there she spied him Reedisdale
Come riding ower the lea. |
| 10 |
Says, Come to me, my maidens all,
Come hitherward to me;
For here it comes him Reedisdale,
Who comes a-courting me. |
| 11 |
'Come down, come down, my lady fair,
A sight of you give me;'
'Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,
For me you will not see.' |
| 12 |
'Come down, come down, my lady fair,
A sight of you give me;
And bonny are the gowns of silk
That I will give to thee.' |
| 13 |
'If you have bonny gowns of silk,
O mine is bonny tee;
Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,
For me you shall not see.' |
| 14 |
'Come down, come dow, my lady fair,
A sight of you I'll see;
And bonny jewels, brooches and rings
I will give unto thee.' |
| 15 |
'If you have bonny brooches and rings,
O mine are bonny tee;
Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,
For me you shall not see.' |
| 16 |
'Come down, come down, my lady fair,
One sight of you I'll see;
And bonny are the ha's and bowers
That I will give to thee.' |
| 17 |
'If you have bonny ha's and bowers,
O mine are bonny tee;
Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,
For me you shall not see.' |
| 18 |
'Come down, come down, my lady fair,
A sight of you I'll see;
And bonny are my lands so broad
That I will give to thee.' |
| 19 |
'If you have bonny lands so broad,
O mine are bonny tee;
Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,
For me ye will not see.' |
| 20 |
'Come down, come down, my lady fair,
A sight of you I'll see;
And bonny are the bags of gold
That I will give to thee.' |
| 21 |
'If you have bonny bags of gold,
I have bags of the same;
Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,
For down I will not come.' |
| 22 |
'Come down, come down, my lady fair,
One sight of you I'll see;
Or else I'll set your house on fire,
If better cannot be.' |
| 23 |
Then he has set the house on fire,
And all the rest it tuke;
He turned his wight horse head about,
Said, Alas, they'll ne'er get out! |
| 24 |
'Look out, look out, my maidens fair,
And see what I do see,
How Reedisdale has fired our house,
And now rides oer the lea. |
| 25 |
'Come hitherwards, my maidens fair,
Come hither unto me;
For thro this reek, and thro this smeek,
O thro it we must be!' |
| 26 |
They took wet mantles them about,
Their coffers by the band,
And thro the reek, and thro the flame,
Alive they all have wan. |
| 27 |
When they had got out thro the fire,
And able all to stand,
She sent a maid to Wise William,
To bruik Reedisdale's land. |
| 28 |
'Your lands is mine now, Reedisdale,
For I have won them free;'
'If there is a gude woman in the world,
Your one sister is she.' |
