Sharpe’s Ballad Book, 1823, p. 99.
“The following fragment,” says Sharpe in his preface (he had not then
recovered the second stanza), “I cannot illustrate either from history
or tradition.” Very soon after the publication of the Ballad Book, full
particulars of the carrying off of the Lady of Arngosk were procured for
him by David Webster, the bookseller. Webster addressed himself to Mrs
Isobell Dow, otherwise Mrs Mac Leish, of Newburgh, Fife, whose mother,
he had learned, was waiting-maid to the lady at the time of the rape.
“In my very early years,” he wrote, July 4, 1823, “I have listened with
great delight to my mother when she sung me a song the first stanza of
which was this:
The Highlandmen are a’ cum down,
They’re a’ cum down almost,
They’ve stowen awa the bonny lass,
The lady of Arngosk.
“Now Miss Finlay informs me that Isobel Stewart, your mother, was
waiting-maid to the ‘bonny lass’ at the time she was ‘stowen awa,’ and
that you are the most likely person now alive who will be able to
recollect the song, or the particulars that gave rise to it. My reason
for requesting this favour from a lady I have not the pleasure to know
is, some gentlemen, my acquaintance, are making a collection of old
Scots songs, which is printing, and they are anxious to have it as full
as possible. We therefore wish a copy of the song entire, if you can
recollect it, and the name of the lady who was the ‘bonny lass,’” etc.
Mrs Dow replied, July 8, through John Masterton, that she was “sorrow”
to say that she could not recollect more of the song than Webster was
already in possession of, but the story she could never forget, having
heard her mother repeat it so often: and this story Masterton proceeds
to give in Mrs Dow’s own words. Although Mrs Dow was liberal of details,
Webster seems to have wanted to hear more, and accordingly Masterton
writes at greater length July 30, repeating what had been said before,
with “some particular incidents” omitted in the former letter, but
nothing very material except that Miss Gibb was rich, and that Isobell
Dow had “brought to her recolection another verse of the song” (st. 2).
The earlier letter even is somewhat out of proportion to so meagre a
relic of verse, an intolerable deal of bread to a half-penny worth of
sack; but it is very readable, and has some value as a chapter from
domestic life in Scotland in the first half of the last century.[124]
NEWBURGH, _8 July, 1823_.
DEAR SIR. I am directed by Isobell Dow to acknowledge the receipt of
your letter, and to write you an answer to your request respecting
the stealing awa the Lady of Arngosk. She is sorrow to say she
cannot recolect any more of the song than what you are in possession
off already. As for the truth of the story, she can never forget,
having heard her mother repeat it so often. I will therefore give
you it in her own words.
Yours, &c.,