Child Ballads - Additions and Corrections

65. Lady Maisry

P. 112 b. I. "Mrs. Baird says that this ballad was printed in the Saltmarket [Glasgow] by the Robertsons about seventy years ago." Note by Motherwell in a copy of his Minstrelsy.

113, note §. 'Galancina' also in Munthe, Folkpoesi från Asturien, No 3, Upsala Universitets Årsskrift, 1887.

J

'Lady Margery,' "Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy," No 71, Manuscript of Thomas Wilkie, p. 71, Abbotsford. "From the recitation of Janet Scott, Bowden, who sung a dysmal air, as she called it, to the words."

This version resembles D. 12, 13, may be caught from 'Lord Derwentwater:' see No 208, E 8, 9, F 9, 10. Omens are not in place after the positive information given in 11.

1	Lady Margery was the king's ae daughter, But an the prince's heir; O She's away to Strawberry Castle, To learn some English lair. O
2	She had not been in Strawberry Castle A twelvemonth and a day Till she's even as big wi child As ever a lady could gae.
3	Her father's to the cutting o the birks, Her mother to the broom, And a' for to get a bundle o sticks To burn that fair lady in.
4	'O hold your hand now, father dear, hold a little while, For if my true-love be yet alive I'll hear his bridle ring.
5	'Where will I get a bonny boy, That will win hoes and shoon, That will run to Strawberry Castle And tell my love to come?'
6	She's called on her waiting-maid To bring out bread and wine: 'Now eat and drink, my bonny boy, Ye'll neer eat mair o mine.'
7	Away that bonny boy he's gaen, As fast as he could rin; When he cam where grass grew green Set down his feet and ran.
8	And when he cam where brigs were broken He bent his bow and swam; . . . . . .
9	When he came to Strawberry Castle, He lighted on the green; Who was so ready as the noble lord To rise and let the boy in!
10	'What news? what news, my pretty page? What tydings do ye bring? Is my lady lighter yet Of a daughter or a son?'
11	'Bad news, bad news, my noble lord, Bad tydings have I brung; The fairest lady in a' Scotland This day for you does burn.'
12	He has mounted a stately steed And he was bound to ride; The silver buttons flew off his coat And his nose began to bleed.
13	The second steed that lord mounted Stumbled at a stone; 'Alass! alass! ' he cried with grief, 'My lady will be gone.'
14	When he came from Strawberry Castle He lighted boots and a'; He thought to have goten a kiss from her, But her body fell in twa.
15	For the sake o Lady Margery He's cursed her father and mother, For the sake o Lady Margery He's cursed her sister and brother.
16	And for the sake o Lady Margery He's cursed all her kin; He cried, Scotland is the ae warst place That ever my fit was in!

O, added in singing to the second and fourth lines of each stanza, is sometimes not written in the Manuscript
9 is written as the third and fourth lines of 8.
15 and 16 are written as one stanza of four long lines.

K

"Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy," No 22 f; in the handwriting of William Laidlaw. "From Jean Scott." This version resembles E.

1	Marjorie was her father's dear, Her mother's only heir, An she's away to Strawberry Castle, To learn some unco lear.
2	She had na been i Strawberry Castle A year but barely three Till Marjorie turnd big wi child, As big as big could be.
	* * *
3	'Will ye hae that old, old man To be yer daily mate, Or will ye burn in fire strong For your true lover's sake?'
4	'I winna marry that old, old man To be my daily mate; I'll rather burn i fire strong For my true lover's sake.
	* * *
5	'O where will I get a bonnie boy That will win hose an shoon An will gae rin to Strawberry Castle, To gar my good lord come soon?'
6	'Here am I, a bonnie boy That will win hose an shoon. An I'll gae rin to Strawberry Castle, And gar your lord come soon.'
7	'Should ye come to a brocken brig, Than bend your bow an swim; An whan ye com to garse growin Set down yer feet an rin.'
8	When eer he came to brigs broken, He bent his bow an swam, And whan he cam to grass growin He set down his feet an ran.
7	When eer he cam to Strawberry Castle He tirlt at the pin; There was nane sae ready as that young lord To open an let him in.
8	'Is there ony o my brigs broken? Or ony o my castles win? Or is my lady brought to bed Of a daughter or a son?
9	'There's nane o a' yer brigs broken, Ther's nane of your castles win; But the fairest lady in a' your land This day for you will burn.'
10	'Gar saddle me the black, black horse, Gar saddle me the brown, Gar saddle me the swiftest stead That eer carried man to town.'
11	He's burstit the black unto the slack, The grey unto the brae, An ay the page that ran afore Cried, Ride, sir, an ye may.
12	Her father kindlet the bale-fire, Her brother set the stake, Her mother sat an saw her burn, An never cried Alack!
13	'Beet on, beet [on], my cruel father, For you I cound nae friend; But for fifteen well mete mile I'll hear my love's bridle ring.'
14	When he cam to the bonnie Dundee, He lightit wi a glent; Wi jet-black boots an glittrin spurs Through that bale-fire he went.
15	He thought his love wad hae datit him, But she was dead an gane; He was na sae wae for that lady As he was for her yong son.
16	'But I'll gar burn for you, Marjorie, Yer father an yer mother, An I'll gar burn for you, Marjorie, Your sister an your brother.
17	'An I will burn for you, Marjorie, The town that ye 'r brunt in, An monie ane's be fatherless That has but little sin.'

4³. But at the beginning struck out.
10. grey is written over brown in the second line (perhaps because of grey in 11²), and to town is struck out in the fourth line, but nothing supplied.

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