#A.# ‘Lord Salton and Auchanachie.’ #a.# Buchan’s Ballads of the North
of Scotland, II, 133. #b.# Maidment’s North Countrie Garland, p. 10;
Buchan’s Gleanings, p. 161.
#B. a.# ‘Young Annochie,’ Murison MS., p. 76. #b.# ‘Lord Saltoun and
Annachie,’ Christie’s Traditional Ballad Airs, I, 10.
#A.# Jeanie Gordon loves Auchanachie, who is bonny and braw, but she is
forced by her father to wed Saltoun, who is bowed in the back and
thrawin in the knee; and all for Saltoun’s lands. Jeanie refuses to be
bedded; her maidens, at her father’s order, loose off her gown (they cut
her gown and stays); she falls in a swoon and dies. Auchanachie comes
home from the sea the same day, learns what has happened, asks to be
taken to the chamber where Jeanie lies, kisses her cold lips, and dies.
In #B# we have Gordon of Annachie in Buchan, instead of Gordon of
Auchanachie in Strathbogie as in #A#. Christie, on very slight grounds,
suggests that one Garden of Annachie was the proper hero: I, 287, 294.
There can hardly be a doubt that this ballad is Mrs Brown of Falkland’s
‘Lass o Philorth’ (see note, p. 309). Philorth is the seat of the
Frasers of Saltoun, near Fraserburgh, in the extreme northeast corner of
Aberdeenshire.
As to #A a# 2^{1,2}, #b# 1, #B# 2^{1,2}, see note [B] to the preceding
ballad, p. 339.
* * * * *
A
#a.# Buchan’s Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 133, 1828. #b.#
Maidment’s North Countrie Garland, p. 10, 1824; Buchan’s Gleanings,
p. 161, 1825.
1
‘Auchanachie Gordon is bonny and braw,
He would tempt any woman that ever he saw;
He would tempt any woman, so has he tempted me,
And I’ll die if I getna my love Auchanachie.’
2
In came her father, tripping on the floor,
Says, Jeanie, ye’re trying the tricks o a whore;
Ye’re caring for them that cares little for thee;
Ye must marry Salton, leave Auchanachie.
3
‘Auchanachie Gordon, he is but a man;
Altho he be pretty, where lies his free land?
Salton’s lands they lie broad, his towers they stand hie,
Ye must marry Salton, leave Auchanachie.
4
. . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .
‘Salton will gar you wear silk gowns fring’d to thy knee,
But ye’ll never wear that wi your love Auchanachie.’
5
‘Wi Auchanachie Gordon I would beg my bread
Before that wi Salton I’d wear gowd on my head,
Wear gowd on my head, or gowns fring’d to the knee;
And I’ll die if I getna my love Auchanachie.
6
‘O Salton’s [a] valley lies low by the sea,
He’s bowed on the back, and thrawin on the knee;’
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
7
‘O Salton’s a valley lies low by the sea;
Though he’s bowed on the back and thrawin on the knee,
Though he’s bowed on the back and thrawin on the knee,
The bonny rigs of Salton they’re nae thrawin tee.’
8
‘O you that are my parents to church may me bring,
But unto young Salton I’ll never bear a son;
For son or for daughter, I’ll ne’er bow my knee,
And I’ll die if I getna my love Auchanachie.’
9
When Jeanie was married, from church was brought hame,
When she wi her maidens sae merry shoud hae been,
When she wi her maidens sae merry shoud hae been,
She’s called for a chamber, to weep there her lane.
10
‘Come to your bed, Jeanie, my honey and my sweet,
For to stile you mistress I do not think it meet:’
‘Mistress or Jeanie, it is a’ ane to me,
It’s in your bed, Salton, I never will be.’
11
Then out spake her father, he spake wi renown;
Some of you that are maidens, ye’ll loose aff her gown;
Some of you that are maidens, ye’ll loose aff her gown,
And I’ll mend the marriage wi ten thousand crowns.
12
Then ane of her maidens they loosed aff her gown,
But bonny Jeanie Gordon she fell in a swoon;
She fell in a swoon low down by their knee;
Says, Look on, I die for my love Auchanachie!
13
That very same day Miss Jeanie did die,
And hame came Auchanachie, hame frae the sea;
Her father and mither welcomd him at the gate;
He said, Where’s Miss Jeanie, that she’s nae here yet?
14
Then forth came her maidens, all wringing their hands,
Saying, Alas for your staying sae lang frae the land!
Sae lang frae the land, and sae lang on the fleed!
They’ve wedded your Jeanie, and now she is dead.
15
‘Some of you, her maidens, take me by the hand,
And show me the chamber Miss Jeanie died in;’
He kissd her cold lips, which were colder than stane,
And he died in the chamber that Jeanie died in.
* * * * *
B
#a.# Murison MS., p. 76. b. Christie’s Traditional Ballad Airs, I,
10.
1
‘Buchan, it’s bonnie, an there lies my love,
My heart is fixt on him, it winna remove;
It winna remove for a’ at I can dee,
An I never will forsake him Young Annochie.’
2
Her father cam trippin, cam trippin ben the floor,
Says, Jeannie, ye hae but the tricks o a whore;
Ye care little for the man that cares muckle for thee,
But I’ll cause you marry Saltoun, let Annochie be.
3
‘Ye may marry me to Saltoun before that I go home,
But it is to Lord Saltoun I’ll never bear a son;
A son nor a daughter I’ll never bear to he,
An I never will forsake him Young Annochie.’
4
‘All you that is her maidens, ye’ll tak her by the han,
An I will inheft her o five thousan poun;
She’ll wear silk to her heel and gowd to her knee,
An I’ll cause her to forsake him Young Annochie.’
5
‘All you that is my maidens winna tak me by the han,
I winna be inhefted o five thousan poun;
I’ll nae wear silk to my heal nor wear gowd to my knee,
An I never will forsake him Young Annochie.’
6
‘All you that is her maidens, ye’ll show her to her bed;
The blankets they are ready, the sheets are comely spread;
She shall lie in my airms till twelve o the day,
An I’ll cause her to forsake him Young Annochie.’
7
‘All you that is my maidens winna show me to my bed,
Tho the blankets they be ready, the sheets be comely spread;
I’ll nae lie in your airms till twelve o the day,
An I never will forsake him Young Annochie.’
8
It’s that day they wedded her, an that day she died,
An that day Young Annochie cam in on the tide;
. . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .
9
Her maidens did meet him, a’ wringin their hans,
Sayin, It’s a’ for your stayin so long on the sans!
They’ve wedded your Jeannie, an now she is dead,
An it’s a’ for your stayin sae long on the fleed.
10
‘All you that is her maidens ye’ll tak me by the han,
Ye’ll show me the bower that Jeannie lies in:’
He kissed her cold lips, they were both white an red,
And for bonnie Jeannie Gordon Young Annochie died.
* * * * *
#A. a.# _4–6 are disarranged, and an attempt has been made at a
better grouping. 4^{3,4}, 5^{1,2}, are 4; 5^{3,4} are 5^{1,2};
6^{1,2} are 5^{3,4}._
14^2. _The reading of_ #b# _is better_: on the sands.
14^3. frae the fleed: #b# _reads, rightly_, on the flood (fleed).
#b.#
_Printed by Maidment in stanzas of four short lines; by Buchan, in
long lines, not properly grouped._
1
Ben came her father, skipping on the floor,
Said, Jeanie, you’re trying the tricks of a whore.
2
‘You’re caring for him that cares not for thee;
And I pray you take Salton, let Auchanachie be.’
3
‘I will not have Salton, it lies low by the sea;
He is bowed in the back, he’s thrawen in the knee;
And I’ll die if I get not my brave Auchanachie.’
4
‘I am bowed in the back, lassie, as ye see,
But the bonny lands of Salton are no crooked tee.’
5
And when she was married she would not lie down,
But they took out a knife, and cuttit her gown.
6
Likewise of her stays the lacing in three;
And now she lies dead for her Auchanachie.
7
Out comes her bower-woman, wringing her hands,
Says, Alas for the staying so long on the sands!
8
‘Alas for the staying so long on the flood!
For Jeanie was married, and now she is dead.’
#B. a.#
_8, 9 are written together._
9^4. on the sans: _cf._ #A a# 14^1, #b# 8^1, #B b#.
#b.#
_Some trivial variations are not noticed. Printed in six stanzas
of eight long lines._
1^1. lives.
1^4. Oh, never will I forget my love Annachie.
_After 1_:
‘For Annachie Gordon is bonnie and braw,
He’d entice any woman that ever him saw;
He’d entice any woman, and sae he has done me,
And I’ll die if I getna my love Annachie.’
2^{1,2}. _As in_ #A a#.
2^3. care meikle: cares little.
2^4. Saltoun and leave Annachie.
_After 2_:
‘For Annachie Gordon is nothing but a man;
Although he be brave, he has little free lan;
His towns a’ lie waste, and his lands a’ lie lea,
And I’ll cause you marry Saltoun, let Annachie be.’
3^1. wed me: before he goes home.
3^2. neer hae.
3^{3,4}.
‘A son or a daughter, it’s a’ ane to me,
For I’ll cause you marry Saltoun and leave Annachie.’
_After 3_:
He wed her to Saltoun before he gaed home,
But unto Lord Saltoun she neer had a son;
For, instead of being merry her maidens among,
She gaed to her bower and wept there alone.
4^1. Some of you her.
4^2. infeft her in houses and land.
4^3. shall wear silk and satin, wi red goud.
4^4. to forget him the.
5^{1,2}.
Oh you, my maidens, you shall not take my hand,
Nor will I be infefted in houses and land.
5^3. Nor will I wear silk nor red goud.
5^4. For never will I forget my love #A#.
_After 5_:
‘Wi Annachie Gordon I would beg my bread
Before wi Lord Saltoun I would wear goud red;
For he’s bowd on the back and he’s thrawn in the knee:’
‘But the bonnie rigs o Saltoun are nae thrawn tee.’