"I have two swords in one scabberd, Full deere they cost my purse; And I will have the worse." The first stroke that little Musgrave stroke, The next stroke that Lord Barnard stroke, With that bespake this faire lady, In bed whereas she lay; Although thou'rt dead, thou little Musgrave, 95 Yet I for thee will pray; "And wish well to thy soule will I, So long as I have life ; So will I not for thee, Barnard, Although I am thy wedded wife.” 100 He cut her paps from off her brest, That some drops of this ladies heart's blood "Woe worth you, woe worth [you], my mery men all, You were ne're borne for my good; Why did you not offer to stay my hand, When ye saw me wax so wood! 108, see. 105 "For I have slaine the bravest sir knight That ever rode on steed; So have I done the fairest lady That ever did womans deed. “A grave, a grave," Lord Barnard cryd, To put these lovers in But lay my lady on [the] upper hand, For she came of the better kin." 110 111 LORD RANDAL (A). From Jamieson's Popular Ballads and Songs, i. 162. "THE story of this ballad very much resembles that of Little Musgrave and Lord Barnard. The common title is, The Bonny Birdy. The first stanza is sung thus: 'There was a knight, on a summer's night, Was riding o'er the lee, diddle ; Was singing on a tree, diddle: O wow for day, diddle! And dear gin it were day! Gin it were day, and I were away, In the text, the burden of diddle has been omitted; and the name of Lord Randal introduced, for the sake of distinction, and to prevent the ambiguity arising from 'the knight,' which is equally applicable to both." The lines supplied by Jamieson have been omitted. Allan Cunningham's "improved" version of the Bonny Birdy may be seen in his Songs of Scotland, ii. 130. LORD RANDAL wight, on a summer's night, Was riding o'er the lee, And there he saw a bonny birdie Was singin' on a tree : "O wow for day! And dear gin it were day! Gin it were day, and I were away, "Mak haste, mak haste, ye wicht baron; What keeps ye here sae late? Gin ye kent what was doing at hame, I trow ye wad look blate. "And O wow for day! 10 And dear gin it were day. Gin it were day, and ye were away; 15 66 "O what needs I toil day and night, My fair body to spill, When I ha'e knichts at my command, And ladies at my will?" "O weel is he, ye wight baron, Has the blear drawn o'er his e'e; But your lady has a knight in her arms twa, That she lo'es far better nor thee. 20 "And O wow for day! And dear gin it were day! Gin it were day, and ye were away; For ye ha'ena lang time to stay!" "Ye lie, ye lie, ye bonny birdie; How you lie upon my sweet; I will tak out my bonny bow, And in troth I will you sheet." "But afore ye ha'e your bow weel bent, And a' your arrows yare, I will flee till anither tree, Whare I can better fare. "And O wow for day And dear gin it were day! Gin it were day, and I were away; 25 30 85 40 "O whare was ye gotten, and where was ye "O, I was clecked in good green wood, Intill a holly tree; A baron sae bald my nest herried, And ga'e me to his ladie. 45 "Wi' good white bread, and farrow-cow milk, He bade her feed me aft; |