P. 271. A is extant among Sharpe's relics, written on
paper having 1819 in the water-mark, in two hands: stanzas 1-6,
8, 9 1, in one, 7 (inserted in the margin) and the rest in
another. Sharpe has made a few slight changes in the text,
besides regulating the spelling. The ballad is now given as it
stands in the original copy.
| 1 |
As I cam in by boney Glassgow town,
The Highland troops were a' before me,
And the bon[ey]est lass that ere I saw,
She lives in Glassgow, tha ca her Peggy. |
| 2 |
'I wad gie my boney black horse,
So wad I my good gray nagie,
If I were a hundred miles in the North,
And nan wee me but my boney Peggy.' |
| 3 |
Up then spoke her father dear,
Dear vow! but he was wondrous sorey;
'Weel may yea steel a cow or a ewe,
But ye darna steel my boney Peggy.' |
| 4 |
Up then spoke her mother dear,
Dear vow! but she spoke wondrious sorey;
'Now, since I've brought ye up this length,
Wod ye gang awa wee a Highland fellow?' |
| 5 |
He set her on his boney black horse,
He set himsel on his good gray nagy;
They have riden over hill[s] and dales,
Now he is awa wee his boney Peggy. |
| 6 |
They are riden or hills and dales,
They have riden or mountains maney,
Untill that thay com to a low, low glen,
And there he's lain down wee his boney Peggy. |
| 7 |
Up then spoke the Earll o Argyle,
Dear vow I bet he spoke wondrous sorry;
'The bonniest lass in a' Scotland
Is af an awa wi [a] Highland fellow!' |
| 8 |
There bed was of the boney green grass,
There blankets was o the hay sa boney;
He faided his philabeg below her head,
Now he's lawing down wee his boney Peggy. |
| 9 |
Up then spoke the boney Lawland lass,
And oh, but she spoke wondrous sorry;
'A's warruant my mother would hae a gae soir heart
To see me lian here wi you, my Willie!' |
| 10 |
'In my father's house there's feather-beds,
Feather-beds an blankets many;
The 're a' mine, an the'll shoon be thine,
An what needs your mother be sae sorry, Peggie? |
| 11 |
'Dinna you see yon nine score o kye,
Feding on yon hill sae boney?
The 're a* mine, an the'll shoon be thine,
An what needs your mother be sorry, Peggie? |
| 12 |
Dinna you see yon nine score o sheep,
Feeding on yon brae sae bonny?
The 're a' mine, an the'll shoon be thine,
An what needs your mother be sorry for you? |
| 13 |
'Dinna you see yon bonny white house,
Shining on yon brae sae bonny?
An I am the earl o the Isle o Sky,
And surely my Peggie will be calle[d] a lady.' |
275.
Macmath Manuscript, p. 93. Taken down at Crossmichael,
Kirkcudbrightshire, 24th August, 1892, from the recitation of
Miss Jane Webster, who had learned it more than fifty years
before, at Airds of Kells, from the singing of Rosanna
McGinnies.
| 1 |
It was on a day, and a fine summer's day,
When the Lowlands they were making ready,
There I espied a weel-far'd lass,
She was gaun to Glasgow, and they ca her Peggy. |
| 2 |
It's up then spak a silly auld man,
And O but he spak wondrous poorly!
Sayin, Ye may steal awa my cows and my ewes,
But ye'll never steal awa my bonny Peggy. |
| 3 |
'O haud yer tongue, ye silly auld man,
For ye hae said eneugh already,
For I'll never steal awa yer cows and yer ewes,
But I'll steal awa yer bonny Peggy.' |
| 4 |
So he mounted her on a milk-white steed,
Himsel upon a wee grey naigie,
And they hae ridden ower hill and dale,
And over moors and mosses many. |
| 5 |
They rade till they cam to the head o yon glen,
It might hae frightened anybody;
He said, Whether will ye go alongst with me,
Or will ye return back again to your mammie? |
| |
* * * |
| 6 |
Their bed was o the green, green grass,
And their blankets o the bracken sae bonnie,
And he's laid his trews beneath their head,
And Peggy's lain doun wi her Heilan laddie. |
| 7 |
They lay till it cam to the break o day,
Then up they rose and made them ready;
He said, Whether will ye go alongst with me,
Or will ye return back again to your mammie? |
| 8 |
'I'll follow you through frost and snow,
I'll follow you through dangers many,
And wherever ye go I will go alongst with you,
For I'll never return back again to my mammie.' |
| 9 |
'I hae four-and-twenty gude milk-kye,
They 're a' bun in yon byre sae bonny,
And I am the earl o the Isle o Skye,
And why should not Peggy be called a lady? |
| 10 |
'I hae fifty acres o gude land,
A' ploughed ower and sawn sae bonny,
And I am young Donald o the Isle o Skye,
And wherever I 'm laird I'll make ye lady.' |
