Frae the head o' the Dee to the banks o' the Spey, The Gordons may mourn him, and ban1 Inverey.

"O came ye by Brackley yates, was ye in there? Or saw ye his Peggy dear riving 2 her hair?"

"O I came by Brackley yates, I was in there, And I saw his Peggy a-making good cheer."

That lady she feasted them, carried them ben; She laugh'd wi' the men that her baron had slain.

"O fye on you, lady! how could you do sae? You open'd your yates to the fause Inverey."

She ate wi' him, drank wi' him, welcomed him in; She welcomed the villain that slew her baron!

There's grief in the kitchen, and mirth in the ha'; But the Baron o' Brackley is dead and awa'.

LADY ANNE.

FAIR lady Anne sate in her bower,
Down by the greenwood side,

And the flowers did spring, and the birds did

sing,

'Twas the pleasant May-day tide.

But fair lady Anne on Sir William call'd,
With the tear grit in her e'e,

"O though thou be fause, may Heaven thee
guard,

In the wars ayont the sea!"

Out of the wood came three bonnie boys,

Upon the simmer's morn,

And they did sing, and play at the ba',
As naked as they were born.

1 Curse.

2 Tearing.

“O seven lang years wad I sit here,
Amang the frost and snaw,

A' to ha'e but ane o' these bonnie boys,
A playing at the ba"."

Then up and spake the eldest boy,
"Now listen, thou fair ladie,
And ponder well the read that I tell,
Then make ye a choice of the three.

"'Tis I am Peter, and this is Paul,
And that ane, sae fair to see,

But a twelve-month sinsyne to paradise came, To join with our companie."

"O I will ha'e the snaw-white boy, The bonniest of the three."

"And if I were thine, and in thy propine,
O what wad ye do to me?"

"'Tis I wad clead thee in silk and gowd,
And nourice thee on my knee."
"O mither! mither! when I was thine,
Sic kindness I couldna see."

"Beneath the turf, where now I stand, The fause nurse buried me;

The cruel penknife sticks still in my heart, And I come not back to thee."

INDEX OF FIRST LINES.

E wastefu' howl o'er earth and sea,

noble marquess, as he did ride a-hunting,

As I was walking all alane,

At Mill o' Tifty lived a man,

Behold the touchstone of true love,

Be it right, or wrong, these men among,

Clerk Saunders and May Margaret,
Come, listen to me, you gallants so free,
Cope sent a challenge frae Dunbar,
Cospatrick has sent o'er the faem,

4

Dark was the night, and wild the storm,

Down Dee-side came Inverey whistling and playing,

Earl Richard once on a day,

451

175

Foul fa' the breast first treason bred in!

14

Frae Dunideir as I came throuch,

79

From heavy dreams fair Helen rose,

290

"I wish your bonnie ship rent and rive,
And drown ye in the sea;

For all that would not mend the miss,
That ye would do to me."
"The miss is not so great, ladye,
Soon mended it might be.

"I have four-and-twenty milk-white steeds, All foaled in one year;

You'll have them and as much red gold,
As all their backs can bear."

She turn'd her right and round about,
And she swore by the mold,

"I would not be your love," said she,
"For that church full of gold."

He turn'd him right and round about,
And he swore by the mass,
Says, "Lady, ye my love shall be,
And gold ye shall have less."

She turn'd her right and round about,
And she swore by the moon,
"I would not be your love," says she,
"For all the gold in Rome."

He turn'd him right and round about,
And he swore by the moon,
Says, "Lady, ye my love shall be,
And gold ye shall have none."

He caught her by the milk-white hand,
And by the grass-green sleeve;
And there has taken his will of her,
Wholly without her leave.

The lady frown'd and sadly blush'd,
And oh! but she thought shame;
Says, If you are a knight at all,
You surely will tell me your name."

"In some places they call me Jack, In other some they call me John; But when into the Queen's court,

Oh then, Lithcock it is my name.”

Lithcock! Lithcock!" the lady said, And oft she spelt it over again; "Lithcock! it's Latin," the lady said, "Richard's the English of that name."

The knight he rode, the lady ran,
A live long summer's day;
Till they came to the wan water,
That all men do call Tay.

He set his horse head to the water,
Just through it for to ride;

And the lady was as ready as him,
The waters for to wade.

For he had never been as kind hearted, As to bid the lady ride;

And she had never been so low hearted, As for to bid him bide.

But deep into the wan water,

There stands a great big stone;
He turn'd his wight horse head about,
Said, "Lady fair, will ye loup on ?"

She's taken the wand was in her hand,
And struck it on the foam,

And before he got the middle stream,
The lady was on dry land.
"By the help of God and our Lady,
My help lyes not in your hand."

"I learn'd it from my mother dear, Few is there that has learn'd better; When I came to a deep water,

I can swim through like ony otter.