"Old Lady's Collection," No 36.
| 1 |
'Ther is a wife in yone toun-end, an she has dothers three,
An I wad be a beager for ony of a' the three.' |
| 2 |
He touk his clouty clok him about, his peakstaff in his hand,
An he is awa to yon toun-end, leak ony peare man. |
| 3 |
'I ha ben about this fish-toun this years tua or three,
Ha ye ony quarters, deam, that ye coud gie me?' |
| 4 |
'Awa, ye pear carl, ye dinne kean my name;
Ye sudd ha caed me mistress fan ye called me bat deam.' |
| 5 |
He tuke his hat in his hand an gied her juks three:
'An ye want manners, misstres, quarters ye'll gie me.' |
| 6 |
'Awa, ye pear carle, in ayont the fire,
An sing to our Lord Gray's men to their hearts' disire.' |
| 7 |
Some lowked to his goudie lowks, some to his milk-whit skine,
Some to his ruffled shirt, the gued read gold hang in. |
| 8 |
Out spak our madin, an she was ay shay,
Fatt will the jolly beager gett afore he gaa to lay? |
| 9 |
Out spak our goudwife, an she was not sae shay,
He'se gett a dish of lang kell, besids a puss pay. |
| 10 |
Out spak the jolly beager, That dish I dou denay;
I canne sup yer lang kell nor yet yer puss pay. |
| 11 |
Bat ye gett to my supper a capon of the best,
Tuo or three bottels of yer wine, an bear, an we sall ha a merry feast. |
| 12 |
'Ha ye ony siler, carll, to bint the bear an wine?'
'O never a peney, misstress, had I lang sine.' |
| 13 |
The beager wadne lay in the barn, nor yett in the bayr,
Bat in ahind the haa-dor, or att the kitchen-fire. |
| 14 |
The beager's bed was well [made] of gued clean stray an hay,
... |
| 15 |
The madin she rose up to bar the dor,
An ther she spayed a naked man, was rinen throu the flour. |
| 16 |
He tuke her in his arms an to his bed he ran;
'Hollie we me, sir,' she says, 'or ye'll waken our pear man.' |
| 17 |
The begger was a cuning carle, an never a word he spake
Till he got his turn dean, an sayn began to crak. |
| 18 |
'Is ther ony dogs about this toun? madin, tell me nou:'
'Fatt wad ye dee we them, my hony an my dou?' |
| 19 |
'They wad ravie a' my meall-poks an die me mukell wrang:'
'O doll for the deaing o it! are ye the pear man? |
| 20 |
'I thought ye had ben some gentelman, just leak the leard of Brody!
I am sorry for the doing o itt! are ye the pore boddie?' |
| 21 |
She tuke the meall-poks by the strings an thrue them our the waa!
'Doll gaa we meall-poks, madinhead an a'!' |
| 22 |
She tuke him to her press, gave him a glass of wine;
He tuke her in his arms, says, Honey, ye'ss be mine. |
| 23 |
He tuke a horn fra his side an he blue loud an shill,
An four-an-tuenty belted knights came att the beager's will. |
| 24 |
He tuke out a pean-kniff, lute a' his dudes faa,
An he was the braest gentelman that was among them a'. |
| 25 |
He patt his hand in his poket an gaa her ginnes three,
An four-an-tuenty hunder mark, to pay the nires feea. |
| 26 |
'Gin ye had ben a gued woman, as I thought ye had ben,
I wad haa made ye lady of castels eaght or nine.' |
