P. 56. In a small Manuscript volume with the title "Songs" on
the cover, entirely in Sharpe's handwriting. A a is
found at p. 24 (with some variations, undoubtedly arbitrary)
prefaced with these words: "This song [referring to a copy
presently to be given], like most others, would suffer amendment:
here follows a copy somewhat improved. I have availed myself of a
fragment in a former page of this work, and introduced a stanza
[9] marked *, picked up in Perthshire." Had A a
been known to be an "improved" copy, it would not have been made
so prominent.
The fragment (of slight value) was "from the recitation of
Miss Oliphant of Gask, now Mrs. Nairn" (afterwards Lady Nairne).
It is (p. 21) disregarding things misunderstood or avowedly
added:
| |
'Come down, come down, my lady Ogilvie,
Come down, and tell us your dower:'
'It's east and west yon wan water side,
And it's down by the banks of the Airly. |
| |
'Had my lord Ogilvie been at Lame,
As he was wi King Charlie,
There durst nae a Campbel in a' Argyle
Avowd to the plundering o Airly.' |
| |
'Come down, come down, ye lady fair,
Come down, and kiss me fairly:'
'I wunna come down, ye fause Argyle,
If ye sudna leave a standing stane in Airly. |
The unimproved copy, p. 22, is as follows.
| 1 |
It fell on a day, and a bonny summer day,
When corn grew green and yellow,
That there fell out a great dispute
Between Argyll and Airly. |
| 2 |
Argyll has raisd an hundred men,
An hundred men, and so many,
And he is away by the back of Dunkeld
For to plunder the bonny house of Airly. |
| 3 |
Lady Margaret looks oer her bower-window,
And O but she looks weary!
And there she spied the great Argyll,
Coming to plunder the bonny house of Airly. |
| 4 |
'Come down, come down, Lady Margret,' he said,
'Come down, and kiss me fairly:'
'O I will not kiss the great Argyll,
If he should not leave a standing stone in Airly.' |
| 5 |
He hath taken her by the left shoulder,
Says, Lady, where lyes thy dowry?
'It's up and it's down by the bonny bank-side,
Amongst the planting of Airly.' |
| 6 |
They have sought it up, they have sought it down,
They have sought it both late and early,
And they have found it in the bonny plumb-tree
That shines on the bowling-green of Airly. |
| 7 |
He hath taken her by the middle so small,
And O but she lookd weary!
He hath laid her down by the bonny burn-side
Till he hath plunderd the bonny house of Airly. |
| 8 |
'If my good lord were at home this night,
As he is with Prince Charly,
Nouther you nor no Scottish lord
Durst have set a foot on the bowling-green of Airly. |
| 9 |
'Ten bonny sons I have born unto him,
And the eleventh neer saw his daddy;
Although I had an hundred more,
I would give them all to Prince Charly.' |
58 c. This is one of the pieces contained in "The Old Lady's
Collection," No 1. The differences from Skene (save spelling) are
as follows:
