Part 29

* * * * * *

* * * * *

#A.#

_Kinloch has made changes in MSS, VII, 19, which appear in his printed copy._

#C.#

2. “He goes on to describe his weed, promising to array her in flowers more gorgeously than Solomon in all his glory.”

4. “She continues, after the same style.”

220

THE BONNY LASS OF ANGLESEY

#A.# ‘The Bonny Lass of Anglesey,’ Herd’s MSS, I, 148; Herd’s Ancient and Modern Scottish Songs, 1776, II, 231.

#B.# ‘The Bonny Lass o Englessie’s Dance,’ Buchan’s Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 63.

This little ballad might perhaps rightfully have come in earlier, if I had known what to make of it. There is a resemblance, remarkable as far as it goes, to ‘Little Kirstin’s Dance,’ Grundtvig, V, 118, No 263. Here the dance is for a match; the lass asks what she is to have if she wins, and is promised fifteen (five) ploughs and a mill, and her choice of the king’s knights for a husband. In the Danish ballad (#A#), a king’s son, to induce Little Kirstin to dance before him, promises a succession of gifts, none of which avail until he plights his honor and troth. The remainder of the story is like the conclusion of ‘Gil Brenton,’ No 5: see especially I, 66. (Danish #A# is translated by Prior, III, 89, No 112.)

Kirstin tires out fifteen knights in Danish #A# 12, #B# 10, #D# 14 (in #C# 7 eleven); and a Kirstin tires out fifteen partners again in Grundtvig, No 126, #F# 32, No 245, #A# 16. In Norwegian versions of No 263, given by Grundtvig in an appendix, numbers are not specified; Kirstin in Norwegian #A# 6, #D# 18, tires out all the king’s knights.

Buchan quite frightens one by what he says of his version, II, 314: “It is altogether a political piece, and I do not wish to interfere much with it.”

* * * * *

A

Herd’s MSS, I, 148.

1 Our king he has a secret to tell, And ay well keepit it must be: The English lords are coming down To dance and win the victory.

2 Our king has cry’d a noble cry, And ay well keepit it must be: ‘Gar saddle ye, and bring to me The bonny lass of Anglesey.’

3 Up she starts, as white as the milk, Between him and his company: What is the thing I hae to ask, If I sould win the victory?’

4 ‘Fifteen ploughs but and a mill I gie thee till the day thou die, And the fairest knight in a’ my court To chuse thy husband for to be.’

5 She’s taen the fifteen lord[s] by the hand, Saying, ‘Will ye come dance with me?’ But on the morn at ten o’clock They gave it oer most shamefully.

6 Up then rais the fifteenth lord— I wat an angry man was he— Laid by frae him his belt and sword, And to the floor gaed manfully.

7 He said, ‘My feet shall be my dead Before she win the victory;’ But before ’twas ten o’clock at night He gaed it oer as shamefully.

* * * * *

B

Buchan’s Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 63.

1 Word has gane thro a’ this land, And O well noticed it maun be! The English lords are coming down To dance and gain the victorie.

2 The king has made a noble cry, And well attended it maun be: ‘Come saddle ye, and bring to me The bonny lass o Englessie.’

3 She started up, a’ dress’d in white, Between him and his companie; Said, What will ye gie, my royal liege, If I will dance this dance for thee?

4 ‘Five good ploughs but and a mill I’ll give you till the day ye die; The bravest knight in all my court, I’ll give, your husband for to be.’

5 She’s taen the first lord by the hand, Says, ‘Ye’ll rise up and dance wi me;’ But she made a’ these lords fifeteen To gie it up right shamefullie.

6 Then out it speaks a younger lord, Says, ‘Fye for shame! how can this be?’ He loosd his brand frae aff his side, Likewise his buckler frae his knee.

7 He sware his feet should be his dead Before he lost the victorie; He danc’d full fast, but tired at last, And gae it up as shamefullie.

* * * * *

#A.#

1^2, 2^2. we’ll keep it must and be.

221

KATHARINE JAFFRAY

#A. a.# ‘Katharine Jaffray,’ Herd’s MSS, I, 61, II, 56. #b.# The Aldine edition of Burns, 1839, III, 181, four stanzas.

#B.# ‘The Laird of Laminton,’ Herd’s MSS, I, 164, II, 58.

#C.# ‘Katherine Jaffarie,’ “Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy,” No 30, Abbotsford.

#D.# ‘The Laird of Laminton,’ “Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy,” No 3, Abbotsford.

#E.# ‘Cathrine Jaffray,’ Skene MS., p. 81.

#F.# ‘Catherine Janferry,’ Kinloch MSS, V, 315.

#G.# ‘Catharine Jaffery,’ Maidment’s North Countrie Garland, 1824, p. 34.

#H.# Kinloch MSS, V, 313.

#I.# Motherwell’s MS., p. 327.

#J.# ‘Catherine Johnson,’ Motherwell’s MS., p. 75; ‘Catherine Johnstone,’ Motherwell’s Minstrelsy, 1827, p. 225.

#K.# ‘Loch-in-var,’ Buchan’s Gleanings, 1825, p. 74.

#L.# Macmath MS., p. 72, two stanzas.

The ballad was first published by Sir Walter Scott, under the title ‘The Laird of Laminton,’ in the first edition of the Minstrelsy, 1802, I, 216. This copy was fashioned by the editor from two in Herd’s MSS, #A#, #B#. In later editions of the Minstrelsy (III, 122, 1833), the ballad was given, with the title Katharine Janfarie, “in a more perfect state, from several recited copies.” Twelve stanzas out of twenty-one, however, are repeated from the first edition. Much the larger part of what is not in Herd is taken from #C#; the name Lochinvar is adopted from #D#.[116] A few peculiar readings may be from copies now not known, or may be the editor’s.

The ballad in Christie, II, 16, is Scott’s later copy, with the omission of the 16th stanza. That in Nimmo’s Songs and Ballads of Clydesdale, p. 141, is #J#, from Motherwell’s Minstrelsy.

A Scots laird wooes a Scots maid and wins her favor. An English laird or lord, very liberal as to gowd and gear, comes to court the same lass, gains the consent of her friends (who had at least made no opposition to the earlier suit), and sets the wedding-day. The first lover comes to the wedding, backed by a strong body of armed men, whom he keeps out of sight. He is asked why he has come; it is for a sight of the bride or a word with her, or to take a glass of wine with her or the bridegroom, and this had he will go away. Getting near the bride on this pretence, he swings her on to his horse and is off. A bloody fight follows, but the bride is not retrieved. Englishmen may take warning by this not to seek wives in Scotland; it will always end in their being tricked and balked.

The attitude of the young woman to her first lover is not distinctly brought out in several copies. That she had jilted him in favor of a wealthier Englishman would probably not lessen the Scot’s pleasure in carrying her off. In #E# 18, she does not go willingly; she greets and wrings her hands, and says it’s foul play.[117] In #F# 2, #G# 2, the first lover openly charges her with changing and foul play, and such is the implication in #E# 13. In #B# 14, the bride, seeing the bloodshed, exclaims, Wae’s me for foul play! and her lover replies, Wae to your wilful will for causing so much good blood to be spilt! from which we must infer a fault on her part. #I# 2 has the ambiguous line ‘and his love drew away,’ which cannot be interpreted to mean that the first lover was inconstant without flying in the face of all the other copies. #D#, #J#, #K#, unequivocally represent the lass as faithful to her first love. The bridegroom, in these versions, arranges the match with the family, and does not mention the matter to the lass until the wedding-day: so in #C#, #H#.[118] She sends word to her lover that if he will come for her she will go with him, #D#; writes ‘to let him understand,’ #J#, #K#, and not to pay him the cold compliment of an invitation to see her wed the man that has supplanted him, as in #B# 3, #E# 5,#F# 5, #I# 3.

In #E# 7–9, while the first lover is drinking with his comrades they incite him to carry off the bride on her wedding-day; so #G# 6, without explanation of the circumstances. In #E# 7–9, 12–15, he goes to the bridal-house, and sitting at a table vents words which the other guests cannot understand: there was a young man who loved a lass that to-day goes another man’s bride, and plays her old love foul play; had _he_ been so served, he would take the bride away. Upon this the English ask if he wishes a fight. There is something of this in #B# 7–10, #F# 13, 14, #G# 11–14.

The lover would wish to keep the strong body of men that he had brought with him quite in the background until their cue came. When, therefore, in #I# 8, 9, the bridegroom’s friends ask him what was that troop of younkers they had seen, he puts them off with the phrase, It must have been the Fairy Court; so in #L#. In #B# 5, 6 (where a stanza, and more, has dropped out), when the bridegroom sees this troop from a high window, the bride (from incredulity, it must be, and not because she is in concert with her old lover) says he must have seen the Fairy Court. #G# 15, 16, where the phrase comes in again, seems to have suffered corruption; any way, the passage is not quite intelligible to me.

Katharine Jaffray (Jamphray, Janfarie) is the lass’s name in #A#, #C-G#, #K#, #L#; Katharine Johnstone[119] in #J#; in #B#, #H#, #I#, she is nameless.

The lover is Lochinvar in #E#, #F#, #G#, #I#, #K#, #L# (note); Lamington in #D#, #H#, #J#; Lauderdale in #A#, #C#; he has no name in #B#. The bridegroom is Lochinvar in #D#, #H#; Lamington in #B#, Lymington, #K#; Lauderdale in #F#, #G#; Lochinton #A#, Lamendall #E#, Limberdale #I# (obvious mixtures of the preceding); Faughanwood in #C#; in #J# he has no name. The bridegroom should be an Englishman, but Lochinvar, Lamington, and Lauderdale are all south-Scottish names. #B# puts a Scot from the North Country in place of the titular Englishman of the other copies, but this Norland man is laird of Lamington.

The place of the fight is Cadan bank and Cadan brae, #C#, #D#; Cowden bank (banks) and Cowden brae (braes), #A#, #H#, #J#, the variation being perhaps due to the very familiar Cowdenknows; Callien, Caylin, Caley bank (buss) and brae, in #E#, #I#, #F#; Foudlin dyke and Foudlin stane in #K#. No place is named in #B#, #G#[120]. In #I#, the lass lives in Bordershellin.

A copy from the recitation of a young Irishwoman living in Taunton, Massachusetts (learned from print, I suppose, and in parts imperfectly remembered), puts the scene of the story at Edenborough town. A squire of high degree had courted a comely country girl. When her father came to hear of this, he was an angry man, and “requested of his daughter dear to suit his company,” or to match within her degree. The only son of a farmer in the east had courted this girl until he thought he had won her, and had got the consent of her father and mother. The girl writes the squire a letter to tell him that she is to be married to the farmer’s son. He writes in answer that she must dress in green at her wedding (a color which no Scots girl would wear, for ill luck), and he will wear a suit of the same, and wed her ‘in spite of all that’s there.’ He mounts eight squire-men on milk-white steeds, and rides ‘to the wedding-house, with the company dressed in green.’ (See the note to #L#.)

‘O welcome you, fair welcome! And where have you spent all day? Or did you see those gentlemen That rode along this way?’

He looked at her and scoffed at her, He smiled and this did say, ‘They might have been some fairy troops, That rode along this way.’

She fills him a glass of new port wine, which he drinks to all the company, saying, Happy is the man that is called the groom, but another may love her as well as he and take her from his side.

Up spoke the intended groom, And an angry man was he, Saying, If it is to fight that you came here, I am the man for thee.

‘It is not to fight that I came here, But friendship for to show; So give me one kiss from your lovely bride, And away from you I’ll go.’

He took her by the waist so small, And by the grass-green sleeve; He took her out of the wedding-house, Of the company asked no leave.

The drums did beat and the trumpets sound, Most glorious to be seen, And then away to Edenborough town, With the company dressed in green.

Scott’s Lochinvar, in the fifth canto of Marmion, was modelled on ‘Katharine Jaffray.’

Another ballad (but a much later and inferior) in which a lover carries off a bride on her wedding-day is ‘Lord William,’ otherwise ‘Lord Lundy,’ to be given further on.

A Norse ballad of the same description is ‘Magnus Algotsøn,’ Grundtvig, No 181, III, 734,[121] Syv, No 77,==‘Ungen Essendal,’ Kristensen, Jydske Folkeminder, I, 104, No 41, ‘Hr. Essendal,’ X, 247, No 61, A, B. Syv’s version is translated by Jamieson, Illustrations of Northern Antiquities, p. 335.

Scott’s ballad is translated by Schubart, p. 198, Doenniges, p. 15. Knortz, Schottische Balladen, p. 65, translates Aytoun.

* * * * *

A

#a.# Herd’s MSS, I, 61, II, 56. #b.# The Aldine edition of Burns’s Poems, by Sir Harris Nicolas, 1839, III, 181, from Burns’s autograph.

1 There livd a lass in yonder dale, And doun in yonder glen, O And Kathrine Jaffray was her name, Well known by many men. O

2 Out came the Laird of Lauderdale, Out frae the South Countrie, All for to court this pretty maid, Her bridegroom for to be.

3 He has teld her father and mither baith, And a’ the rest o her kin, And has teld the lass hersell, And her consent has win.

4 Then came the Laird of Lochinton, Out frae the English border, All for to court this pretty maid, Well mounted in good order.

5 He’s teld her father and mither baith, As I hear sindry say, But he has nae teld the lass her sell, Till on her wedding day.

6 When day was set, and friends were met, And married to be, Lord Lauderdale came to the place, The bridal for to see.

7 ‘O are you came for sport, young man: Or are you come for play? Or are you come for a sight o our bride, Just on her wedding day?’

8 ‘I’m nouther come for sport,’ he says, ‘Nor am I come for play; But if I had one sight o your bride, I’ll mount and ride away.’

9 There was a glass of the red wine Filld up them atween, And ay she drank to Lauderdale, Wha her true-love had been.

10 Then he took her by the milk-white hand, And by the grass-green sleeve, And he mounted her high behind him there, At the bridegroom he askt nae leive.

11 Then the blude run down by the Cowden Banks, And down by Cowden Braes, And ay she gard the trumpet sound, ‘O this is foul, foul play!’

12 Now a’ ye that in England are, Or are in England born, Come nere to Scotland to court a lass, Or else ye’l get the scorn.

13 They haik ye up and settle ye by, Till on your wedding day, And gie ye frogs instead o fish, And play ye foul, foul play.

* * * * *

B

Herd’s MSS, I, 164, II, 58.

1 The gallant laird of Lamington Cam frae the North Countree To court a gallant gay lady, And wi presents entered he.

2 He neither stood for gould nor gear— For she was a well-fared may— And whan he got her friends’ consent He set the wedding-day.

3 She’s sent unto her first fere love, Gin he would come to see, And he has sent word back again Weel ans_were_d should she be.

4 He has sent a mess_en_g_e_r Right quietly throe the land, Wi mony armed men, To be at his command.

5 The bridegroom looked out at a high window, Beheld baith dool and doon, And there he spied her first fere love, Come riding to the toun.

6 She scoffed and she scorned him, Upo the wedding-day, And said it had been the Fairy Court That he had seen in array.

7 But as he sat at yon table-head, Amo yon gentlemen, And he began to speak some words That na ane there could ken.

8 ‘There is a lass into this town— She is a weel-far’d may— She is another man’s bride today, But she’ll play him foul play.’

9 Up did start the bonny bridegroom, His hat into his hand, . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10 ‘O cam you here, young man, to fight? Or came you here to flee? Or cam you here to drink good wine, And be good company?’

11 They filled a cup o good red wine, Drunk out between them twa: ‘For one dance wi your bonny bride, I shall gae hame my wa.’

12 He’s taen her by the milk-white hand, And by the grass-green sleeve, He’s mounted her high behind himself, At her kin’s speired nae leave.

13 Now . . . . . . And swords flew in the skies, And droop and drowsie was the blood Ran our yon lilly braes.

14 The blood ran our the lilly bank, And our the lilly brae, And sighing said the bonny bride, ‘A, wae’s me for foul play!’

15 ‘My blessing on your heart, sweet thing, Wae to your wilfu will! So many a gallant gentleman’s blood This day as ye’ve garred spill.

16 ‘But a’ you that is norland men, If you be norland born, Come never south to wed a bryde, For they’ll play you the scorn.

17 ‘They will play you the scorn Upo your wedding-day, And gie you frogs instead o fish, And do you foul, foul play.’

* * * * *

C

“Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy,” No 30, Abbotsford. Sent Scott by William Laidlaw, in September, 1802; obtained by him from Jean Scott.

1 There leeft a may, an a weel-far’d may, High, high up in yon glen; O Her name was Katarine Janfarie, She was courtit by monie men. O

2 Up then cam Lord Lauderdale, Up thrae the Lawland border, And he has come to court this may, A’ mountit in gude order.

3 He’s telld her father, he’s telld her mother, An a’ the lave o her kin, An he has telld the bonnie lass hersel, An has her favour win.

4 Out then cam Lord Faughanwood, Out frae the English border, An for to court this well-far’d may, A’ mountit in gude order.

5 He telld her father, he telld her mother, An a’ the rest o her kin, But he neer telld the bonnie lass hersell Till on her waddin-een.

6 When they war a’ at denner set, Drinkin the bluid-red wine, ’Twas up then cam Lord Lauderdale, The bridegroom soud hae been.

7 Up then spak Lord Faughanwood, An he spak very slee: ‘O are ye come for sport?’ he says, ‘Or are ye come for play? Or are ye come for a kiss o our bride, An the morn her waddin-day?’

8 ‘O I’m no come for ought,’ he says, ‘But for some sport or play; An ae word o yer bonnie bride, Than I’ll horse an ride away.’

9 She filld a cup o the gude red wine, She filld it to the ee: ‘Here’s a health to you, Lord Lauderdale, An a’ your companie.’

10 She filld a cup o the gude red wine, She filld it to the brim: ‘Here’s a health to you, Lord Lauderdale, My bridegroom should hae been.’

11 He’s taen her by the milk-white hand, And by the gars-green sleeve, An he has mountit her behind him, O the bridegroom spierd nae leave.

12 ‘It’[s] now take yer bride, Lord Faughanwood, Now take her an ye may; But if ye take yer bride again We will ca it foul play.’

13 There war four a twenty bonnie boys, A’ clad i the simple gray; They said the wad take their bride again, By the strang hand an the may.

14 Some o them were fu willin men, But they war na willin a’; Sae four an twentie ladies gay Bade them ride on their way.

15 The bluid ran down by the Cadan bank, An in by the Cadan brae, An ther the gard the piper play It was a’ for foul, foul play.

16 A’ ye lords in fair England That live by the English border, Gang never to Scotland to seek a wife, Or than ye’ll get the scorn.

17 They’ll keep ye up i temper guid Untill yer wadin-day, They’ll thraw ye frogs instead o fish, An steal your bride away.

* * * * *

D

“Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy,” No. 3, Abbotsford. Sent Scott September 11, 1802, by William Laidlaw; received by him from Mr Bartram of Biggar.

1 There lives a lass into yon bank, She lives hersell alone, Her name is Kathrine Jamphray, Well known by many a one.

2 Than came the Laird of Lamington, It’s frae the West Countrie, And for to court this bonnie may, Her bridegroom hopes to be.

3 He asked at her father, sae did he at her mother, And the chief of all her kin, But still he askd the lass hersell, Till he had her true love won.

4 At length the Laird of Lachenware Came from the English border, And for to court this bonnie bride, Was mounted in good order.

5 He asked at her father, sae did he at her mother, As I heard many say, But he never loot the lassie wit Till on her wedding-day.

6 She sent a spy into the west Where Lamington might be, That an he wad come and meet wi her That she wad with him gae.

7 They taen her on to Lachenware, As they have thought it meet; They taen her on to Lachanware, The wedding to compleat.

8 When they came to Lachanware, And near-han by the town, There was a dinner-making, Wi great mirth and renown.

9 Lamington has mounted twenty-four wiel-wight men, Well mounted in array, And he’s away to see his bonnie bride, Just on her wedding-day.

10 When she came out into the green, Amang her company, Says, ‘Lamington and Lachanware This day shall fight for me.’

11 When he came to Lachanware, And lighted on the green, There was a cup of good red wine Was filled them between, And ay she drank to Lamington, Her former love who’d been.

12 It’s out and spake the bridegroom, And a angrie man was he: ‘It’s wha is this, my bonnie bride, That ye loe better than me?

13 ‘It’s came you here for sport, young man? Or came you here for play? Or came you for a sight of my bonnie bride, Upon her wedding-day?’

14 ‘I came not here for sport,’ he says, ‘Nor came I here for play; But an I had ae word of your bride, I’ll horse and gae my way.’

15 The first time that he calld on her, Her answer was him Nay; But the next time that he calld on her, She was not slow to gae.

16 He took her by the milk-white hand, And by the grass-green sleeve, He’s pulld her on behind him, At the bridegroom speard nae leave.

17 The blood ran up the Caden bank, And down the Caden brae, And ay she bade the trumpet sound ‘It’s a’ for foul, foul play.’

18 ‘I wonder o you English squires, That are in England born, That ye come to court our Scots lasses, For fear ye get the scorn.

19 ‘For fear you get the scorn,’ she says, ‘Upon y_ou_r wedding-day; They’ll gee you frogs instead of fish, And take your bride away.’

20 Fair fa the lads of Lamington, Has taen their bride away! They’ll set them up in temper wood And scorn you all day.

* * * * *

E

Skene MS., p. 81; taken down in the north of Scotland, 1802–3.

1 Bonny Cathrin Jaffray, That proper maid sae fare, She has loved young Lochinvar, She made him no compare.

2 He courted her the live-long winter-night, Sae has he the simmer’s day; He has courted her sae long Till he sta her heart away.