THE LOCHMABEN HARPER_The English and Scottish popular ballads, volume 4 (of 5)

#A. a.# ‘The Blind Harper of Lochmaben,’ Glenriddell MSS, XI, 42,

1791. #b.# ‘The Blind Harper,’ Johnson’s Museum, No 579, 1803. #c.#

‘The Lochmaben Harper,’ Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, 1802, I,

65; 1833, I, 422.

#B.# ‘Lochmaben Harper,’ Glenriddell MSS, XI, 39.

#C.# ‘The Auld Harper,’ The Edinburgh Topographical, Traditional, and

Antiquarian Magazine, 1849, p. 58.

#D.# Macmath MS, p. 35.

#E.# ‘The Jolly Harper,’ Buchan’s MSS, I, 35; Dixon, Scottish

Traditional Versions of Ancient Ballads, Percy Society, vol. xvii,

p. 37.

The Stationers’ Registers, 22 July, 1564–22 July, 1565, Arber, I, 260,

have an entry of a fee from Owyn Rogers for license to print “a ballett

intituled The Blende Harper, etc.”; and again, the following year,

Arber, I, 294, of a fee from Lucas Haryson for license to print “a

ballet intituled The Blynde Harpers, with the Answere.” Nothing further

is known of this ballet.

Boyd, the translator of Dante, had a recollection of a ballad of a

Scotch minstrel who stole a horse from one of the Henries of England:

Ritson, Scotish Song, I, xxxvi, note 25, 1794.

Printed in Scott’s Minstrelsy, 1802 (#A c#), and the next year in the

Musical Museum (#A b#), as communicated by Burns. Burns’s copy differs

very slightly from #A a#, however he came by it. Scott had access to the

Glenriddell collection, and his ballad (of which he gives no account)

was made by changing #A a# to his taste, substituting one stanza of his

own in place of 18, and the last two of #B#, with alterations, for the

last of #A a#. To reduce improbabilities, Scott put the Lord Warden for

King Henry.

#C# was pointed out to me, and transcribed from the short-lived

periodical in which it was printed, by Mr James Barclay Murdoch, to whom

I have been from the beginning indebted for the most essential help.

Of #D# Mr Macmath writes: This version was copied by me in fac-simile

from the original manuscript in the handwriting of the late Rev. George

Murray, of Troquhain, minister of Balmaclellan, in the Stewartry of

Kirkcudbright, and was in possession of his son, the Rev. George Murray,

to whose kindness I was indebted for the loan of it. The late Mr Murray

took down the ballad from the singing of Sarah Rae, a poor weak-minded

woman of his parish. Sarah Rae was the last person known to Mr

Murray—and he was a keen observer of such matters—to use the distaff.

The present Mr George Murray wrote to me on 12th January, 1883: “I may

add that I have heard her sing the ballad myself, to a very simple but

particularly plaintive lilt—more like a rapid chant than an ordinary

song—which rings in my ear yet, although I only heard it once, when a

lad.”[8]

#A-C.# A harper of Lochmaben (blind, #A#, #B#) who means to steal the

Wanton Brown, a horse of King Henry’s, consults with his wife before

setting about the business, and gets a few valuable hints; among them,

to leave his mare’s foal at home. He goes up to England, and has the

good luck, so common in ballads, of finding King Henry at his gate. The

king wants to hear some of his harping, and, as the harper makes a

difficulty about the stabling of his mare, orders the beast to be put

into his own stable. The harper harps all his hearers asleep; then makes

his way softly to the stable, slips a halter over the Wanton’s nose and

ties him to the mare’s tail, and turns the mare out. She goes straight

to Lochmaben, to her foal, neighs at the harper’s house, and is let in

by the servant-lass, who exclaims at the braw foal that the mare has

got. In the morning they find in England that both the Wanton Brown and

the mare have been stolen. The harper breaks out into ‘allaces:’ he has

lost a foal in Scotland and had his mare stolen in England! The king

quiets him with a promise of a better mare and pay for his foal to boot.

In #D#, #E#, the harper steals the horse on a wager, which, however, is

passed over lightly in #D#. The wager in #E# is with two knights of

Stirling, five ploughs of land with one and five thousand pounds with

the other, and “John” has to go all the way to London to win it. The

knights pay their loss and then restore the Wanton Brown to Henry!—so

great an improvement upon the dealings of the Scots with English

horseflesh as to compel one to assign this particular version of the

story to the nineteenth, if not the twentieth, century.[9]

The twelve armed men in armor bright that guard the stable night and day

in #E# 23 remind us of popular tales; as of the Grimms’ ‘Master Thief.’

#A b# is loosely translated by Knortz, Schottische Balladen, No 16, p.

58.

* * * * *

#a.# Glenriddell MS. XI, 42, 1791; “from a MS. collection of Mr

Henderson.” #b.# Johnson’s Museum, No 579, VI, 598, 1803,

communicated by Burns, #c.# Scott’s Minstrelsy, 1802, I, 65.

Heard ye eer of the silly blind harper,

That long livd in Lochmaben town,

How he wad gang to fair England,

To steal King Henry’s Wanton Brown?

Sing, Faden dilly and faden dilly

Sing, Faden dilly and deedle dan

But first he gaed to his gude wife,

Wi a’ the speed that he coud thole;

‘This wark,’ quo he, ‘will never work

Without a mare that has a foal.’

Quo she, Thou has a gude gray mare,

That’al rin oer hills baith law and hie;

Gae tak the gray mare in thy hand,

And leave the foal at hame wi me.

‘And tak a halter in thy hose,

And o thy purpose dinna fail;

But wap it oer the Wanton’s nose,

And tie her to the gray mare’s tail.

‘Syne ca her out at yon back geate,

Oer moss and muir and ilka dale;

For she’ll neer let the Wanton bite

Till she come hame to her ain foal.’

So he is up to England gane,

Even as fast as he can hie,

Till he came to King Henry’s geate;

And wha was there but King Henry?

‘Come in,’ quo he, ‘thou silly blind harper,

And of thy harping let me hear;’

‘O, by my sooth,’ quo the silly blind harper,

‘I’d rather hae stabling for my mare.’

The king he looks oer his left shoulder,

And says unto his stable-groom,

Gae tak the silly poor harper’s mare,

And tie her side my Wanton Brown.

And ay he harpit, and ay he carpit,

Till a’ the lords had fitted the floor;

They thought the music was sae sweet,

And they forgot the stable-door.

And ay he harpit, and ay he carpit,

Till a’ the nobles were sound asleep;

Than quietly he took aff his shoon,

And safly down the stair did creep.

Syne to the stable-door he hies,

Wi tread as light as light coud be,

And when he opned and gaed in,

There he fand thirty gude steads and three.

He took the halter frae his hose,

And of his purpose did na fail;

He slipt it oer the Wanton’s nose,

And tied it to his gray mare’s tail.

He ca’d her out at yon back geate,

Oer moss and muir and ilka dale,

And she loot neer the Wanton bite,

But held her still gaun at her tail.

The gray mare was right swift o fit,

And did na fail to find the way,

For she was at Lochmaben geate

Fu lang three hours ere ’twas day.

When she came to the harper’s door,

There she gave mony a nicher and sneer;

‘Rise,’ quo the wife, ‘thou lazey lass,

Let in thy master and his mare.’

Then up she rose, pat on her claes,

And lookit out through the lock-hole;

‘O, by my sooth,’ then quoth the lass,

‘Our mare has gotten a braw big foal!’

‘Come had thy peace, thou foolish lass,

The moon’s but glancing in thy eye;

I’ll wad my hail fee against a groat,

It’s bigger than eer our foal will be.’

The neighbours too that heard the noise

Cried to the wife to put hir in;

‘By my sooth,’ then quo the wife,

‘She’s better than ever he rade on.’

But on the morn, at fair day light,

When they had ended a’ thier chear,

King Henry’s Wanton Brown was stawn,

And eke the poor old harper’s mare.

‘Allace! allace!’ says the silly blind harper,

‘Allace, allace, that I came here!

In Scotland I’ve tint a braw cowte-foal,

In England they’ve stawn my gude gray mare.’

‘Come had thy tongue, thou silly blind harper,

And of thy allacing let me be;

For thou shalt get a better mare,

And weel paid shall thy cowte-foal be.’

* * * * *

Glenriddell MSS, XI, 39, 1791; “from Dr Clapperton, of Lochmaben.”

Hard ye tell of the silly blind harper?

Long he lived in Lochmaben town;

He’s away to fair Carlisle,

To steal King Henry’s Wanton Brown.

Sing, Fadle didle dodle didle

Sing, Fadle didle fadle doo

He has mounted his auld gray mare,

And ridden oer both hills and mire,

Till he came to fair Carlisle town,

And askd for stabling to his mare.

‘Harp on, harp on, thou silly blind harper,

‘Some of thy harping let us hear;’

‘By my sooth,’ says the silly blind harper,

‘I would rather hae stabling to my mare.’

The king looked oer his left shoulder

And called to his stable-groom:

‘Gae stable up the harper’s mare,

And just beyond the Wanton Brown.’

Ay he carped, and ay he harped,

Till a’ the lords gaed thro the floor;

But and the musick was sae sweet

The groom forgot the key o the stable-door.

Ay he harped, and ay he carped,

Till a’ the lords fell fast asleep,

And, like a fause deceiver as he was,

He quickly down the stair did creep.

He pulld a colt-halter out o his hoe,

On purpose as I shall to you tell;

He sliped it oer the Wanton’s nose,

And tyed it to his gray mare’s tail.

‘My blessing light upon my wife!

I think she be a daily flower;

She told me to ken my ain gray mare

When eer I felt her by the ewer.’

‘Harp on, harp on, thou silly blind harper,

Some of thy harping let us hear:’

‘Oh and alas!’ says the silly blind harper,

‘Oh and alas that eer I came here!

‘For in Scotland I lost a good brown foal,

And in England a good gray mare,

. . . . . . .

‘Harp on, harp on, thou silly blind harper,

Some of thy harping let us hear,

And thy brown foal shall be well payed,

And thou’s hae a far better gray mare.’

Ay he harped, and ay he carped,

And some of his harping he let them hear,

And his brown foal it was well payed,

And he got a better gray mare.

His mare’s away to Lochmaben,

Wi mony a nicker and mony a sneer;

His wife cry’d, Rise up, you lazy lass,

Let in your master and his mare.

The lazy lass was loth to rise;

She looked through a little hole;

‘By my troth,’ crys the lazy lass,

‘Our mare has brought a bonie foal.’

‘Rise up, rise up, thou lazy lass,

And, een as the sun it shines sae clear,

I’ll wager my life against a groat

The foal was better than ever the mare.’

* * * * *

The Edinburgh Topographical, Traditional, and Antiquarian Magazine,

1849, p. 58; communicated by W. G. “from the recitation of a friend,

who learned it many years ago from her grandfather,” a farmer in

Wigtonshire, who died in 1813, at the age of ninety-four.

It’s hae ye heard tell o the auld harper

That lang lived in Lochmaben town,

How he maun awa to England fair,

To steal King Henry’s Wanton Brown?

Faw aiden diden an diden an diden

Faw aiden diden faw aiden dee

Out then bespak his gude auld wife,

I wat she spak out very wiselie;

‘Ye’ll ride the mear to England fair,

But the foal ye’ll leave at hame wi me.

‘Ye’ll hide your halter in o your hose,

And o your purpose ye’ll no fail;

Ye’ll cast a hook on the Wanton’s nose,

And tie him to the gray mear’s tail.

‘Ye’ll lead them awa by a back yett,

And hound them out at a wee hole;

The mear she’ll neer [let] the Wanton bait

Till hame at Lochmaben town wi her foal.’

Awa then rade the auld harper,

I wat he rade right merrilie,

Until he cam to England fair,

Where wonned the gude King Henerie.

‘Light down, light down, ye auld harper,

And some o your harping let me hear;

‘O williwa!’ quo the auld harper,

Will I get stabling for my mear?’

* * * * * *

And aye he harped and he carped,

Till a’ the lordlings fell asleep;

Syne bundled his fiddles upon his back,

And down the stairs fu fast did creep.

He’s taen the halter out o his hose,

And o his purpose he didna fail;

He’s cast a hook on the Wanton’s nose,

And tied him to the gray mear’s tale.

He’s led them awa by the back yett,

And hounded them out at a wee hole;

The mear she neer let the Wanton bait

Till hame at Lochmaben town wi her foal.

And when they cam to the house-end,

Wi mony a nicker but an a neigh,

They waukend the auld wife out o her sleep;

She was a-dreaming she was fouie.

‘Rise up, rise up, my servant-lass,

Let in your master and his mear;’

‘It’s by my sooth,’ the wee lassie goud say,

‘I’m in a sleeping drowsy air.’

Wi mony a gaunt she turned her round,

And keekit through at a wee hole;

‘It’s by my sooth!’ the wee lassie goud say,

‘Our mear has gotten a braw brown foal!’

‘Lie still, lie still, ye lazy lass,

It’s but the moon shines in your ee;’

‘Na, by my sooth,’ the lassie goud say,

‘And he’s bigger than ony o his degree.’

Then lightly rose the gude auld wife,

I wat the first up in a’ the town;

She took the grit oats intil her lap

And fodderd King Henry’s Wanton Brown.

King Henry’s groom rase in the morn,

And he was of a sorry cheer:

‘King Henry’s Wanton Brown’s awa,

And sae is the silly auld harper’s mear!’

Up then rase the auld harper,

And loudly he did curse and swear:

‘In Scotland they but steald my foal,

In England ye hae steald my mear!’

‘It’s haud your tongue,’ King Henry did say,

‘Ye’ll hae nae cause to curse or swear;

Here’s thirty guineas for your foal,

And three times thirty for your mear.’

* * * * *

Taken down by the Rev George Murray from the singing of Sarah Rae, a

weak-minded woman of Balmaclellan, Kirkcudbright, 1866. Communicated

by Mr Macmath.

There was a poor silly harper-man,

And he lived in Lochmaben toon,

And he has wagered wi lairds and lords,

And mony a guinea ag_ains_t a croon.

Tum tid iddly

Dodaly diddely

Tidaly diddaly

Dodaly dan

And he has wagered wi lairds and lords,

And mony a guinea ag_ains_t a croon,

That into England he w_oul_d go,

And steal King Henerie’s Wanton Broun.

Out spak the silly poor harper’s wife,

And O but she spak wililie:

‘If into England you do go,

Leave the wee-wee foal wi me.’

The harper he got on to ride,

And O but he rode richt highlie!

The very first man that he did meet,

They said it was King Henerie.

‘Licht doon, licht doon, ye silly poor harper,

And o _you_r harping let me hear;’

‘And by my sooth,’ quoth the silly poor harper,

‘I’d rather hae stabling for my mear.’

O he lookit ower his left shoulder,

And saw ane of the stable-grooms:

‘Go take the sillie poor harper’s mear,

And stable her by my Wanton Brown.’

And aye he harpit, and aye he carpit,

Till a’ the nobles fell on the floor,

And aye he harpit, and aye he carpit,

Till they forgot the key of the stable-door.

And aye he harpit, and aye he carpit,

Till a’ the nobles fell fast asleep;

He has taen his harp upon his back,

And doon the stair did softly creep.

He has taen a halter frae his hose,

And o his purpose did not fail;

He coost a wap on Wanton’s nose,

And tyed her to his ain mear’s tail.

He ca’d her through at the bye-yett,

Through mony a syre and mony a hole;

She never loot Wanton licht till she

Was at Lochmaben, at her foal.

And she came oer Lochmaben heights,

Wi mony a nicker and mony a sneeze,

And waukend the silly poor harper’s wife,

As she was a sleeping at her ease.

‘Rise up, rise up, ye servant-lass,

Let in the maister and the mear;’

‘By my sooth,’ quoth the servant-lass,

‘I think my maister be na here.’

Up then rose the servant-lass,

And lookit through a wee, wee hole;

‘By my sooth,’ quoth the servant-lass,

‘Our mear has gotten a waly foal.’

‘Ye clatter, ye clatter, ye servant-lass,

It is the moon shines in your ee;’

‘By my sooth,’ quoth the servant-lass,

‘It’s mair than ever her ain will be.’

It’s whan the stable-groom awoke,

Put a’ the nobles in a fear;

King Henerie’s Wanton Brown was stown,

And Oh! the silly poor harper’s mear.

Out then spak the silly poor harper,

Says, Oh, this loss I douna thole!

In England fair a guid grey mear,

In fair Scotland a guid cout-foal.

‘Haud your tongue, ye sillie poor harper,

And wi your carping let me be;

Here’s ten pounds for your auld gray mear,

And a weel paid foal it’s be to thee!’

And O the silly poor harper’s wife,

She’s aye first up in Lochmaben toun;

She’s stealing the corn and stealing the hay,

And wappin it oer to Wanton Broun.

* * * * *

Buchan’s MSS, I, 35; Dixon, Scottish Traditional Versions of Ancient

Ballads, p. 37, Percy Society, vol. xvii.

There was a jolly harper-man,

That harped aye frae toun to toun;

A wager he made, with two knights he laid

To steal King Henry’s Wanton Brown.

Sir Roger he wagered five ploughs o land,

Sir Charles wagered five thousand pound,

And John he’s taen the deed in hand,

To steal King Henry’s Wanton Brown.

He’s taen his harp into his hand,

And he gaed harping thro the toun,

And as the king in his palace sat,

His ear was touched wi the soun.

‘Come in, come in, ye harper-man,

Some o your harping let me hear;’

‘Indeed, my liege, and by your grace,

I’d rather hae stabling to my mare.’

‘Ye’ll gang to yon outer court,

That stands a little below the toun;

Ye’ll find a stable snug and neat,

Where stands my stately Wanton Brown.

He’s down him to the outer court,

That stood a little below the toun;

There found a stable snug and neat,

For stately stood the Wanton Brown.

Then he has fixd a good strong cord

Unto his grey mare’s bridle-rein,

And tied it unto that steed’s tail,

Syne shut the stable-door behin.

Then he harped on, an he carped on,

Till all were fast asleep;

Then down thro bower and ha he’s gone,

Even on his hands and feet.

He’s to yon stable snug and neat,

That lay a little below the toun;

For there he placed his ain grey mare,

Alang wi Henry’s Wanton Brown.

‘Ye’ll do you down thro mire an moss,

Thro mony bog an lairy hole;

But never miss your Wanton slack;

Ye’ll gang to Mayblane, to your foal.’

As soon’s the door he had unshut,

The mare gaed prancing frae the town,

An at her bridle-rein was tied

Henry’s stately Wanton Brown.

Then she did rin thro mire an moss,

Thro mony bog an miery hole;

But never missed her Wanton slack

Till she reachd Mayblane, to her foal.

When the king awaked from sleep

He to the harper-man did say,

O waken ye, waken ye, jolly John,

We’ve fairly slept till it is day.

‘Win up, win up, ye harper-man,

Some mair o harping ye’ll gie me:’

He said, My liege, wi a’ my heart,

But first my gude grey mare maun see.

Then forth he ran, and in he came,

Dropping mony a feigned tear:

‘Some rogue[s] hae broke the outer court,

An stown awa my gude grey mare.’

‘Then by my sooth,’ the king replied,

‘If there’s been rogues into the toun,

I fear, as well as your grey mare,

Awa is my stately Wanton Brown.’

‘My loss is great,’ the harper said,

‘My loss is twice as great, I fear;

In Scotland I lost a gude grey steed,

An here I’ve lost a gude grey mare.’

‘Come on, come on, ye harper-man,

Some o your music lat me hear;

Well paid ye’se be, John, for the same,

An likewise for your gude grey mare.’

When that John his money received,

Then he went harping frae the toun,

But little did King Henry ken

He’d stown awa his Wanton Brown.

The knights then lay ower castle-wa,

An they beheld baith dale an down,

An saw the jolly harper-man

Come harping on to Striveling toun.

Then, ‘By my sooth,’ Sir Roger said,

‘Are ye returned back to toun?

I doubt my lad ye hae ill sped

Of stealing o the Wanton Brown.’

‘I hae been into fair England,

An even into Lunan toun,

An in King Henry’s outer court,

An stown awa the Wanton Brown.’

‘Ye lie, ye lie,’ Sir Charles he said,

‘An aye sae loud’s I hear ye lie;

Twall armed men, in armour bright,

They guard the stable night and day.’

‘But I did harp them all asleep,

An managed my business cunninglie;

If ye make light o what I say,

Come to my stable an ye’ll see.

‘My music pleasd the king sae well

Mair o my harping he wishd to hear;

An for the same he paid me well,

And also for my gude grey mare.’

Then he drew out a gude lang purse,

Well stored wi gowd an white monie,

An in a short time after this

The Wanton Brown he lat them see.

Sir Roger produced his ploughs o land,

Sir Charles produced his thousand pounds,

Then back to Henry, the English king,

Restored the stately Wanton Brown.

* * * * *

#A. a.#

“I have here given another copy of this Border Ballad, which I

took from a MS. collection of Mr Henderson. It varies a little

from the former [#A#], which I had from Dr Clapperton of

Lochmaben.”

4^4, 13^4, 18^4. _The Wanton Brown is a mare: so #b#, and #D#,

9^4. But the Brown is a stallion in #C#, 3^4, 8^4, 13^4, and is

so made to be in #A c#, 13^4, 17^3: rightly, I should suppose._

8^2. say.

12^4. _to wanting_.

#b.#

_The third and fourth lines are repeated as burden._

1^1. O heard ye of a silly harper.

1^2. Livd long.

1^3. he did.

8^1. he _wanting_.

9^2. lords gaed through.

9^4. That they forgat.

14^4. ere it.

15^2. gae.

16^1. raise.

17^1. then (_misprint_) _for_ those.

17^3. gainst.

21^3. shall.

#c.#

_No burden._

1^1. O heard ye na o.

1^2. How lang he lived.

1^3. And how.

1^4. steal the Lord Warden’s.

2^2. the haste.

2^3. will neer gae weel.

3^1. hast.

3^2. That can baith lance oer laigh.

3^3. Sae set thee on the gray mare’s back.