Part 24

17 ‘Go hold your tongue,’ her father said, ‘There’s little cause for sorrow; I’ll wed ye on a better lad Than ye hae lost in Yarrow.’

18 ‘Haud your ain tongue, my faither dear, I canna help my sorrow; A fairer flower neer sprang in May Than I hae lost in Yarrow.

19 ‘I meant to make my bed fu wide, But you may make it narrow; For now I’ve nane to be my guide But a deid man drowned in Yarrow.’

20 An aye she screighed, and cried Alas! Till her heart did break wi sorrow, An sank into her faither’s arms, Mang the dowie dens o Yarrow.

* * * * *

M

In the handwriting of James Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd (later than #E a#). “Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy,” No 11 a, Abbotsford.

1 O ay he sat, and ay he drank, An ay he counted the laying, An ay he drank to the lass’es health Was to meet him in the dawning.

2 Up he gaes on yon high, high hill, An a wat he gaes wi sorrow, An in a den he spy’d nine well armd men, On the dowie banks of Yarrow.

3 ‘Oh woe be to young women’s wit! For the’ve bred to me meikle sorrow; She promisd for to meet me here, An she’s sent nine men to slay me.

4 ‘But there is two swords in my scabba[rd], They cost me gold and money; Tak ye the best, and I’ll tak the wa[rst], An come man for man, I’ll not fly yo[u].’

5 Ay he stood, an ay he fought, Till it was near the dawning, Then up an rose her brother James, An has slain him in the dawning.

6 ‘O the last night I dreamd a dream, God keep us a’ frae sorrow! I dreamd I was powing the heather green In the dowie banks of Yarrow.’

7 Up she gaes on yon high, high hill, An a wat she gaes with sorrow, An in a den she spy’d nine slain men, In the dowie banks of Yarrow.

8 ‘O the last time I saw my love He was a’ clad oer in tartan; But now he’s a’ clad oer in red, An he’s a’ blood to the gartin.’

9 She kist his mouth, an she’s combd his hair, As she had done before, O, She drank the blood that from him ran, In the dowie banks of Yarrow.

10 ‘O hold your tongue now, daughter,’ he says, ‘An breed to me no more sorrow; For I’ll wed you on a better match Than you have lost on Yarrow.’

11 ‘Hold your tongue now, father,’ she says, ‘An breed to me no more sorrow; For a better rose will never spring Than I have lost on Yarrow.’

* * * * *

N

Communicated to Scott by Mrs Christiana Greenwood, London, May 27, 1806 (Letters, I, No 189); presumably learned by her at Longnewton, near Jedburgh. “Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy,” No 84, Abbotsford.

1 The cock did craw, and the day did daw, And the moon shone fair and clearly; Sir James gade out o his castle-yett, To meet fair Anne, his dearie.

2 ‘O come down, come down, my true-love Anne; And speak but ae word to me! But ae kiss o your bonny mouth Wad yield much comfort to me.’

3 ‘O how can I come down?’ she says, ‘Or how can I win to thee? When there is nane that I can trust Wad safe convey me to thee.

4 ‘But gang doun, gang doun, to yon hostess’ house, And there take on yere lawing, And, as I’m a woman kind and true, I’ll meet you at the dawing.’

5 Then he gade thro the good green-wood, And oer the moor sae eerie, And lang he stayd, and sair he sighd, But he never mair saw his dearie.

6 And ay he sat, and lang he drank, And ay he counted his lawing, Till fifteen men did him surround, To slay him or the dawing.

7 ‘O she promisd ance to meet me this night, But I find she has deceived me; She promisd ance to meet me this night, And she’s sent fifteen to slay me!

8 ‘There are twa swords in my scabard, They cost me gowd and money; Take ye the best, and gie me the warst, And man for man I’ll try ye.’

9 Then they fought on, and on they fought, Till maist o them were fallen, When her brother John cam him behind, And slew him at the dawing.

10 Then he’s away to his sister Anne, To the chamber where’s she’s lying: ‘Come doun, come doun, my sister Anne, And take up your true-love Jamie!

11 ‘Come doun, come doun now, sister Anne! For he’s sleeping in yon logie; Sound, sound he sleeps, nae mair to wake, And nae mair need ye be vogie.’

12 ‘I dreamd a drearie dream yestreen, Gin it be true, it will prove my sorrow; I dreamd my luive had lost his life, Within the yetts o Gowrie.

13 ‘O wae betide ye, lassies o Gowrie For ye hae sleepit soundly; Gin ye had keepit your yetts shut, Ye might hae sav’d the life o my Jamie.

14 ‘Yestreen my luive had a suit o claise Were o the finest tartan; But lang or ere the day did daw They war a’ red bluid to the garten.

15 ‘Yestreen my luive had a suit o claise Were o the apple reamin; But lang or ere the day did daw The red bluid had them streamin.’

16 In yon fair ha, where the winds did blaw, When the moon shone fair and clearly, She’s thrawn her green skirt oer her head, And ay she cried out mercy.

* * * * *

O

Herd’s MSS, I, 35, II, 181.

1 ‘I dreamd a dreary dream last night, God keep us a’ frae sorrow! I dreamd I pu’d the birk sae green Wi my true luve on Yarrow.’

2 ‘I’ll read your dream, my sister dear, I’ll tell you a’ your sorrow; You pu’d the birk wi your true luve, He’s killd, he’s killd on Yarrow!’

3 ‘O gentle wind, that blaweth south To where my love repaireth, Convey a kiss from his dear mouth, And tell me how he fareth!

4 ‘But oer yon glen run armed men, Have wrought me dule and sorrow; They’ve slain, they’ve slain the comliest swain, He bleeding lies on Yarrow.’

* * * * *

P

Cromek’s Select Scotish Songs, 1810, II, 196, the seventh and tenth stanzas; sent by Burns to William Tytler in 1790.

1 ‘Get up, get up now, sister Ann, I fear we’ve wrought you sorrow; Get up, ye’ll find your true love slain, Among the banks of Yarrow.’

2 ‘I made my love a suit of clothes, I clad him all in tartan, But ere the morning sun arose, He was a’ bluid to the gartan.’

* * * * *

#A.#

_The words in ’ ’ are so distinguished in the MS., and are of course emendations._ ‘Than,’ 9^1, _is obviously an insertion_; ‘Now Douglas,’ 11^1, _is entirely unauthorized, and, as before said, is taken from Hamilton’s ballad_; ‘wiped,’ 14^3, _is probably substituted for_ drank, _cf._ 12^3, _etc._; _and_ ‘her,’ 15^3, _is very likely to have been_ his.

#B.#

12^1. _Var._ O father dear, I pray forbear.

#C.#

7^1. He.

7^3. SHe, _originally_ He.

9^{1,3}. a _in_ came _is not closed_; _possibly_ cume. _A few changes were, as usual, made by Motherwell in printing._

#D.#

1^4. Wha _is blotted_.

#E. b.#

_A minute collation of a copy constructed by Scott would be useless and deceptive, and therefore only the larger variations will be noted._

1^2. And ere they paid the lawing.

5^1. As he gaed up the Tennies bank.

6^{1,2}. O come ye here to part your land, The bonnie forest thorough.

7^{1,2}. I come not here to part my land, And neither to beg nor borrow.

_After 7_:

If I see all, ye’re nine to ane, (_Cf._ #F# 4^1.) And that’s an unequal marrow; (_Cf._ #G# 3^2.) Yet will I fight while lasts my brand, (_Cf._ #F# 4^3, #G# 3^3.) On the bonny banks of Yarrow. (_Cf._ #E a# 6^4.)

10^4. Wi my true love, on Yarrow. (_Cf._ #O# 1^4.)

_After 10, two stanzas which are nearly_ #O# 3, 4.

11^3. ten slain men. (_Cf._ #F# 9^3.)

12^{2,3}. She searchd his wounds all thorough; She kissd them till her lips grew red.

13^2. For a’ this breeds but sorrow. (_Cf._ #F# 13^2.)

14^2. Ye mind me but of sorrow.

14^{3,4}. A fairer rose did never bloom Than now lies croppd on Yarrow.

(_Cf._ #M# 11^{3,4}.)

_Scott gives in a note_, III, 79, 1803, “the last stanza, as (_since?_) it occurs in most copies.” (_Cf._ #F#, #G#, #H#.)

That lady, being big with child, And full of consternation, She swooned in her father’s arms, Amidst that stubborn nation.

#F.#

2^3. browns, _and so again_ #G# 1^3. _A derivation from_ bruny, _mail-coat, is scarcely to be thought of_. _Apparently a corruption of_ brand, (_cf._ #E# 4^3); _but_ brand _occurs in_ #F# 4^3, #G# 3^3.

#G.#

1^2. before him. 1^3. and his noble brouns.

10^3. shalt.

#H.#

3, 4. The stubborn lord _in 3^3 is the wife’s father, and the race, or family, is_ stubborn _according to 10_. _Stubborn folk think opposers stubborn, no doubt; still the epithet is unlikely in 4^3._ Lad _I suppose to refer to the man who in the other versions stabs from behind_.

5^3. dern _for_ den. _The_ nine men _must be dead, as in_ #E# 11, #F# 9, #G# 6. _The_ well armd _belongs to an earlier (lost) stanza, corresponding to_ #E# 5, #F# 3, #G# 2.

#I.# _Variations in Buchan’s printed copy_:

1^1. Ten lords. The lords _in my copy of the MS., but, as Dixon has also_ Ten, _I presume_ The _to be an error. Otherwise I should have read_ Th[re]e, _as in_ #B#, #C#, #D#.

4^2. As aft he’d.

7^4. thrust him thro body and mell, O.

8^3. mother to. 14^4. ower his.

#J.#

_The first copy seems to be the earlier, and that which was transcribed into the MS. to have been slightly edited, but the variations are few, mostly spellings. The first copy has no title. The title of the second is altered from_ The Braes of Yarrow _to_ The Dowie Glens of Yarrow. _At the end of the second is this note_: This song I took down from Marion Miller in Threepwood, in the Parish of Melrose. The air was plaintive and extremely wild. I consider this song more valuable on account that Mern had never sung it to any but myself for fifteen years, and she had almost said, or rather promised, that she would never sing it to another.

Thoro, 1^1, _etc._, _is spelt_ Thorough, Thorrough, _in the first copy_, Thorough, Thorrough, Thorro, Thoro, _in the second_; _but in the latter_ ugh _is struck out wherever it occurs_.

4^3. thrusty, _in both_; _i.e._, trusty.

11^3. the (birks) heather green, _in both_.

_First._ 5^2, 17^1, 18^1. oh, Oh.

_Second._ 5^2. What she had neer done before, O.

6^2, 19^2. was filled wi.

9^1. Five he. 9^2. nae. 9^3. steed.

12^2. to your.

18^2. wi _for_ in.

#K.#

3^3. far far _should probably be_ forth, _as in_ #J#; _possibly_ forth for.

#L.#

12^{3,4}, 13^{1,2}. _Compare Logan’s_ Braes of Yarrow.

They sought him east, they sought him west, They sought him all the forest thorough; They only saw the cloud of night They only heard the roar of Yarrow.

#O.#

“A fragment, to the tune of Leaderhaughs and Yarrow.”

215

RARE WILLIE DROWNED IN YARROW, OR, THE WATER O GAMRIE

#A.# ‘Willy’s rare and Willy’s fair,’ Thomson’s Orpheus Caledonius, II, 110, 1733.

#B. a.# Cromek’s Select Scotish Songs, 1810, II, 196. #b.# Stenhouse, Musical Museum, 1853, IV, 464.

#C.# ‘The Dowie Dens o Yarrow,’ Gibb MS., p. 37.

#D.# Skene MS., p. 47.

#E.# ‘Willie’s drowned in Gamery,’ Buchan’s Ballads of the North of Scotland, I, 245.

#F.# ‘The Water o Gamery,’ Buchan’s MSS, II, 159. Dixon, Scottish Traditional Versions of Ancient Ballads, p. 66, Percy Society, vol. xvii.

#G.# ‘The Water o Ganrie,’ Motherwell’s MS., p. 637.

#H.# ‘The Water o Gemrie,’ Campbell MSS, II, 78.

#A# was inserted in the fourth volume of The Tea-Table Miscellany, and stands in the edition of 1763 at p. 321, ‘Rare Willie drowned in Yarrow,’ It is given in Herd’s Ancient and Modern Scots Songs, 1769, p. 197 (with two or three trifling changes); in Johnson’s Museum, p. 542, No 525. #F# is epitomized in Christie’s Traditional Ballad Airs, I, 66, “with some changes from the way the editor has heard it sung.”

The fragment in Cromek’s Select Scotish Songs, 1810, II, 196, sent by Burns in a letter to William Tytler, 1790, belongs, as already said, mostly with ‘The Duke of Athole’s Nurse,’ but has two stanzas of ‘Willie drowned in Yarrow’ (#B#).

‘The Braes of Yarrow,’ Ritson’s Scotish Song, I, 154, composed upon the story of this ballad by the Rev. John Logan (1748–88), has two of the original lines (nearly):

They sought him east, they sought him west, They sought him all the forest thorough.

Willie is drowned in Yarrow according to the older (southern) tradition, #A#; also #B#, #C#. In the northern copies, #D#, #E#, #F#, with which #G#, #H#, agree, the scene is transferred to Gamrie, on the coast of the Moray Frith, where, as Christie remarks, “there is no water that Willie could have been drowned in but the sea, on his way along the sands to the old kirk.”[109] In the ballad which follows this, a western variety of the same story, Willie is drowned in the Clyde.

#C# 2, 3, 5, 6, belong to the preceding ballad, and 4 is common to that and this.

#A# 2 would come in better at the end of the story (as it does in #C#, a copy of slight authority), if it might properly find a place anywhere in the ballad. But this stanza suits only a woman who has been for some time living with her husband. A woman on her wedding-day could have no call to make her bed broad in her mother’s house, whether yestreen or the morrow. I therefore conclude that #A# 2 does not belong to this ballad.[110]

#D-H.# Rare Willie has promised to marry Meggie, #E# (also #A#, #C#, #D#). His mother would give her the wale of all her other sons, but not Willie; she will have him only; #D#, #E# (cf. #G# 1). The bridegroom, with a large company, is mounted to ride for the bride; he tells his friends to go forward, he has forgotten to ask his mother’s blessing; #D#, #E#, #F#, #H#. He receives the blessing, #D#, #F#, #H#; her blessing goes not with him, #G#; he gets her heavy curse, #E#; even in #F# his mother, after giving her blessing, says that he will never see his wedding. (The mother’s curse is the characteristic feature of the next following ballad.) The bridal party come to the river, or burn, of Gamrie; all the others pass the stream safely, but Willie is washed from his saddle, #D-H#. The rest ride on to the kirk of Gamrie. The bride asks where is the man who was to marry her, and is told that Willie is drowned. She tears the ribbons from her hair and runs to the river, plunges in, and finds Willie in the deepest pot, the middle, the deepest weil. She will make her bed with him in Gamrie; both mothers shall be alike sorry; #D-G#.

In #H#, Willie’s horse comes home with an empty saddle. His mother is sure that her son is dead; her daughter tries in vain to persuade her that all is well; Meggie takes her lover’s body from the river and lays it on the grass; she will sleep with him in the same grave at Gamrie.

In #A#, #B#, the drowned body is found in the cleft of a rock, the clifting or clintin of a craig; in #C# 4 neath a buss of brume, that stanza belonging, as most of the copy does, to the preceding ballad; cf. #J# 14, #K# 11 of No 214. The bride ties three links of her hair, which is three quarters long, round Willie’s waist, and draws him out of the water, #B# 2, #C# 5; for the hair, cf. No 214, where also it is not advantageously used. The bride’s tearing the ribbons from her head, #D# 12, #E# 15, #F# 8, #G# 7, #H# 14, is found also in No 214, #D# 11, #I# 12, but is inappropriate there. A brother, brother John, whether the man’s or the woman’s, tells the bad news in No 214, #A# 11, #E# 9, #I# 8, #L# 11, #N# 9, 10, as here #D# 11, #E# 14, #F# 7, #G# 6, #H# 13.

‘Annan Water,’ a ballad in which a lover is drowned on his way to visit his mistress, is given in an appendix.

* * * * *

A

Thomson’s Orpheus Caledonius, II, 110, 1733.

1 ‘Willy’s rare, and Willy’s fair, And Willy’s wondrous bony, And Willy heght to marry me, Gin eer he marryd ony.

2 ‘Yestreen I made my bed fu brade, The night I’ll make it narrow, For a’ the live-long winter’s night I lie twin’d of my marrow.

3 ‘O came you by yon water-side? Pu’d you the rose or lilly? Or came you by yon meadow green? Or saw you my sweet Willy?’

4 She sought him east, she sought him west, She sought him brade and narrow; Sine, in the clifting of a craig, She found him drownd in Yarrow.

* * * * *

B

#a.# Cromek’s Select Scotish Songs, 1810, II, 196; eighth and ninth stanzas of a fragment sent William Tytler by Burns in 1790. #b.# Stenhouse’s edition of the Musical Museum, 1853, IV, 464.

1 She sought him east, she sought him west, She sought him braid and narrow, Till in the clintin of a craig She found him drownd in Yarrow.

2 She’s taen three links of her yellow hair, That hung down lang and yellow, And she’s tied it about sweet Willie’s waist, An drawn him out o Yarrow.

* * * * *

C

Gibb MS., No 7, p. 37; from recitation. “Traced to Eppie Fraser, daughter of a tramp, and unable to read, _circa_ 1840.”

1 ‘Willie’s fair, an Willie’s rare, An Willie’s wondrous bonny, An Willie’s promised to marry me, If eer he marry ony.’

2 ‘O sister dear, I’ve dreamed a dream, I’m afraid it’s unco sorrow; I dreamed I was pu’in the heather green, In the dowie dens o Yarrow.’

3 ‘O sister dear, I’ll read your dream, I’m afraid it will be sorrow; Ye’ll get a letter ere it’s een Your lover’s drowned in Yarrow.’

4 She socht him up, she socht him doun, In mickle dule an sorrow; She found him neath a buss o brume, In the dowie dens o Yarrow.

5 Her hair it was three quarters lang, Its colour it was yallow; She tied it to his middle sma, An pu’ed him oot o Yarrow.

6 ‘My bed it was made wide yestreen, The nicht it sall be narrow; There’s neer a man lie by my side Since Willie’s drowned in Yarrow.’

* * * * *

D

Skene MS., p. 47; taken down from recitation in the north of Scotland, 1802–3.

1 ‘Willie’s fair, and Willie’s rare, An he is wondrous bonnie, An Willie has promist to marry me, Gin ever he marry ony.’

2 ‘Ye’s get Jammie, or ye’s [get] Johnnie, Or ye’s get bonny Peter; Ye’s get the wale o a’ my sons, But leave me Willie the writer.’

3 ‘I winna hae Jamie, I winna hae Johnie, I winna hae bonny Peter; I winna hae ony o a’ your sons, An I get na Willie the writer.’

4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . There was threescore and ten brisk young men Was boun to briddal-stool wi him:

5 ‘Ride on, ride on, my merry men a’, I forgot something behind me; I forgat my mither’s blessing, To hae to bride-stool wi me.’

6 ‘God’s blessin an mine gae wi ye, Willie, God’s blessing an mine gae wi ye; For ye’re nae ane hour but bare nineteen, Fan ye’re gauin to meet your Meggie.’

7 They rode on, and farther on, Till they came to the water of Gamrie, An they a’ wan safe through, Unless it was sweet Willie.

8 The first ae step that Willie’s horse steppit, He steppit to the bridle; The next ae step that Willie’s horse steppit, Toom grew Willie’s saddle.

9 They rod on, an farther on, Till they came to the kirk of Gamrie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10 Out spak the bonny bride, . . . . . . . ‘Whar is the man that’s to gie me his han This day at the kirk of Gamrie?’

11 Out spak his brother John, An O bat he was sorrie! ‘It fears me much, my bonny bride, He sleeps oure soun in Gamerie.’

12 The ribbons that were on her haír— An they were thick and monny— She rive them a’, let them down fa, An is on[to] the water o Gamerie.

13 She sought it up, she sought it down, She sought it braid and narrow; An in the deepest pot o Gamerie, There she got sweet Willie.

14 She has kissd his comely mouth, As she had done before [O]: ‘Baith our mithers sall be alike sorry, For we’s baith sleep in Gamery.’

* * * * *

E

Buchan’s Ballads of the North of Scotland, #I#, 245.

1 ‘O Willie is fair, and Willie is rare, And Willie is wondrous bonny, And Willie says he’ll marry me, Gin ever he marry ony.’

2 ‘O ye’se get James, or ye’se get George, Or ye’s get bonny Johnnie; Ye’se get the flower o a’ my sons, Gin ye’ll forsake my Willie.’

3 ‘O what care I for James or George, Or yet for bonny Peter? I dinna value their love a leek, An I getna Willie the writer.

4 ‘O Willie has a bonny hand, And dear but it is bonny!’ ‘He has nae mair for a’ his land; What woud ye do wi Willie?’

5 ‘O Willie has a bonny face, And dear but it is bonny!’ ‘But Willie has nae other grace; What woud ye do wi Willie?’

6 ‘Willie’s fair, and Willie’s rare, And Willie’s wondrous bonny; There’s nane wi him that can compare, I love him best of ony.’

7 On Wednesday, that fatal day, The people were convening; Besides all this, threescore and ten, To gang to the bride-steel wi him.

8 ‘Ride on, ride on, my merry men a’, I’ve forgot something behind me; I’ve forgot to get my mother’s blessing, To gae to the bride-steel wi me.’

9 ‘Your Peggy she’s but bare fifteen, And ye are scarcely twenty; The water o Gamery is wide and braid; My heavy curse gang wi thee!’

10 Then they rode on, and further on, Till they came on to Gamery; The wind was loud, the stream was proud, And wi the stream gaed Willie.

11 Then they rode on, and further on, Till they came to the kirk o Gamery; And every one on high horse sat, But Willie’s horse rade toomly.

12 When they were settled at that place, The people fell a mourning, And a council held amo them a’, But sair, sair wept Kinmundy.

13 Then out it speaks the bride hersell, Says, What means a’ this mourning? Where is the man amo them a’ That shoud gie me fair wedding?

14 Then out it speaks his brother John, Says, Meg, I’ll tell you plainly; The stream was strong, the clerk rade wrong, And Willie’s drownd in Gamery.

15 She put her hand up to her head, Where were the ribbons many; She rave them a’, let them down fa’, And straightway ran to Gamery.

16 She sought it up, she sought it down, Till she was wet and weary; And in the middle part o it, There she got her deary.

17 Then she stroakd back his yellow hair, And kissd his mou sae comely: ‘My mother’s heart’s be as wae as thine! We’se baith asleep in the water o Gamery.’

* * * * *

F

Buchan MSS, II, 159.

1 Whan Willie was in his saddle set, And all his merry men wi him, ‘Stay still, stay still, my merry men all, I’ve forgot something behind me.

2 ‘Gie me God’s blessing an yours, mither, To hae me on to Gamery; Gie me God’s blessing an yours, mither, To gae to the bride-stool wi me.’

3 ‘I’ll gie ye God’s blessing an mine, Willie, To hae you on to Gamery; Ye’s hae God’s blessing an mine, Willie, To gae to the bride-stool wi you.

4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ‘But Gamery it is wide and deep, An ye’ll never see your wedding;’

5 Some rede back, an some rede fore, An some rede on to Gamery; The bonniest knight’s saddle among them all Stood teem in the Water o Gamery.

6 Out it spake the bride hersell, Says, What makes all this riding? Where is the knight amongst you all Aught me this day for wedding?