Part 28

30 ‘O well do I mind, kind sir,’ she said, ‘As ye rode over the hill; Ye took frae me my maidenhead, Fell sair against my will. ‘O the broom, the bonny, bonny broom, The broom o the Cowdenknowes! And aye sae sair as I rue the day I met you, milking my ewes.

31 ‘And aye as ye spake, ye lifted your hat, Ye had a merry winking ee; I ken you well to be the man, Then kind sir, O pity me!’

32 ‘Win up, win up, fair maiden,’ he said, ‘Nae langer here ye’ll stay; This night ye ‘se be my wedded wife, Without any more delay.’

33 He lighted aff his milk-white steed And set the lassie on; ‘Ca in your kye, auld man,’ he did say, ‘She’ll neer ca them in again.

34 ‘I am the Earl o the Rock-rivers, Hae fifty ploughs and three, And am sure I’ve chosen the fairest maid That ever my eyes did see.’

35 Then he stript her o the robes o grey, Donned her in the robes o green, And when she came to her lord’s ha They took her to be some queen. O the broom, the bonny, bonny broom, The broom o the Cowdenknowes! And aye sae sweet as the bonny lassie sang, That ever she milked the ewes.

* * * * *

N

Kinloch MSS, I, 145; from Mary Barr.

1 O there war a troop o merry gentlemen Cam riding oure the knowes, And they hear the voice o a bonny lass, In the buchts, milking the yowes.

2 ‘O save thee, O save thee, my bonnie may! O saved may ye be! My steed he has riden wrang, Fain wad I ken the way.’

3 She has tane the steed by the bridle-reins, Has led him till the way, And he has tane out three gowd rings, Gien them to that bonnie may.

4 And he has tane her by the milk-white hand And by the gerss-green sleeve, And he laid her doun on the side o yon hill, At her daddie speird na leave.

5 Now she has hame to her father gane, Her father did her blame: ‘O whare hae ye been, my ae dochter? For ye hae na been your lane.’

6 ‘O the nicht is mirk, and very, very wet, Ye may gang to the door and see; O there’s nabody been wi me, father, There’s nabody been wi me.

7 ‘But there cam a tod to your bucht, father, The like o him I neer saw; Afore you’d gien him the lamb that he took, Ye’d rather hae gien them a’.

8 ‘O wae be to my father’s sheep-hird, An ill death may he dee! For bigging the bucht sae nar the road, Let the Lochinvar to me!’

9 She’s tane her pig and her cog in her hand, And she’s gane to milk the kye; But ere she was aware, the Laird o Lochinvar Cam riding in the way.

10 ‘O save thee, O save thee, my bonnie may! I wish ye may be sound; O save thee, O save thee, my bonnie may! What maks thy belly sae round?’

11 O she has turnd hersel round about, And she within her thoucht shame: ‘O it’s nabody’s wills wi me, kind sir, For I hae a gudeman o my ain.’

12 ‘Ye lee, ye lee, my bonnie may, Weel do I ken ye lee! For dinna ye mind o the three gowd rings I gied ye o the new moneye?’

13 ‘O weel do I mind thee, kind sir, O weel do I mind thee; For ae whan ye spak ye lifted up your hat, And ye had a bonnie twinklin ee.’

14 ‘O ye need na toil yoursel, my dear, Neither to card nor to spin; For there’s ten pieces I gie unto thee; Keep them for your lying in.’

15 Now she has hame to her father gane, As fast as she could hie; And she was na weel crownd wi joy Till her auld son gat she.

16 But she’ll na tell the daddie o it Till father nor to mither, And she’ll na tell the daddie o it To sister nor to brither. 17 And word is to the Lochinvar, And word is to him gane, That sic a tenant’s dochter Has born a bastard son:

18 And she’ll na tell the daddie o it To father nor to mither, And she’ll na tell the daddie o it Till sister nor to brither.

19 ‘O weel do I ken the reason o that, And the reason weel do I ken; O weel ken I the reason o that; It’s to some o her father’s men.

20 ‘But I will awa to Littlejohn’s house, Shule them out o the door; For there’s na tenant on a’ my land Shall harbour an arrant hure.’

21 Then out and spak the house-keeper, ‘Ye’d better lat her abee; For an onie harm befa this may, A’ the wyte will be on me.’

22 O he has turnd himsel round about, Within himsel thoucht he ‘Better do I loe her little finger Than a’ thy haill bodie.

23 ‘Gae saddle to me my six coach-mares, Put a’ their harness on, And I will awa to Littlejohn’s house For reports o this bastard son.’

24 Now whan he cam to Littlejohn’s house, Littlejohn was at the door: ‘Ye rascal, ye rogue, ye impudent dog, Will ye harbour an arrant hure!’

25 ‘O pardon me, my sovereign liege, O pardon me, I pray; Oh that the nicht that she was born She’d deed the very neist day!’

26 But he is in to his bonnie lassie gane, And has bolted the door behind, And there he has kissd his bonnie lassie sweet, It’s over and over again.

27 ‘Ye did weel, ye did weel, my bonnie may, To keep the secret twixt me and thee; For I am the laird o the Ochilberry swair, The lady o ‘t I’ll mak thee.

28 ‘Come doun, come doun, now gentlemen a’, And set this fair lady on; Mither, ye may milk the ewes as ye will, For she’ll neer milk them again.

29 ‘For I am the laird o the Ochilberry swair, O thirty plows and three, And I hae gotten the bonniest may That’s in a’ the south countrie.’

* * * * *

#B.# #a.#

6 _should probably come before_ 5.

9^2. Whare.

#b.#

2^2. lassie shew.

5^1. But when twenty weeks were.

5^2. O twenty weeks and three.

5^3. lassie began to grow pale and wan.

6^1. father’s herd. 6^4. And wadna bide wi me.

9^2. loud’s.

11. He was the laird of Auchentrone, With fifty ploughs and three, And he has gotten the bonniest lass In a’ the south countrie.

#C.#

3^3. if he.

_Kinloch has made changes in his printed copy._

#D.#

1. Oh.

1^3. _Changed later to_ ay as she sang, her.

2^4. _Burden_: To see.

3^4. _Changed to_ out owr.

5^4. axit _in the burden_. 6^1. But quhan.

7^4. neer _inserted later after_ ye’ll.

_Burden_: It’s ye’ll see me.

8^1. purse-string _originally_. 8^3. in 3.

8^4. It will; t _seems to be crossed out_. I _in the burden_.

9^1. fit _originally_, _altered to_ fut, _or_ fot.

13^3. _Originally_, An afore the ane he took.

15^1. _Changed to_ and a bonnie simmer day.

16^{1,2}. Quha. 17^2. _Changed to_ Sae loud’s.

_The first stanza is given by Motherwell, Minstrelsy, Appendix, xvii, X, under the title_ ‘Ochiltree Walls,’ _with the variation_, O May, bonnie May.

#E.#

2^1. Oh.

#I.#

_Kinloch has made changes in his printed copy._

#J.#

11^4. thee _for_ me.

#L.#

4^4. fair. vain? _Cf._ #M#, 8^4.

APPENDIX

THE LOVELY NORTHERNE LASSE

#a.# Roxburghe Ballads, I, 190, in the Ballad Society’s reprint, ed. W. Chappell, I, 587. #b.# Rawlinson Ballads, 566, fol. 205.

#a# WAS printed at London for F. Coules, who, according to Mr Chappell, flourished during the last five years of James First’s reign and throughout that of Charles First: dated by Mr Bullen, 1640. #b# was printed for F. Coles, T. Vere, and J. Wright, 1655–80 (Chappell). There is another copy in the Euing collection, No 166, printed for Francis Coles in the Old Bayly, who may be the same person as the printer of #a#; and a fourth in the Douce collection, II, 137, _verso_, without printer’s name. A copy differing from #a# by only three words is given by R. H. Evans, Old Ballads, 1810, I, 88.

Burton, in the fifth edition of his Anatomy of Melancholy, Oxford, 1638, p. 536, says: “The very rusticks and hog-rubbers ... have their ballads, country tunes, O the broome, the bonny, bonny broome,” etc. (Chappell). This remark is not found in the fourth edition, Oxford, 1632, p. 544. Concerning the air, see Chappell’s Popular Music, pp. 458–61, 613, 783.

THE LOVELY NORTHERNE LASSE.

Who in this ditty, here complaining, shewes What harme she got, milking her dadyes ewes.

To a pleasant Scotch tune, called The broom of Cowden Knowes.

1 Through Liddersdale as lately I went, I musing on did passe; I heard a maid was discontent, she sighd, and said, Alas! _All maids that ever deceived was beare a part of these my woes, For once I was a bonny lasse, when I milkt my dadyes ewes. With, O the broome, the bonny broome, the broome of Cowdon Knowes! Faine would I be in the North Countrey, to milke my dadyes ewes._

2 ‘My love into the fields did come, when my dady was at home; Sugred words he gave me there, praisd me for such a one. His honey breath and lips so soft, and his alluring eye And tempting tong, hath woo’d me oft, now forces me to cry, _All maids_, &c.

3 ‘He joyed me with his pretty chat, so well discourse could he, Talking of this thing and of that, which greatly likëd me. I was so greatly taken with his speech, and with his comely making; He usëd all the meanes could be to inchant me with his speaking.

4 ‘In Danby Forest I was borne; my beauty did excell; My parents dearely lovëd me till my belly began to swell. I might have beene a prince’s peere when I came over the knoes, Till the shepherds boy beguilëd me, milking my dadyes ewes.

5 ‘When once I felt my belly swell, no longer might I abide; My mother put me out of doores, and bangd me backe and side. Then did I range the world so wide, wandering about the knoes, Cursing the boy that helpëd me to fold my dadyes ewes.

6 ‘Who would have thought a boy so young would have usd a maiden so As to allure her with his tongue, and then from her to goe? Which hath also procured my woe, to credit his faire shewes, Which now too late repent I doe, the milking of the ewes.

7 ‘I often since have wisht that I had never seen his face; I needed not thus mournefully have sighed, and said Alas! I might have matchëd with the best, as all the country knowes, Had I escaped the shepherds boy helpt me to fold my ewes.

8 ‘All maidens faire, then have a care when you a milking goe; Trust not to young men’s tempting tongues, that will deceive you so. Them you shall finde to be unkinde and glory in your woes; For the shepheards boy beguilëd mee folding my dadyes ewes.’

9 ‘If you your virgin honours keepe, esteeming of them deare, You need not then to waile and weepe, or your parents anger feare. As I have said, of them beware would glory in your woes; You then may sing with merry cheere, milking your dadyes ewes.’

10 A young man, hearing her complaint, did pity this her case, Saying to her, Sweet beautious saint, I grieve so faire a face Should sorrow so; then, sweeting, know, to ease thee of thy woes, Ile goe with thee to the North Country, to milke thy dadyes ewes.

11 ‘Leander like, I will remaine still constant to thee ever, As Piramus, or Troyalus, till death our lives shall sever. Let me be hated evermore, of all men that me knowes, If false to thee, sweet heart, I bee, milking thy dadyes ewes.’

12 Then modestly she did reply, ‘Might I so happy bee Of you to finde a husband kinde, and for to marrie me, Then to you I would during life continue constant still, And be a true, obedient wife, observing of your will. _With, O the broome, the bonny broome, the broome of Cowden Knoes! Faine would I be in the North Country, milking my dadyes ewes._

13 Thus, with a gentle soft imbrace, he tooke her in his armes, And with a kisse he smiling said, ‘Ile shield thee from all harmes, And instantly will marry thee, to ease thee of thy woes, And goe with thee to the North Country, to milke thy dadyes ewes.’ _With, O the broome, the bonny broome, the broome of Cowden Knoes! Faine would I be in the North Country, to milke my dadyes ewes._

* * * * *

#a.#

_After_ 7: The Second Part.

#b.#

_Title_: in the ditty.

2^1. field.

2^2. from home.

5^6. amongst _for_ about.

6^3. So to.

6^6. hath alas.

7. _Wanting._

8^5. Then.

9^1. virgins.

10^5. I know.

13^3. my _for_ thy.

13^9. With O the broom, &c.

218

THE FALSE LOVER WON BACK

#A.# ‘The Fause Lover,’ Buchan’s MSS, I, 114; Buchan’s Ballads of the North of Scotland, I, 268.

#B.# ‘The place where my love Johnny dwells,’ Christie’s Traditional Ballad Airs, I, 144.

A young man is deserting one maid for another. The object of his new fancy lives at a distance, and he is on his way to her. He is followed by his old love from stage to stage; he repelling her, and she tenderly remonstrating. His heart gradually softens; he buys her gifts from town to town, and though each time he bids her go back, he ends with buying her a wedding gown (ring) and marrying her.

Two pretty stanzas in #A#, 4, 5, seem not to belong to this story. The inconstant youth would have been only too glad to have the faithful maid look to other men, and gives her all liberty to do so. These two stanzas are first found in Herd’s MSS, I, 53, and in Herd’s Ancient and Modern Scottish Songs, 1776, II, 6, as follows:

False luve, and hae ye played me this, In the simmer, mid the flowers? I sall repay ye back agen, In the winter, mid the showers.

Bot again, dear luve, and again, dear luve, Will ye not turn again? As ye look to ither women, Sall I to ither men.

In a manuscript at Abbotsford, entitled Scottish Songs, 1795 (containing pieces dated up to 1806), fol. 69, they stand thus:

False luve, and hae ye played me this, In simmer amang the flowers? I shall repay you back agen In winter amang the showers.

Unless again, again, dear luve, But if ye turn agen, As ye look other women to, Sall I to other men.

Scott has put these verses, a little varied, into Davie Gellatley’s mouth, in the ninth chapter of ‘Waverley.’ The first, with a change, occurs also in ‘The Gardener,’ No 219, #A# 7, #B# 15, #C# 3.

#A# is translated by Rosa Warrens, Schottische Volkslieder, p. 141, No 32; by Gerhard, p. 114.

* * * * *

A

Buchan’s MSS, I, 114.

1 A Fair maid sat in her bower-door, Wringing her lily hands, And by it came a sprightly youth, Fast tripping oer the strands.

2 ‘Where gang ye, young John,’ she says, ‘Sae early in the day? It gars me think, by your fast trip, Your journey’s far away.’

3 He turnd about wi surly look, And said, What’s that to thee? I’m gaen to see a lovely maid, Mair fairer far than ye.

4 ‘Now hae ye playd me this, fause love, In simmer, mid the flowers? I shall repay ye back again, In winter, mid the showers.

5 ‘But again, dear love, and again, dear love, Will ye not turn again? For as ye look to other women, I shall to other men.’

6 ‘Make your choice of whom you please, For I my choice will have; I’ve chosen a maid more fair than thee, I never will deceive.’

7 But she’s kilt up her claithing fine, And after him gaed she; But aye he said, Ye’ll turn again, Nae farder gae wi me.

8 ‘But again, dear love, and again, dear love, Will ye never love me again? Alas for loving you sae well, And you nae me again!’

9 The first an town that they came till, He bought her brooch and ring; And aye he bade her turn again, And gang nae farder wi him.

10 ‘But again, dear love, and again, dear love, Will ye never love me again? Alas for loving you sae well, And you nae me again!’

11 The next an town that they came till, He bought her muff and gloves; But aye he bade her turn again, And choose some other loves.

12 ‘But again, dear love, and again, dear love, Will ye never love me again? Alas for loving you sae well, And you nae me again!’

13 The next an town that they came till, His heart it grew mair fain, And he was as deep in love wi her As she was ower again.

14 The next an town that they came till, He bought her wedding gown, And made her lady of ha’s and bowers, Into sweet Berwick town.

* * * * *

B

Christie’s Traditional Ballad Airs, I, 144; from the recitation of a woman born in Buchan.

1 The sun shines high on yonder hill, And low on yonder town; In the place where my love Johnny dwells, The sun gaes never down.

2 ‘O when will ye be back, bonny lad, O when will ye be hame?’ ‘When heather-hills are nine times brunt, And a’ grown green again.’

3 ‘O that’s ower lang awa, bonny lad, O that’s ower lang frae hame; For I’ll be dead and in my grave Ere ye come back again.’

4 He put his foot into the stirrup And said he maun go ride, But she kilted up her green claithing And said she woudna bide.

5 The firsten town that they came to, He bought her hose and sheen, And bade her rue and return again, And gang nae farther wi him.

6 ‘Ye likena me at a’, bonny lad, Ye likena me at a’;’ ‘It’s sair for you likes me sae weel And me nae you at a’.’

7 The nexten town that they came to, He bought her a braw new gown, And bade her rue and return again, And gang nae farther wi him.

8 The nexten town that they came to, He bought her a wedding ring, And bade her dry her rosy cheeks, And he would tak her wi him.

9 ‘O wae be to your bonny face, And your twa blinkin een! And wae be to your rosy cheeks! They’ve stown this heart o mine.

10 ‘There’s comfort for the comfortless, There’s honey for the bee; There’s comfort for the comfortless, There’s nane but you for me.’

* * * * *

#A.#

9^1. first and: come.

11^1, 13^1. next and.

_Variations in_ Buchan’s Ballads of the North of Scotland, I, 268.

5^4. Shall I.

6^1. your choose.

7^3. turn back.

7^4. gang.

11, 12. _Omitted._

13^3. as _wanting_.

14^4. In bonny Berwick.

219

THE GARDENER

#A.# Kinloch MSS, V, 47. ‘The Gardener,’ Kinloch MSS, VII, 19; Kinloch’s Ancient Scottish Ballads, p. 74.

#B.# ‘The Gardener Lad,’ Buchan’s Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 187.

#C.# Fragment communicated by Dr Thomas Davidson.

A gardener will apparel a maid from head to foot with flowers, if she will be his bride. He gets a wintry answer: the snow shall be his shirt, the wind his hat, the rain his coat.

#B# 1–6 is mere jargon, foisted into this pretty ballad as a preface.

#A# 7, #B# 15, #C# 3, is found, substantially, in the preceding ballad, and perhaps belonged originally to neither.

Freely translated from #A# and #B# by Rosa Warrens, Schottische Volkslieder, p. 134, No 30.

* * * * *

A

Kinloch MSS, V, 47, in the handwriting of James Beattie; from the recitation of his aunt, Miss Elizabeth Beattie.

1 The gardener stands in his bower-door, With a primrose in his hand, And by there came a leal maiden, As jimp ‘s a willow wand. And by, etc.

2 ‘O lady, can you fancy me, For to be my bride, You’ll get a’ the flowers in my garden, To be to you a weed.

3 ‘The lily white shall be your smock; Becomes your body neat; And your head shall be deckd with jelly-flower, And the primrose in your breast.

4 ‘Your gown shall be o the sweet-william, Your coat o camovine, And your apron o the salads neat, That taste baith sweet and fine.

5 ‘Your stockings shall be o the broad kail-blade, That is baith broad and long; And narrow, narrow at the coot, And broad, broad at the brawn.

6 ‘Your gloves shall be the marygold, All glittering to your hand, Well spread oer wi the blue blaewort, That grows in corn-land.’

7 ‘O fare you well, young man,’ she says, ‘Farewell, and I bid adieu; Since you’ve provided a weed for me, Among the summer flowers, Then I’ll provide another for you, Among the winter showers.

8 ‘The new-fallen snow to be your smock; Becomes your body neat; And your head shall be deckd with the eastern wind, And the cold rain on your breast.’

* * * * *

B

Buchan’s Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 187

1 All ye young men, I pray draw near, I’ll let you hear my mind Concerning those who fickle are, And inconstant as the wind.

2 A pretty maid who late livd here, And sweethearts many had, The gardener-lad he viewd them all, Just as they came and gaed.

3 The gardener-lad he viewd them all, But swore he had no skill: ‘If I were to go as oft to her, Ye surely would me kill.

4 ‘I’m sure she’s not a proper maid, I’m sure she is not tall;’ Another young man standing by, He said, Slight none at all.

5 ‘For we’re all come of woman,’ he said, ‘If ye woud call to mind, And to all women for her sake Ye surely should be kind.’

6 ‘The summer hours and warm showers Make the trees yield in the ground, And kindly words will woman win, And this maid I’ll surround.’

7 The maid then stood in her bower-door, As straight as ony wand, When by it came the gardener-lad, With his hat in his hand.

8 ‘Will ye live on fruit,’ he said? ‘Or will ye marry me? And amongst the flowers in my garden I’ll shape a weed for thee.’

9 ‘I will live on fruit,’ she says, ‘But I’ll never marry thee; For I can live without mankind, And without mankind I’ll die.’

10 ‘Ye shall not live without mankind, If ye’ll accept of me; For among the flowers in my garden I’ll shape a weed for thee.

11 ‘The lily white to be your smock; Becomes your body best; And the jelly-flower to be your quill, And the red rose in your breast.

12 ‘Your gown shall be o the pingo white, Your petticoat cammovine, Your apron o the seel o downs; Come smile, sweet heart o mine!

13 ‘Your shoes shall be o the gude rue red— Never did I garden ill— Your stockings o the mary mild; Come smile, sweet heart, your fill!

14 ‘Your gloves shall be o the green clover, Comes lockerin to your hand, Well dropped oer wi blue blavers, That grow among white land.’

15 ‘Young man, ye’ve shap’d a weed for me, In summer among your flowers; Now I will shape another for you, Among the winter showers.

16 ‘The snow so white shall be your shirt; It becomes your body best; The cold bleak wind to be your coat, And the cold wind in your breast.

17 ‘The steed that you shall ride upon Shall be o the weather snell, Well bridled wi the northern wind, And cold sharp showers o hail.

18 ‘The hat you on your head shall wear Shall be o the weather gray, And aye when you come into my sight I’ll wish you were away.’

* * * * *

C

Communicated from memory by Dr Thomas Davidson as learned in Old Deer, Aberdeenshire.

1 Burd Ellen stands in her bower-door, As straucht ‘s a hollan wand, And by it comes the gairdner-lad, Wi a red rose in his hand.

2 Says, I have shapen a weed for thee Amang my simmer flowers; . . . . . . . . . . . . .

* * * * * *

3 ‘Gin ye hae shapen a weed for me, Amang your simmer flowers, It’s I’ll repay ye back again, Amang the winter showers.

4 ‘The steed that ye sall ride upon Sall be o the frost sae snell, And I’ll saddle him wi the norlan winds, And some sharp showers o hail.’