“There the Outlaw keeps five hundred men, He keeps a royal companie! His merrymen in ae livery clad,

O' the Linkome green sae gay to see: He and his ladye in purple clad;

O gin they live not royallie !

'He says, yon forest is his own;

He wan it frae the Southronie ; Sae as he wan it, sae will he keep it, Contrair all kings in Christendie."

"Gar warn me Perthshire, and Angus baith; Fife up and down, and Lothians three, And graith my horse!" said our noble king,

For to Ettricke Forest hie will I me."

Then word is gane the Outlaw till,

In Ettricke Forest, where dwelleth he, That the king was coming to his cuntrie, To conquer baith his lands and he.

"I mak a vow," the Outlaw said,

"I mak a vow, and that trulie,

Were there but three men to tak my pairt,
Yon king's coming full dear suld be!"

Then messengers he called forth,
And bade them hie them speedilye-

"Ane of ye gae to Halliday,

The laird of the Corehead is he.

"He certain is my sister's son ;

Bid him come quick and succour me! The king comes on for Ettricke Forest, And landless men we a' will be."

"What news? What news?" said Halliday,
Man, frae thy master unto me?"
"Not as ye wad; seeking your aide;
The king's his mortal enemie."
"Aye, by my troth!" said Halliday,
"Even for that it repenteth me;
For gif he lose fair Ettricke Forest,
He'll tak fair Moffatdale frae me.

"I'll meet him wi' five hundred men,
And surely mair, if mae may be;
And before he gets the Forest fair,
We a' will die on Newark Lee!"

The Outlaw call'd a messenger,
And bid him hie him speedilye,
To Andrew Murray o' Cockpool—
"That man's a dear cousin to me;
Desire him come, and mak me aid,
With a' the power that he may be."
"It stands me hard," Andrew Murray said,
Judge gif it stand na hard wi' me.
To enter against a king wi' crown,
And set my lands in jeopardie!
Yet if I come not on the day,
Surely at night he sall me see."

To Sir James Murray of Traquair,
A message came right speedilye-

"What news? What news?" James Murray said,

66

Man, frae thy master unto me?"

"What needs I tell? for weel ye ken,

The king's his mortal enemie;

And now he is coming to Ettricke Forest,
And landless men ye a' will be."

And, by my troth," James Murray said, "Wi' that Outlaw will I live and die; The king has gifted my lands lang syneIt cannot be nae warse wi' me.'

The king was coming thro' Caddon Ford,*
And full five thousand men had he;
They saw the dark Forest them before,
They thought it awsome for to see.

Then spak the lord, hight Hamilton,
And to the noble king said he,
"My sovereign liege, some counsel take,
First at your nobles, syne at me.

"Desire him meet thee at Permanscore,
And bring four in his companie,
Five earls sall gang yoursell before,
Gude cause that you suld honour'd be.

"And gif he refuses to do that,

We'll conquer baith his lands and he; There sall never a Murray, after him, Hold land in Ettricke Forest free.'

Then spak the keen laird of Buckscleuth,

A stalworth man, and stern was he— "For a king to gang an Outlaw till,

Is beneath his state and his dignitie.

"The man that wons yon Forest intill,
He lives by reif and felonie!
Wherefore, brayd on, my sovereign liege!
Wi fire and sword we'll follow thee;
Or, gif your courtrie lords fa' back,

Our borderers sall the onset gie."

* A ford on the Tweed, at the mouth of the Caddon Burn, near Yair.

Then out and spak the noble king,

And round him cast a wilie ee-
"Now had thy tongue, Sir Walter Scott,
Nor speak of reif nor felonie:
For, had every honest man his ain,
A right puir clan thy ain wad be!"

The king then call'd a gentleman,
Royal banner-bearer there was he;
James Hop Pringle of Torsonse, by name;
He came and kneelit upon his knee.

"Welcome, James Pringle of Torsonse!
A message ye maun gang for me;
Ye maun gae to yon Outlaw Murray,
Surely where bauldly bideth he.

"Bid him mete me at Permanscore,
And bring four in his companie;
Five earls sall come wi' mysel,

Gude reason I suld honour'd be.

"And, gif he refuses to do that,

Bid him look for nae good o' me; There sall never a Murray, after him, Have land in Ettricke Forest free."

James cam before the Outlaw keen,

And served him in his ain degree"Welcome, James Pringle of Torsonse! What message frae the king to me?"

"He bids ye meet him at Permanscore,
And bring four in your companie ;
Five earls sall gang himsell before,
Nae mair in number will he be.

cr

And, gif you refuse to do that,

(I freely here upgive wi' thee)

He'll cast yon bonny castle down,
And make a widow o' that gaye ladye.

"He'll loose yon bluidhound borderers,
Wi' fire and sword to follow thee;
There will never a Murray, after thysell,
Have land in Ettricke Forest free."

"It stands me hard," the Outlaw said; "Judge gif it stands na hard wi' me, Wha reck not losing of mysell,

But a' my offspring after me.

"My merrymen's lives, my widow's tears-
There lies the pang that pinches me,
When I am straught in bluidie eard,
Yon castell will be right drearie.

"Auld Halliday, young Halliday,
Ye shall be twa to gang wi' me;
Andrew Murray, and Sir James Murray,
We'll be nae mae in companie."

When that they came before the king,
They fell befor him on their knee-
"Grant mercie, mercie, noble king!
E'en for His sake that died on trie."

"Siccan like mercie sall ye have;
On gallows ye sall hangit be!"

"Our God forebode," quoth the Outlaw then,

I hope your grace will better be!

Else, ere you come to Edinburgh port,

I trow thin guarded sall ye be: