'Young Bearwell,' Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland,
II, 75;" Motherwell's Manuscript, p. 456, derived from Buchan;
Motherwell's Minstrelsy, p. 345.
| 1 |
When two lovers love each other well,
Great sin it were them to twinn;
And this I speak from Young Bearwell;
He loved a lady young,
The Mayor's daughter of Birktoun-brae,
That lovely, leesome thing. |
| 2 |
One day when she was looking out,
When washing her milk-white hands,
That she beheld him Young Bearwell,
As he came in the sands. |
| 3 |
Says, Wae's me for you, Young Bearwell,
Such tales of you are tauld;
They'll cause you sail the salt sea so far
As beyond Yorkisfauld. |
| 4 |
. . . . . . .
. . . . . .
'O shall I bide in good greenwood,
Or stay in bower with thee?' |
| 5 |
'The leaves are thick in good greenwood,
Would hold you from the rain;
And if you stay in bower with me
You will be taken and slain. |
| 6 |
'But I caused build a ship for you
Upon Saint Innocent's day;
I'll bid Saint Innocent be your guide,
And Our Lady, that meikle may.
You are a lady's first true-love,
God carry you well away!' |
| 7 |
Then he sailed east, and he sailed west,
By many a comely strand;
At length a puff of northern wind
Did blow him to the land. |
| 8 |
When he did see the king and court,
Were playing at the ba;
Gave him a harp into his hand,
Says, Stay, Bearwell, and play. |
| 9 |
had not been in the king's court
A twelvemonth and a day,
Till there came lairds and lords anew
To court that lady gay. |
| 10 |
They wooed her with brooch and ring,
They nothing could keep back;
The very charters of their lands
Into her hands they pat. |
| 11 |
She's done her down to Heyvalin,
With the light of the moon;
Says, Will ye do this deed for me,
And will ye do it soon? |
| 12 |
'Will ye go seek him Young Bearwell,
On seas wherever he be?
And if I live and bruik my life
Rewarded ye shall be.' |
| 13 |
'Alas, I am too young a skipper,
So far to sail the faem;
Bit if I live and bruik my life
I'll strive to bring him hame.' |
| 14 |
So he has saild east and then saild west,
By many a comely strand,
Till there came a blast of northern wind
And blew him to the land. |
| 15 |
And there the king and all his court
Were playing at the ba;
Gave him a harp into his hand,
Says, Stay, Heyvalin, and play. |
| 16 |
He has tane up the harp in hand,
And unto play went he,
And Young Bearwell was the first man
In all that companie.
* * * * * * * |
