19. But a' you lords of fair England, Come never to Scotland to seek a wife 20. They'll haik ye up, and settle ye by, Then gie ye frogs instead o' fish, JOHNIE ARMSTRONG 1. SUM speiks of lords, sum speiks of lairds, And sick lyke men of hie degrie; Of a gentleman I sing a sang, Sum tyme called Laird of Gilnockie. 2. The King he wrytes a luving letter, And he hath sent it to Johnie Armstrang, 3. The Eliots and Armstrangs did convene; 4. 'Make kinnen and capon ready, then, And venison in great plentie; We'll wellcum here our royal King; I hope he'll dine at Gilnockie!' 5. They ran their horse on the Langholme howm, 6. When Johnie cam' before the King, 7. 'May I find grace, my sovereign liege, 8. 'Away, away, thou traitor strang! And now I'll not begin wi' thee.' 9. 'Grant me my life, my liege, my King! 10. 'I'll gie thee a' these milk-white steids, And as mickle gude Inglish gilt, As four o' their braid backs dow bear.' 11. 'Away, away, thou traitor strang! Out o' my sight soon mayst thou be! And now I'll not begin wi' thee!’— 12. 'Grant me my life, my liege, my King! 13. 'These four-and-twenty mills complete 14. 'Away, away, thou traitor strang! And now I'll not begin wi' thee.' 15. 'Grant me my life, my liege, my King! 16. 'Away, away, thou traitor strang! Out o' my sight soon mayst thou be! I grantit never a traitor's life, And now I'll not begin wi' thee.'— 17. 'Grant me my life, my liege, my King! Out o' my sight soon mayst thou be! And now I'll not begin wi' thee.'- 20. 'Save a fat horse, and a fair woman, Twa bonny dogs to kill a deir; But England suld have found me meal and mault, Gif I had lived this hundred yeir! 21. 'She suld have found me meal and mault, And beef and mutton in a' plentie; But never a Scots wyfe could have said 22. 'To seik het water beneith cauld ice, I have asked grace at a graceless face, But there is nane for my men and me! 23. 'But had I kenn'd ere I cam' frae hame, I wad have keepit the Border side, 24. 'Wist England's King that I was ta'en, And on his breist bane brak a trie.' 25. John wore a girdle about his middle, Imbroider'd owre wi' burning gold, Bespangled wi' the same metal, Maist beautiful was to behold. 26. There hung nine targats at Johnie's hat, And ilk ane worth three hundred pound 'What wants that knave that a King suld have, But the sword of honour and the crown? 27. 'O where got thou these targats, Johnie, That blink sae brawlie abune thy brie?''I gat them in the field fechting, Where, cruel King, thou durst not be. 28. 'Had I my horse, and harness gude. And riding as I wont to be, |