P. 484. B b was first printed in the second edition
of the Minstrelsy, 1803, I, 195.
The following is the copy from which Scott derived the stanzas
introduced into this later edition of the ballad. It will be
observed that 'luve of Teviotdale' is the reading of
42, and not a correction of Scott's, as suggested at
486 b.
'Archie o Ca'field, Variations,' "Scotch Ballads, Materials
for Border Minstrelsy," No 90, Abbotsford; in the handwriting of
John Leyden.
| 1 |
The one unto the other did say,
'Blythe and merry how can we he,
When the night is billie Archie's lyke-wake,
The morn the day that he maun die?' |
| 2 |
'An ye wad be blythe an ye wad be sad,
What better wad billie Archie be,
Unless I had thirty men to mysell,
And a' to ride in our companie? |
| 3 |
'Ten to had the horses' heads,
And other ten to walk alee,
And ten to break up the strang prisoun
Where billie Archie he does lie.' |
| 4 |
Up bespak him mettled John Hall,
The luve o Teviotdale ay was he;
'An I had eleven men to mysell,
It's ay the twalt man I wad be.' |
| 5 |
Up bespak him coarse Ca'field,
I wat and little gude worth was he;
'Thirty men is few enow,
And a' to ride in our cumpanie.' |
| 6 |
Then a' the night thae twal men rade,
And ay untill they were a' wearie,
Till they came to the strang prisoun
Where billie Archie he did lie. |
| 7 |
'Sleeps thou, wakes thou, billie?' he said,
'Or did ye hear whan I did cry?
The night it is your lyke-wake night,
The morn it is your day to die.' |
| 8 |
. . .
. . .
'Work ye within and I without,
And soon a loose man shall you be.' |
| 9 |
Dickie pu'd the prisoner on o his back,
And down the stair cam merrilie;
'Now by my sooth,' quo mettled John Hall,
'Ye may let a leg o him lean to me.' |
| 10 |
'I have my billie upon my back,
I count him lighter than a flee;
Gin I were at my little black mare,
At Ca'field soon I trust to be.' |
| 11 |
Then a' the night these twelve men rade,
And aye untill they were a' wearie,
Untill they came to the wan water,
And it was gawn like ony see. |
| 12 |
'There lives a smith on the water-side,
Sae has he done thirty years and three:
. . .
. . . |
| 13 |
' I have a crown in my pocket,
And I'll give it every groat to thee
. . .
Gin thou shoe my little black mare for me.' |
| 14 |
'The night is mirk, and vera pit-mirk,
And wi candle-light I canna weel see;
The night it is mirk, and vera pit-mirk,
And there'll never a nail ca right for me.' |
| 15 |
'Shame fa you and your trade baith,
Canna beet a gude fallow by your mysterie!
But lees me on thee, my little black mare,
Thou's worth thy weight o gowd to me.' |
| 16 |
Then thay lay down to take a sleep,
But ay on fit stood noble Dickie,
And he's looked oer his left shoulder,
And a' to see what he could see. |
| 17 |
'Get up, get up, ye drowsy sleepers!
Ye dinna see what I do see;
For yonder comes the land-lieutenant,
Two hunder men in his cumpanie. |
| 18 |
'This night an they lay hands on us,
This night, as I think weel it will be,
This night sail be our lyke-wake night,
The morn like as mony dogs we'll die.' |
| 19 |
'My mare is young, and vera young,
And in o the weel she will drown me;'
'But ye'll take mine, and I'll take thine,
And soon thro the water we sail be.' |
| 20 |
Then up bespak him coarse Ca'field,
I wate and little gude worth was he;
'We had better lose ane than lose a' the lave,
We'll leave the prisoner, we'll gae free.' |
| 21 |
'Shame fa you and your lands baith,
Wad ye een your lands to your born billie?
But hey! bear up, my little black mare,
And yet thro the water we sail be.' |
| 22 |
'Come thro, come thro now,' Dickie he said,
'Come thro, come thro and drink wi me;
There's no be a Saturday in a' the year
But changed sail your garments be. |
| 23 |
. . .
. . .
While a bit o your iron hads thegether,
Barefit sail she never be.' |
485 b, first paragraph, line 9 from the end. Read
would.
