"O were there war between the lands, "I would set that castell in a low, "But since nae war's between the lands, And there is peace, and peace should be; I'll neither harm English lad or lass, And yet the Kinmont freed shall be!" He has called him forty Marchmen bauld, Were kinsmen to the bauld Buccleuch; Wi' spur on heel, and splent on spauld, And gleuves of green, and feathers blue. There were five and five before them a', And five and five, like a mason-gang, And so they reached the Woodhouselee. And as we crossed the Bateable Land, When to the English side we held, The first o' men that we met wi', "Where be ye gaun, ye hunters keen?" Quo' fause Sakelde; "come tell to me!" "We go to hunt an English stag, Has trespassed on the Scots countrie." "Where be ye gaun, ye marshal men?" Has broken faith wi' the bauld Buccleuch." "Where be ye gaun, ye mason lads, Wi' a' your ladders, lang and hie?" "We gang to harry a corbie's nest, That wons not far frae Woodhouselee." "Where be ye gaun, ye broken men?" "Why trespass ye on the English side? Row-footed outlaws, stand!" quo' he; The nevir a word had Dickie to say, Sae he thrust the lance through his fause bodie. Then on we held for Carlisle toun, And at Staneshaw-bank the Eden we crossed; The water was great and meikle of spait, And when we reached the Staneshaw-bank, And when we left the Staneshaw-bank, But 'twas wind and weet, and fire and sleet, We crept on knees, and held our breath, And sae ready was Buccleuch himsell He has ta'en the watchman by the throat, He flung him down upon the lead "Had there not been peace between our lands, Upon the other side thou hadst gaed! "Now sound out, trumpets!" quo' Buccleuch; "Let's waken Lord Scroope right merrilie!" Then loud the warden's trumpet blew— O wha dare meddle wi' me? Then speedilie to wark we gaed, And raised the slogan ane and a', And cut a hole through a sheet of lead, And so we wan to the castle ha'. They thought King James and a' his men It was but twenty Scots and ten, Wi' coulters, and wi' forehammers, Where Willie o' Kinmont he did lie. And when we cam to the lower prison, “O I sleep saft, and I wake aft: It's lang since sleeping was fleyed frae me! Gie my service back to my wife and bairns, And a' gude fellows that spier for me." Then red Rowan has hente him up, "Abide, abide now, Red Rowan, Till of my Lord Scroope I take farewell. "Farewell, farewell, my gude Lord Scroope! My gude Lord Scroope, farewell!" he cried"I'll pay you for my lodging mail, When first we meet on the Border side." Then shoulder high, with shout and cry, "O mony a time," quo' Kinmont Willie, "And mony a time," quo' Kinmont Willie, We scarce had won the Staneshaw-bank Buccleuch has turned to Eden Water, Even where it flowed frae bank to brim, And he has plunged in wi' a' his band, And safely swam them through the stream. He turned him on the other side, And at Lord Scroope his glove flung he; "If ye like na my visit in merry England, In fair Scotland come visit me!" All sore astonished stood Lord Scroope, He scarcely dared to trust his eyes, When through the water they had gane. "He is either himsell a devil frae hell, Or else his mother a witch maun be; I wadna have ridden that wan water For a' the gowd in Christentie." Unknown THE DOWIE HOUMS OF YARROW LATE at een, drinkin' the wine, And ere they paid the lawin', They set a combat them between To fight it in the dawin'. "O stay at hame, my noble lord! O stay at hame, my marrow! My cruel brother will you betray, On the dowie houms o' Yarrow." "O fare ye weel, my lady gay! For I maun gae, though I ne'er return She kissed his cheek, she kamed his hair, She belted on his noble brand, O he's gane up yon high, high hill— "O are ye come to drink the wine, On the dowie houms o' Yarrow?" "I am no come to drink the wine, As I hae don before, O, But I am come to wield the brand, On the dowie houms o' Yarrow." |