| 1 |
Etrick Forest is a fair foreste,
In it grows manie a semelie trie;
The hart, the hynd, the dae, the rae,
And of a' [wylde] beastis grete plentie. |
| 2 |
There's a castell biggit with lime and stane,
O gin it stands not pleasantlie!
In the fore front o that castell fair
Twa unicorns are bra to see. |
| 3 |
There's the picture of a knight and a ladye bright,
And the grene hollin aboon their brie;
There an Outlaw keepis five hundred men,
He keepis a royalle companie. |
| 4 |
His merrie men are in [ae] liverie clad,
Of the Lincoln grene so fair to see;
He and his ladie in purple clad,
O if they live not royallie! |
| 5 |
Word is gane to our nobell king,
In Edinburgh where that he lay,
That there was an Outlaw in Etterick forest
Counted him nought and all his courtrie gay. |
| 6 |
'I mak a vowe,' then the goode king said,
'Unto the man that dear bought me,
I'se either be king of Etrick forest,
Or king of Scotland that Outlaw's bee.' |
| 7 |
Then spak the erle hight Hamilton,
And to the noble king said he;
My sovereign prince, sum counsell tak,
First of your nobles, syne of me. |
| 8 |
'I redd you send yon bra Outlaw till
And see gif your man cum will he;
Desire him cum and be your man,
And hald of you yon forest frie. |
| 9 |
'And gif he refuses to do that,
We'll conquess both his lands and he,
Or else we'll throw his castell down,
And mak a widowe of his gaye ladie.' |
| 10 |
The king called on a gentleman,
James Boyd, Erle of Arran, his brother was he;
When James he came before the king
He fell before him on his knie. |
| 11 |
'Welcum James Boyd,' said our nobil king,
'A message ye maun gang for me;
Ye maun hie to Etrick forrest,
To yon Outlaw, where dwelleth he. |
| 12 |
'Ask hym of quhom he haldis his lands,
Or, man, wha may his master be;
Desyre him come and be my man,
And hald of me yon forrest frie. |
| 13 |
'To Edinburgh to cum and gang
His safe-warrand I sall be;
And, gif he refuses to do that,
We'll conquess baith his lands and he. |
| 14 |
'Thou mayst vow I'll cast his castell doun,
And mak a widow of his gay ladie;
I'll hang his merrie men pair by pair
In ony frith where I may them see.' |
| 15 |
James Boyd took his leave of the nobill king,
To Etrick forrest fair came he;
Down Birkendale brae when that he cam,
He saw the fair forest with his ee. |
| 16 |
Baith dae and rae and hart and hynd,
And of all wylde beastis grete plentie;
He heard the bows that bauldly ring,
And arrows whidderand near him by. |
| 17 |
Of the fair castell he got a sight,
The like he nere saw with his ee;
On the fore front of that castell
Twa unicorns were bra to see. |
| 18 |
The picture of a knight and a ladie bright,
And the grene hollin aboon their brie;
Thereat he spy'd five hundred men,
Shuting with bows upon the lee. |
| 19 |
They a' were in ae liverie clad,
Of the Lincoln grene, sae fair to see;
The knight and his ladye in purple clad;
O gif they lived right royallie!
Therefore he kend he was master-man,
And served him in his ain degree. |
| 20 |
'God mot thee save, brave Outlaw Murray,
Thy ladie and a' they chivalrie!'
'Marry, thou's wellcum, gentleman,
Sum king's-messenger thou seems to be.' |
| 21 |
'The King of Scotland sent me hier,
And, gude Outlaw, I'm sent to thee;
I wad wat of whom ye hald your lands,
Or, man, wha may thy master be' |
| 22 |
'Thir landis are mine,' the Outlaw said,
'I own na king in Christentie;
Frae Soudron I this forest wan,
When the king nor's knights were not to see.' |
| 23 |
'He desires you'l come to Edinburgh,
And hald of him this forest frie;
And gif you refuse to do this,
He'll conquess both thy landis and thee;
He has vowd to cast thy castell down,
And make a widow of thy gaye ladie. |
| 24 |
'He'll hang thy merrie men pair by pair,
In ony frith where he may them finde;'
'Aye, by my troth,' the Outlaw said,
'Then wad I think me far behinde. |
| 25 |
'Eere the king my fair countrie get,
This land that's nativest to me,
Mony of his nobils sall be cauld,
Their ladies sall be right wearie.' |
| 26 |
Then spak his ladye fair of face,
She said, Without consent of me
That an outlaw shuld come before the king:
I am right rad of treasonrie. |
| 27 |
'Bid him be gude to his lordis at hame,
For Edinburgh my lord sall never see:'
James tuke his leave of the Outlaw keene,
To Edinburgh boun is he. |
| 28 |
And when he came before the king,
He fell before him on his knie:
'Wellcum, James Boyd,' said the nobil king,
'What foreste is Etrick forest frie?' |
| 29 |
'Etrick forest is the fairest forest
That ever man saw with his ee;
There's the dae, the rae, the hart, the hynde,
And of all wild beastis great plentie. |
| 30 |
'There's a prittie castell of lime and stone,
O gif it stands not pleasauntlie!
There's on the fore side of that castell
Twa unicorns sae bra to see. |
| 31 |
'There's the picture of a knight and [a] ladie bright,
And the grene hollin aboon their brie;
There the Outlaw keepis five hundred men,
O gif they live not royallie! |
| 32 |
'His merry men in [ae] liverie clad,
O the Lincoln grene, so fair to see;
He and his ladye in purple clad,
O gif they live not royallie! |
| 33 |
'He says yon forest is his ain,
He wan it from the Soudronie;
Sae as he won it, sae will he keep it,
Contrair all kings in Christentie.' |
| 34 |
'Gar ray my horse,' said the nobil king,
'To Etrick [forest] hie will I me;'
Then he gard graith five thousand men,
And sent them on for the forest frie. |
| 35 |
Then word is gane the Outlaw till,
In Etrick forest where dwelleth he,
That the king was cumand to his cuntrie,
To conquess baith his lands and he. |
| 36 |
'I mak a vow,' the Outlaw said,
'I mak a vow, and that trulie,
Were there but three men to tak my part,
Yon king's cuming full deir suld be.' |
| 37 |
Then messengers he called forth,
And bade them haste them speedilie:
'Ane of you go to Halliday,
The laird of the Corehead is he. |
| 38 |
'He certain is my sister's son,
Bid him cum quick and succour me;
Tell Halliday with thee to cum,
And shaw him a' the veritie.' |
| 39 |
'What news? what news,' said Halliday,
'Man, frae thy master unto me?'
'Not as ye wad; seeking your aid;
The king's his mortal enemie.' |
| 40 |
'Aye, by my troth,' quoth Halliday,
'Even for that it repenteth me;
For, gif he lose fair Ettrick forest,
He'll take fair Moffatdale frae me. |
| 41 |
'I'll meet him wi five hundred men,
And surely mae, if mae may be:'
[The Outlaw calld a messenger,
And bid him hie him speedily.] |
| 42 |
'To Andrew Murray of Cockpool,
That man's a deir cousin to me;
Desire him cum and make me aid,
With all the power that he may be. |
| 43 |
'The king has vowd to cast my castell down,
And mak a widow of my gay ladye;
He'll hang my merry men pair by pair
I[n] ony place where he may them see.' |
| 44 |
'It stands me hard,' quoth Andrew Murray,
'Judge if it stands not hard with me,
To enter against a king with crown,
And put my lands in jeopardie. |
| 45 |
'Yet, gif I cum not on the daye,
Surelie at night he sall me see:'
To Sir James Murray, laird of Traquair,
A message came right speedilie. |
| 46 |
'What news? what news,' James Murray said,
'Man, frae thy master unto me?'
'What needs I tell? for well ye ken
The king's his mortal enemie. |
| 47 |
'He desires ye'll cum and make him aid,
With all the powers that ye may be:'
'And, by my troth,' James Murray said,
'With that Outlaw I'll live and die. |
| 48 |
'The king has gifted my lands lang syne,
It can not be nae war with me;'
. . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . |
| 49 |
The king was cumand thro Cadden ford,
And fiftene thousand men was he;
They saw the forest them before,
They thought it awsom for to see. |
| 50 |
Then spak the erle hight Hamilton,
And to the nobil king said he,
My sovereign prince, sum counsell take,
First at your nobles, syne at me. |
| 51 |
'Desyre him meet you at Penman's Core,
And bring four in his cumpanie;
Fyve erles sall gang yoursell before,
Gude cause that you suld honord be. |
| 52 |
'And, if he refuses to do that,
Wi fire and sword we'll follow thee;
There sall never a Murray after him
Have land in Etrick forest frie.' |
| 53 |
The king then called a gentleman,
Royal-banner-bearer then was he,
James Hope Pringle of Torsonse by name;
He came and knelit upon his knie. |
| 54 |
'Welcum, James Pringle of Torsonse;
Ye man a message gae for me;
Ye man gae to yon Outlaw Murray,
Surely where bauldly bideth he. |
| 55 |
'Bid him meet me at Penman's Core,
And bring four of his companie;
Five erles sall cum wi mysell,
Gude reason I suld honord be. |
| 56 |
'And if he refuses to do that,
Bid him look for nae gude o me;
There sall never a Murray after him
Have land in Etric forest frie.' |
| 57 |
James came before the Outlaw keene,
And served him in his ain degree:
'Wellcum, James Pringle of Torsonse,
What tidings frae the king to me?' |
| 58 |
'He bids you meet him at Penman's Core,
And bring four of your companie;
Five erles will cum with the king,
Nae more in number will he be. |
| 59 |
'And gif you refuse to do that,
I freely here upgive with thee,
There will never a Murray after thee
Have land in Etrick forest frie. |
| 60 |
'He'll cast your bonny castell down,
And make a widow of your gay ladie,
He'll hang your merry men pair by pair
In ony place where he may them see.' |
| 61 |
'It stands me hard,' the Outlaw said,
'Judge if it stands not hard with me;
I reck not of losing of mysell,
But all my offspring after me. |
| 62 |
'Auld Haliday, young Haliday,
Ye sall be twa to gang wi me;
Andrew Murray and Sir James Murray,
We'll be nae mae in cumpanie.' |
| 63 |
When that they came before the king,
They fell before him on their knee:
'Grant mercy, mercy, royal king,
Een for his sake who died on tre!' |
| 64 |
'Sicken-like mercy sall ye have,
On gallows ye sall hangit be;'
'God forbid!' quo the Outlaw then,
'I hope your Grace will better be. |
| 65 |
'These lands of Etrick forest fair,
I wan them frae the enemie;
Like as I wan them, sae will I keep them,
Contrair all kings in Christentie.' |
| 66 |
All the nobilis said, the king about,
Pitye it were to see him die:
'Yet graunt me mercye, sovereign prince,
Extend your favour unto me! |
| 67 |
'I'll give you the keys of my castell,
With the blessing of my fair ladie;
Mak me the sheriff of the forest,
And all my offspring after me.' |
| 68 |
lt thou give me the keys of thy castell,
With the blessing of thy fair ladye?
I'll mak the[e] shiryff of the forest,
Surely while upwards grows the trie;
If you be not traytour to the king,
Forfaulted sall ye never be.' |
| 69 |
'But, prince, what sall cum o my men?
When I go back, traitour they'll ca me;
I had rather lose my life and land,
Eer my merry men rebuk d me.' |
| 70 |
ll your merry men amend their lives
And all their pardouns I grant thee:
Now name thy landes whe'ere they be,
And here I render them to thee.' |
| 71 |
'Fair Philiphaugh, prince, is my awin,
I biggit it wi lime and stane;
The Tinnies and the Hangingshaw,
My leige, are native steeds of mine. |
| 72 |
'. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
I have mony steeds in the forest shaw,
But them by name I dinna knaw.' |
| 73 |
The keys of the castell he gave the king,
With the blessing of his fair ladye;
He was made sheryff of Etrick forest,
Surely while upward grows the trie;
And, if he was not traytour to the king,
Forfaulted he suld never be. |
| 74 |
Wha ever heard, in ony tymes,
Sicken an outlaw in his degree
Sic favour get before a king
As did the Outlaw Murray of the forest frie? |
