P. 265. From C.K. Sharpe's "first collection," p. 18.
"An old song shewing how Sir Wm Wallace killed thirty
Englishmen." This copy resembles C.
| 1 |
'I wish I had a king,' brave Wallace he said,
'That every brave Scotsman might leave by his oun,
For between me and my sovreign leige
I think I see some ill [seed] so wen.' |
| 2 |
Brave Wallace out-oer yon river he lap,
And he lighted low down on the plain,
And he came to a gay lady,
As she was at the well washing. |
| 3 |
'Some tidings, some tidings,' brave Wallace he said,
'Some tidings ye most tell unto me;
Now since we are met here togither on the plain,
Some tidings ye most tell unto me.' |
| 4 |
'O go ye down to yon wee ale-house,
And there is fifeteen Englishmen,
And they are seeking for good Wallace,
And him to take and him for to hang.' |
| 5 |
'I wish I had a penny in my pocket,' he says,
'Or although it were but a bare baubee,
And I wad away to the wee ale-house,
The fifeteen Englishmen to see.' |
| 6 |
She's put hir hand in hir left pocket,
And fifeteen shillings to him she told down:
'If ever I live to come back this way,
The money's be well paid agein.' |
| 7 |
He louted twafauld oer a stick,
And he louted threefauld oer a tree,
And he 'es gane awa to the wee ale-house,
The fifeteen Englishmen to see. |
| 8 |
When he came to the wee ale-house,
He walked ben, says, Decencey be there!
The Engilish proud captain he awnsered him,
And he awnsered him with a graid domineer. |
| 9 |
'Why, where wast thou born, thou old crooked carle?
Where and of what country?'
'I am a true Scotsman bred and born,
And an auld crooked carle, just sic as ye may see.' |
| 10 |
'I wad gee fifeteen shillings,' the captain he said,
'To an auld crooked carle, just sic a ane as thee,
If ye wad tell me of Willie Wallace,
For he's the man I wad fain see.' |
| 11 |
'O hold your hand,' brave Wallace he said,
'And let me see if yeer coin be good;
If ye wad give fifeteen shillings more,
Ye never bade a better bead.' |
| 12 |
He's tean the captain out-oer the chaft-blade,
Till a bitt of meat he never did eat mair;
He stickit a' the reste as the sat aroun the table,
And he left them all a spraulling there. |
| 13 |
'Get up, get up, goodwife,' he says,
'Get up and get me some denner in haste,
For it is now three days and nights
Since a bit of meat my mouth did taste.' |
| 14 |
The denner was not well made ready,
Nor was it on the table sett,
Till other fifeteen English men
Were a' perading about the yett. |
| 15 |
'Come out, come out now, Wallace,' they crys,
'For this is the place ye 'es sure for [to] die;'
'I lippen not sae little to good,' he says,
'Although I be but ill-wordie.' |
| 16 |
The goodman ran butt, the goodwife ran ben,
They put the house in such a fever!
Five of them he sticket where they stood,
And other five he smoddered in the gitter. |
| 17 |
Five of them he folowd to the merry greenwood,
And these five he hangt on a grain,
And gin the morn at ten o'clock
He was wi his mirry men at Lochmaben. |
265 b, note †. 'Let me see if your money be good, and if
it be true and right, you'll maybe get the downcome of
Robinhood,' from a recited copy, in the preface to Finlay's
Scottish Ballads, I, xv.
