P. 107. The two copies from which (with some editorial garnish
and filling out) A was compounded were: a. "Scotch
Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy," No 20, obtained from
Nelly Laidlaw, and in the handwriting of William Laidlaw;
b. 'Earlington's Daughter,' the same collection, No 11, in
the handwriting of James Hogg. The differences are purely verbal,
and both copies may probably have been derived from the same
reciter; still, since only seven or eight verses in sixty-eight
agree, both will be given entire, instead of a list of the
variations.
| a. 1 |
Lord Erlinton had ae daughter,
I trow he's weird her a grit sin;
For he has bugn a bigly bower,
An a' to pit his ae daughter in.
An he has buggin, etc. |
| 2 |
An he has warn her sisters six,
Her sisters six an her brethren se'en,
Thei 'r either to watch her a' the night,
Or than to gang i the mornin soon. |
| 3 |
She had na been i that bigly bower
Not ae night but only ane
Untill that Willie, her true-love,
Chappit at the bower-door, no at the gin. |
| 4 |
'Whae's this, whae's this chaps at my bower-door,
At my bower-door, no at the gin?'
'O it is Willie, thy ain true-love;
will ye rise an let me in?'
|
| 5 |
'In my bower, Willie, there is a wane,
An in the wane there is a wake;
But I will come to the green woods
The morn, for my ain true-love's sake.' |
| 6 |
This lady she's lain down again,
An she has lain till the cock crew thrice;
She said unto her sisters baith,
Lasses, it's time at we soud rise. |
| 7 |
She's putten on her breast a silver tee,
An on her back a silken gown;
She's taen a sister in ilka hand,
An away to the bonnie green wood she's gane. |
| 8 |
They hadna gane a mile in that bonnie green wood,
They had na gane a mile but only ane,
Till they met wi Willie, her ain true-love,
An thrae her sisters he has her taen. |
| 9 |
He's taen her sisters ilk by the hand,
He's kissd them baith, an he's sent them hame;
He's muntit his ladie him high behind,
An thro the bonnie green wood thei'r gane. |
| 10 |
They'd ridden a mile i that bonnie green wood,
They hadna ridden but only ane,
When there cam fifteen o the baldest knights
That ever boor flesh, bluid an bane. |
| 11 |
Than up bespak the foremost knight,
He woor the gray hair on his chin;
'Yield me yer life or your lady fair,
An ye sal walk the green woods within.' |
| 12 |
'For to gie my wife to thee,
I wad be very laith,' said he;
'For than the folk wad think I was gane mad,
Or that the senses war taen frae me.' |
| 13 |
Up than bespak the niest foremost knight,
I trow he spak right boustrouslie;
'Yield me yer life or your ladie fair,
An ye sail walk the green woods wi me.' |
| 14 |
'My wife, she is my warld's meed,
My life, it lyes me very near;
But if ye be man o your manhood
I serve will while my days are near.' |
| 15 |
He's luppen off his milk-white steed,
He's gien his lady him by the head:
1 See that ye never change yer cheer
Till ance ye see my body bleed.' |
| 16 |
An he's killd a' the fifteen knights,
He's killed them a' but only ane;
A' but the auld grey-headed knight,
He bade him carry the tiddins hame. |
| 17 |
He's gane to his lady again,
I trow he's kissd her, baith cheek an chin;
'Now ye'r my ain, I have ye win,
An we will walk the green woods within.' |
| b. 1 |
O Earlington, he has ae daughter,
And I wot he has ward her in a great sin;
He has buggin to her a bigly bowr,
And a' to put his daughter in. |
| 2 |
he has warnd her sisters six,
Her sisters six and her brethren seven,
Either to watch her a' the night,
Or else to search her soon at morn. |
| 3 |
They had na been a night in that bigly bowr,
'T is not a night but barely ane,
Till there was Willie, her ain true-love,
Rappd at the door, and knew not the gin. |
| 4 |
'Whoe's this, whoe's this raps at my bowr-door,
Raps at my bowr-door, and knows not the gin?'
'O it is Willie, thy ain true-love;
I pray thee rise and let me in.' |
| 5 |
'O in my bower, Willie, there is a wake,
And in the wake there is a wan;
But I'll come to the green wood the morn,
To the green wood for thy name's sake.' |
| 6 |
O she has gaen to her bed again,
And a wait she has lain till the cock crew thrice;
Then she said to her sisters baith,
Lasses, 't is time for us to rise. |
| 7 |
She's puten on her back a silken gown,
And on her breast a silver tie;
She's taen a sister in ilka hand,
And thro the green wood they are gane. |
| 8 |
They had na walkt a mile in that good green wood,
'T is not a mile but barely ane,
Till there was Willie, her ain true-love,
And from her sisters he has her taen. |
| 9 |
He's taen her sisters by the hand,
He kist them baith, he sent them hame;
He's taen his lady him behind,
And thro the green wood they are gane. |
| 10 |
They had na ridden a mile in the good green wood,
'T is not a mile but barely ane,
Till there was fifteen of the boldest knights
That ever bore flesh, blood or bane. |
| 11 |
The foremost of them was an aged knight,
He wore the gray hair on his chin:
'Yield me thy life or thy lady bright,
And thou shalt walk these woods within.' |
| 12 |
''T is for to give my lady fair
To such an aged knight as thee,
People wad think I were gane mad,
Or else the senses taen frae me.' |
| 13 |
Up then spake the second of them,
And he spake ay right bousterously;
'Yield me thy life or thy lady bright,
And thou shalt walk these woods within.' |
| 14 |
'My wife, she is my warld's meed,
My life it lies me very near;
But if you'll be man of your manheed,
I'll serve you till my days be near.' |
| 15 |
He's lighted of his milk-white steed,
He's given his lady him by the head:
'And see ye dinna change your cheer
Till you do see my body bleed.' |
| 16 |
O he has killd these fifteen lords,
And he has killd them a' but ane,
And he has left that old aged knight,
And a' to carry the tidings hame. |
| 17 |
O he's gane to his lady again,
And a wait he has kist her, baith cheek and chin:
'Thou art my ain love, I have thee bought,
And thou shalt walk these woods within.' |
