Part 19

18 ‘Whom has he robbd? What has he stole? Or has he killed ony? Or what’s the crime that he has done, His foes they are sae mony?’

19 ‘He hasna brunt, he hasna slain, He hasna robbed ony; But he has done another crime, For which he will pay dearly.’

20 Then out it speaks Lord Montague, O wae be to his body! ‘The day we hangd young Charles Hay, The morn we’ll head your Geordie.’

21 Then out it speaks the king himsell, Vow, but he spake bonny! ‘Come here, young Gight, confess your sins, Let’s hear if they be mony.

22 ‘Come here, young Gight, confess your sins, See ye be true and steady; And if your sins they be but sma, Then ye ‘se win wi your lady.’

23 ‘Nane have I robbd, nought have I stown, Nor have I killed ony; But ane o the king’s best brave steeds, I sold him in Bevany.’

24 Then out it speaks the king again, Dear, but he spake bonny! ‘That crime’s nae great; for your lady’s sake, Put on your hat now, Geordie.’

25 Then out it speaks Lord Montague, O wae be to his body! ‘There’s guilt appears in Gight’s ain face, Ye’ll cross-examine Geordie.’

26 ‘Now since it all I must confess, My crimes’ baith great and mony: A woman abused, five orphan babes, I killd them for their money.’

27 Out it speaks the king again, And dear, but he was sorry! ‘Your confession brings confusion, Take aff your hat now, Geordie.’

28 Then out it speaks the lady hersell, Vow, but she was sorry! ‘Now all my life I’ll wear the black, Mourn for the death o Geordie.’

29 Lord Huntly then he did speak out, O fair mot fa his body! ‘I there will fight doublet alane Or ony thing ails Geordie.’

30 Then out it speaks the king again, Vow, but he spake bonny! ‘If ye’ll tell down ten thousand crowns, Ye’ll buy the life o Geordie.’

31 She spread her mantle on the ground, Dear, but she spread it bonny! Some gae her crowns, some ducadoons, And some gae dollars mony: Then she tauld down ten thousand crowns, ‘Put on your hat, my Geordie.’

32 Then out it speaks Lord Montague, Wae be to his body! ‘I wisht that Gight wanted the head; I might enjoyd his lady.’

33 Out it speaks the lady hersell, ‘Ye need neer wish my body; O ill befa your wizzend snout! Woud ye compare wi Geordie?’

34 When she was in her saddle set, Riding the leys sae bonny, The fiddle and fleet playd neer sae sweet As she behind her Geordie.

35 ‘O Geordie, Geordie, I love you well, Nae jealousie coud move me; The birds in air, that fly in pairs, Can witness how I love you.

36 ‘Ye’ll call for one, the best o clerks, Ye’ll call him soon and shortly, As he may write what I indite, A’ this I’ve done for Geordie.’

37 He turned him right and round about, And high, high looked Geordie: ‘A finger o Bignet’s lady’s hand Is worth a’ your fair body.’

38 ‘My lands may a’ be masterless, My babes may want their mother; But I’ve made a vow, will keep it true, I’ll be bound to no other.’

39 These words they causd a great dispute, And proud and fierce grew Geordie; A sharp dagger he pulled out, And pierced the heart o ‘s lady.

40 The lady’s dead, and Gight he’s fled, And left his lands behind him; Altho they searched south and north, There were nane there coud find him.

41 Now a’ that lived into Black Riggs, And likewise in Kincraigie, For seven years were clad in black, To mourn for Gight’s own lady.

* * * * *

K

Motherwell’s MS., p. 370, as sung by Agnes Lyle’s father.

1 ‘I have eleven babes into the north, And the twelfth is in my body, O And the youngest o them’s in the nurse’s arms, He neer yet saw his daddy.’ O

2 Some gied her ducks, some gied her drakes, And some gied her crowns monie, And she’s paid him down five thousand pound, And she’s gotten hame her Geordie.

* * * * *

L

Cunningham’s Songs of Scotland, II, 186, 188; “from the recitation of Mrs Cunningham.”

1 And soon she came to the water broad, Nor boat nor barge was ready; She turned her horse’s head to the flood, And swam through at Queensferry.

2 But when she to the presence came, ‘Mang earls high and lordlie, There hat on head sat every man, While hat in hand stood Geordie.

* * * * *

M

Motherwell’s Note-Book, pp. 2, 1; from Miss Brown, sister of Dr James Brown, of Glasgow.

When he came out at the tolbooth-stair, He was baith red and rosy; But gin he cam to the gallows-fit, He was wallourt like the lily.

* * * * *

N

Motherwell’s Note-Book, p. 20.

I have nine children in the west, The tenth ane’s in my bodie; The eldest o them she never knew a man, And she knows not wha’s her daddy.

* * * * *

#A.#

4^2, 5^2. menzie.

#B. a.#

8^3, 9^3, 19^2, 21^3. & _for_ an.

13^2. for _struck out before_ Your.

14^3. O _has been altered from_ If, _and is not very distinct._

25^2. wi her?

25^3. Tell down, tell tell down.

26. _Or_,

She’s put her hand to her pocket, She’s pulld out ducats many, An she’s telld down, etc.

27^1. _Var._ she blessd.

28^{3,4}. _No indication that this is an imperfect stanza. The last line is nearly bound in, and not easy to read._

30^3. Gar print, etc.

#b.#

_Variations written on the margin of #a#._

1^3. The Laird of Gigh has killd a man.

2^3. That will gae rin to the yates of Gigh.

7^1. Burntisland sands _for_ the water-side.

8^1. the water-yate.

8^3. dealt the red gold them amang.

14. ’Twas up than spak a gentleman, Was ca’d the Laird of Logie, War Gighie’s head but on the blo[ck], If I had his fair ladie!’

21^1. the gude Argyle _for_ a Scottish lord.

21^2. He’s been a friend to many.

#C. a.#

“This song was taken down from a Miss Christy Robertson, Dunse, who sung it to a very pretty old tune. Being an old maid herself, she did not let it want any of the original plainture which I suppose the original air would have.”

_The MS. of Thomas Wilkie is inscribed, at the beginning,_ Gattonside, 4th Sept., 1813; _at the end,_ Bowden, 2d Sept., 1815.

6^3. goud _written over_ guineas.

8^{1,2}. _Var._ six _for_ ten, seventh _for_ eleventh.

10^1. a kind-hearted man, _wanting in #b#, has evidently been supplied._

12^{1,2}. _Supplied: originally only_ A man spoke loud.

12^3. Geordie’s _written over_ his; were _over_ had been.

#b.#

2^3. shirt.

4^2. And they saddled to her.

6^3. red goud.

7^1. When she.

9^1. Geight.

10^1. a kind-hearted man _wanting_.

12^{1,2}. A man spoke loud.

13^4. my _wanting_.

14^2 And herself.

#D.#

2^2. goud and money _substituted for_ hose and shoon _struck out_.

9^2. they _struck out before_ was.

18^{3–6}. _Written in two lines._

#E. b.#

_No account is given of the variations of the printed copy from the manuscript, but it is presumed that the larger ones were traditional._

1^3. And monie ane got broken heads.

2^1. she gaed.

2^4. To pray.

3^1. into.

3^3. And ilka ane.

_After 3:_

Up bespak a Norlan lord, I wat he spak na bonnie; ‘If ye’ll stay here a little while, Ye’ll see Geordie hangit shortly.’

4^1. Then up bespak.

4^{3,4}. If ye’ll pay doun five hundred crowns, Ye ‘se get your true-love Geordie.

_After 4:_

Some lent her guineas, some lent her crowns, Some lent her shillings monie, And she’s paid doun five hundred crowns, And she’s gotten her bonnie love Geordie.

5^1. hie steed.

5^2. ahint.

_Burden, first line_: My Geordie O, my Geordie O.

#F.#

“Sung to a tune something similar to ‘My Nannie O.’”

10^3. 10000.

12^3. 5000.

#G.#

8^3, 9^3. 500.

10^3. breeks _is a corruption, for_ bouks, _#A# 14^3._

#I. a.#

10^3. crowns like duke o Downs: _cf._ #b# 21^3, #G# 31^3.

12^4. gars your.

#b.#

1^1. I was courted a wife in the bonny woods of Fife.

1^2. and flowers.

1^3. And pleasures I’ve had never nane.

1^4. I’ve had mony.

2^1. was lady of bonny Pitfauns.

2^2. Then.

2^3. is Lady.

2^4. I’m even.

3^1. He never owns me.

3^2. Nor loves me.

3^3. But every day.

3^4. rides to Pilbagnet’s.

4^1. Pilbagnet he’s.

4^2. has lien wi.

4^3. And he’s put him in prison strang.

4^4. _Wanting._

5^3. That will rin on to Ythan side.

5^4. Wi letters.

6. Now here am I, a bonny boy, Will rin your errand shortly, That will rin on to Ythan side Wi letters to your ladye.

7^1. But when she looked the letter on.

7^3. But ere: to an.

7^4. tears fell.

8^1. Ye’ll saddle: said.

8^2. Tho the brown should ride never so bonny.

8^3. I’ll go on to.

8^4. To see how they’re using my.

9. As she rode down by the pier of Leith, The poor met her never so mony, And she dealt the red gold right liberally, And bade them pray well for her Geordie.

10. As she rode down by Edinbro town, The poor met her never so mony, And she dealt the red gold right liberallie, And bade them pray weel for her Geordie.

_After 10:_

The king looked ower his castle-wa, And he spak seen and shortly; ‘Now who is this,’ said our liege the king, ‘Deals the red gold sae largely?’

Then up bespak a bonny boy, Was richt nigh to her Geordie; ‘I’ll wager my life and a’ my lan That it is Gicht’s own ladye.’

11^1. Then she went down the toolbooth-stair.

11^2. all the nobles so.

11^3. And every one had his hat on.

12–20. _Wanting._

21. Then she went down the toolbooth-stair, Among all the nobles so many; Some gave her guineas, some gave her crowns, Some gave her dukedoons many, And she has paid down the jailor’s fee, And now she enjoys her Geordie.

22–26. _Wanting._

27. ‘O bonnie George, I love you weel! O dear George, as I love you! The sun and the moon, go together roun and roun, Bear witness, dear George, how I love you!’

28. ‘O bonnie Anne, I love you weel! Oh dear Anne, how I love you! The birds of the air, fly together pair and pair, Bear witness, dear Anne, how I love you!’

#J.#

13^4. the queen’s berry.

26^2. crimes. _I suppose_ crimes is _to be meant_.

#K.#

“Of the preceding ballad [#F#], Agnes Lile says she has heard her father sing a different set, all of which she forgets except this, that there was nothing said of ‘a bold bluidy wretch,’ and in place of what is given to him in this version [#F# 10, 11], there were the two following stanzas.” _Motherwell’s MS., p. 370 f._

2^3. 5000.

* * * * *

APPENDIX

“A lamentable new ditty, made upon the death of a worthy gentleman named George Stoole, dwelling sometime on Gate-side Moore, and sometime at New-Castle in Northumberland: with his penitent end. To a delicate Scottish tune.” Roxburghe Collection, I, 186, 187. Roxburghe Ballads, ed. W. Chappell, I, 576. Previously printed by [Ritson], Northumberland Garland, Newcastle, 1793, p. 33 (p. 43 of Haslewood’s reprint, London, 1809), and in Bell’s Rhymes of Northern Bards, p. 162.

1 Come, you lusty northerne lads, That are so blith and bonny, Prepare your hearts to be full sad, To hear the end of Georgey. Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, my bon[n]y love, Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, my bonny! Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, my owne deare love, And God be with my Georgie!

2 When Georgie to his triall came, A thousand hearts were sorry; A thousand lasses wept full sore, And all for love of Georgy.

3 Some did say he would escape, Some at his fall did glory; But these were clownes and fickle friends, And none that lovëd Georgy.

4 Might friends have satisfide the law, Then Georgie would find many; Yet bravely did he plead for life, If mercy might be any.

5 But when this doughty carle was cast, He was full sad and sorry; Yet boldly did he take his death, So patiently dyde Georgie.

6 As Georgie went up to the gate, He tooke his leave of many; He tooke his leave of his lard’s wife, Whom he lovd best of any.

7 With thousand sighs and heavy lookes, Away from thence he parted Where he so often blith had beene, Though now so heavy-hearted.

8 He writ a letter with his owne hand, He thought he writ it bravely; He sent to New-castle towne, To his belovëd lady.

9 Wherein he did at large bewaile The occasion of his folly, Bequeathing life unto the law, His soule to heaven holy.

10 ‘Why, lady, leave to weepe for me! Let not my ending grieve ye! Prove constant to the man you love, For I cannot releeve ye.

11 ‘Out upon the, Withrington! And fie upon the, Phœnix! Thou hast put downe the doughty one That stole the sheepe from Anix.

12 ‘And fie on all such cruell carles Whose crueltie’s so fickle To cast away a gentleman, In hatred, for so little!

13 ‘I would I were on yonder hill, Where I have beene full merry, My sword and buckeler by my side, To fight till I be weary.

14 ‘They well should know, that tooke me first, Though hopes be now forsaken, Had I but freedome, armes, and health, I’de dye ere I’de be taken.

15 ‘But law condemns me to my grave, They have me in their power; Ther’s none but Christ that can mee save At this my dying houre.’

16 He calld his dearest love to him, When as his heart was sorry, And speaking thus, with manly heart, ‘Deare sweeting, pray for Georgie.’

17 He gave to her a piece of gold, And bade her give ‘t her barnes, And oft he kist her rosie lips, And laid him into her armes.

18 And comming to the place of death, He never changëd colour; The more they thought he would looke pale, The more his veines were fuller.

19 And with a cheerefull countenance, Being at that time entreated For to confesse his former life, These words he straight repeated.

20 ‘I never stole no oxe nor cow, Nor never murdered any; But fifty horse I did receive Of a merchant’s man of Gory.

21 ‘For which I am condemnd to dye, Though guiltlesse I stand dying; Deare gracious God, my soule receive! For now my life is flying.’

22 The man of death a part did act Which grieves mee tell the story; God comfort all are comfortlesse, And did[e] so well as Georgie! Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, my bonny love, Heigh-ho, heigh[-ho], my bonny, Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, mine own true love, Sweet Christ receive my Georgie!

1. _Burden to st. 1_: honny _in the second line_.

10^3. the ney.

14^2. whoops.

14^4. dye are.

“The Life and Death of George of Oxford. To a pleasant tune, called Poor Georgy.” Roxburghe Collection, IV, 53, Pepys, II, 150, Jersey, I, 86, Huth, I, 150, according to Mr J. W. Ebsworth, Roxburghe Ballads, VII, 70, 1890. It was printed for P. Brooksby, whose time Mr Ebsworth gives as between 1671 and 1692.

1 As I went over London Bridge, All in a misty morning, There did I see one weep and mourn, Lamenting for her Georgy. His time it is past, his life it will not last, Alack and alas, there is no remédy! Which makes the heart within me ready to burst in three, To think on the death of poor Georgy.

2 ‘George of Oxford is my name, And few there’s but have known me; Many a mad prank have I playd, But now they’ve overthrown me.’

3 O then bespake the Lady Gray; ‘I’le haste me in the morning, And to the judge I’le make my way, To save the life of Georgy.

4 ‘Go saddle me my milk-white steed, Go saddle me my bonny, That I may to New-Castle speed, To save the life of Georgy.’

5 But when she came the judge before, Full low her knee she bended; For Georgy’s life she did implore, That she might be befriended.

6 ‘O rise, O rise, fair Lady Gray, Your suit cannot be granted; Content your self as well you may, For Georgy must be hanged.’

7 She wept, she waild, she [w]rung her hands, And ceasëd not her mourning; She offerd gold, she offerd lands, To save the life of Georgy.

8 ‘I have travelld through the land, And met with many a man, sir, But, knight or lord, I bid him stand; He durst not make an answer.

9 ‘The Brittain bold that durst deny His money for to tender, Though he were stout as valiant Guy, I forced him to surrender.

10 ‘But when the money I had got, And made him cry _peccavi_, To bear his charge and pay his shot, A mark or noble gave I.

11 ‘The ladies, when they had me seen, Would ner have been affrighted; To take a dance upon the green With Georgy they delighted.

12 ‘When I had ended this our wake, And fairly them bespoken, Their rings and jewels would I take, To keep them for a token.’

13 The hue-and-cry for George is set, A proper handsome fellow, With diamond eyes as black as jet, And locks like gold so yellow.

14 Long it was, with all their art, Ere they could apprehend him, But at the last his valiant heart No longer could defend him.

15 ‘I ner stole horse nor mare in my life, Nor cloven foot, or any, But once, sir, of the king’s white steeds, And I sold them to Bohemia.’

16 Georgy he went up the hill, And after followed many; Georgy was hanged in silken string, The like was never any.

* * * * *

_The burden (here given with only the first stanza) is from time to time varied._

3^1, 6^1. Oh.

_After 7._ George’s Confession.

210

BONNIE JAMES CAMPBELL

#A.# Herd’s MSS, I, 40, II, 184.

#B.# Finlay’s Scottish Ballads, 1808, I, xxxiii.

#C.# ‘Bonnie George Campbell,’ Smith’s Scotish Minstrel, V, 42.

#D.# Cunningham’s Songs of Scotland, III, 2.

#A# was copied by Sir Walter Scott (with slight variations) into a MS. at Abbotsford, ‘Scottish Songs,’ fol. 68 (1795–1806). The first half is printed from notes of Scott in Laing’s edition of Sharpe’s Ballad Book, pp. 143, 156 f, and to these two stanzas, nearly as here printed, there are added in the second case, p. 157, the following verses, which are evidently modern, with the exception of the last:

His hawk and his hounds they are wandered and gane, His lady sits dowie and weary her lane, His bairns wi greetin hae blinded their een, His croft is unshorn, and his meadow grows green.

Scott subjoins, “I never heard more of this.” He was familiar with Herd’s MSS.

#C#, like many things in the Scotish Minstrel, has passed through editorial hands, whence the ‘never return’ of st. 4, and ‘A plume in his helmet, a sword at his knee,’ st. 5. This copy furnished the starting point for Allan Cunningham, III, 1, who, however, substitutes Finlay’s ‘wife’ for the Minstrel’s ‘bryde,’ and presents her with three bairns.

Motherwell made up his ‘Bonnie George Campbell’ (Minstrelsy, p. 44) from #B#, #C#, #D#. In a manuscript copied out by a granddaughter of Lord Woodhouselee (1840–50), #D# is combined with Cunningham’s ballad.

Motherwell says that this ballad “is probably a lament for one of the adherents of the house of Argyle who fell in the battle of Glenlivet, stricken on Thursday, the third day of October, 1594.” Sir Robert Gordon observes that Argyle lost in this battle his two cousins, Archibald and James Campbell: Genealogical History of Sutherland, p. 229. Maidment, Scotish Ballads, 1868, I, 240, chooses to think that “there can be little doubt” that the ballad refers to the murder of Sir John Campbell of Calder by one of his own surname, in 1591, and alters the title accordingly to ‘Bonnie John Campbell.’ Motherwell has at least a name to favor his supposition. But Campbells enow were killed, in battle or feud, before and after 1590, to forbid a guess as to an individual James or George grounded upon the slight data afforded by the ballad.

Motherwell’s ballad is translated by Wolff, Halle der Völker, I, 79, Hausschatz, p. 225.

* * * * *

A

Herd’s MSS, I, 40, II, 184.

1 O it’s up in the Highlands, and along the sweet Tay, Did bonie James Campbell ride monie a day.

2 Sadled and bridled, and bonie rode he; Hame came horse, hame came sadle, but neer hame cam he.

3 And doun cam his sweet sisters, greeting sae sair, And down cam his bonie wife, tearing her hair.

4 ‘My house is unbigged, my barn’s unbeen, My corn’s unshorn, my meadow grows green.’

* * * * * *

* * * * *

B

Finlay’s Scottish Ballads, 1808, I, xxxiii.

1 Saddled and briddled and booted rade he; Toom hame cam the saddle, but never cam he.

2 Down cam his auld mither, greetin fu sair, And down cam his bonny wife, wringin her hair.

3 Saddled and briddled and booted rade he; Toom hame cam the saddle, but never cam he.

* * * * *

C

Smith’s Scotish Minstrel, V, 42.

1 Hie upon Hielands, and laigh upon Tay, Bonnie George Campbell rode out on a day.

2 He saddled, he bridled, and gallant rode he, And hame cam his guid horse, but never cam he.

3 Out cam his mother dear, greeting fu sair, And out cam his bonnie bryde, riving her hair.

4 ‘The meadow lies green, the corn is unshorn, But bonnie George Campbell will never return.’

5 Saddled and bridled and booted rode he, A plume in his helmet, a sword at his knee.

6 But toom cam his saddle, all bloody to see, Oh, hame cam his guid horse, but never cam he!

* * * * *

D

Cunningham’s Songs of Scotland, III, 2, communicated by Mr Yellowlees.

1 High upon Highlands, and low upon Tay, Bonnie George Campbell rode out on a day.

2 ‘My meadow lies green, and my corn is unshorn, My barn is to build, and my babe is unborn.

* * * * *

_#A# is written, and #C# printed, in stanzas of four long lines._

#A.# 1^1. _Sharpe_, 143, O _wanting_.

1^2. _Scottish Songs and Sharpe_, and _wanting_.

2^2. _Scottish Songs_, and gallant, _as in_ #C#.

2^4. _Sharpe_, but hame cam na he.

4^4. _Scottish Songs_, meadows grow green.

211

BEWICK AND GRAHAM

#a.# ‘The Song of Bewick and Grahame,’ a stall-copy, in octavo, British Museum, 11621. e. 1. (4.) #b.# ‘A Remarkable and Memorable Song of Sir Robert Bewick and the Laird Graham,’ broadside, Roxburghe Ballads, III, 624. #c.# ‘A Remarkable and Memorable Song of Sir Robert Bewick and the Laird Graham,’ broadside, Percy papers. #d.# ‘Bewick and Graham’s Garland,’ M. Angus and Son, Newcastle, Bell Ballads, Abbotsford Library, P. 5, vol. i, No 60. #e.# Broadside, in “A Jolly Book of Garlands collected by John Bell in Newcastle,” No 29, Abbotsford Library, E. 1. #f.# ‘Bewick and Graham,’ chapbook, Newcastle, W. Fordyce. #g.# “Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy,” No 145, Abbotsford. #h.# ‘Chirstie Græme,’ the same, No 89.