‘Lady Elspat.’ #a.# Jamieson-Brown MS., p. 19. Printed in Jamieson’s
Popular Ballads, II, 191. #b.# “Scottish Songs,” MS., fol. 30,
Abbotsford Library, N. 3, in the handwriting of Walter Scott, about
1795
This ballad was No 10 of the fifteen of Mrs Brown’s which were obtained
by William Tytler from Professor Thomas Gordon in 1783: Anderson to
Percy, December 29, 1800, in Nichols’s Illustrations, VII, 177, where
the first stanza (of twelve) is cited. These transcripts were
accompanied with the airs. In #b#, which is now ascertained to be in the
handwriting of Walter Scott,[149] there is a mawkish stanza after 4, and
another after 9, which do not occur in #a#, and many verbal variations.
These two stanzas are not likely to have been inserted by Scott, for, so
far as we know, the ballad has been preserved only by Mrs Brown. As for
the other variations, we are not in a condition to say which are Mrs
Brown’s, which Scott’s.
An appointment for an elopement made by Lady Elspat with Sweet William
is revealed to her mother by an eavesdropping page. William is bound
with his own bow-string and brought before the Lord Justice. The mother
accuses him of stealing her jewels; Lady Elspat denies this, and says
that his only crime is too small an estate. The judge sees no fault in
the young man (whom he discovers to be his sister’s son!), hands him
over to Lady Elspat, and promises the pair as much land as a valuable
horse of his can ride about in a summer’s day.
Truly not impressive in story or style, and very fit to have been
forgotten by Mrs Brown.
Translated from Jamieson by Grundtvig, Engelske og skotske Folkeviser,
p. 196, No 30; by Rosa Warrens, Schottische Volkslieder, p. 118, No 26;
by Loève-Veimars, p. 337.
* * * * *
1
‘How brent’s your brow, my Lady Elspat!
How golden yallow is your hair!
Of all the maids of fair Scotland,
There’s nane like Lady Elspat fair.’
2
‘Perform your vows, Sweet William,’ she says,
‘The vows which ye ha made to me,
An at the back o my mother’s castle
This night I’ll surely meet wi thee.’
3
But wae be to her brother’s page,
Who heard the words this twa did say!
He’s told them to her lady mother,
Who wrought Sweet William mieckle wae.
4
For she has taen him Sweet William,
An she’s gard bind him wi his bow-string
Till the red bluide o his fair body
Frae ilka nail o his hand did spring.
5
O it fell once upon a time
That the Lord Justice came to town;
Out has she taen him Sweet William,
Brought him before Lord Justice boun.
6
‘An what is the crime, now, madame,’ he says,
‘Has been committed by this young man?’
‘O he has broken my bonny castel,
That was well biggit wi lime an stane.
7
‘An he has broken my bonny coffers,
That was well banded wi aiken ban,
An he has stoln my rich jewels;
I wot he has them every one.’
8
Then out it spake her Lady Elspat,
As she sat by Lord Justice knee;
‘Now ye hae taul your tale, mother,
I pray, Lord Justice, you’l now hear me.
9
‘He has na broken her bonny castel,
That was well biggit wi lime an stane,
Nor has he stoln her rich jewels,
For I wot she has them every one.
10
‘But tho he was my first true love,
An tho I had sworn to be his bride,
Cause he had not a great estate,
She would this way our loves divide.’
11
An out it spake the Lord Justice,
I wot the tear was in his ee;
‘I see nae fault in this young man,
Sae loose his bans, an set him free.
12
‘Take back your love, now, Lady Elspat,
An my best blessing you baith upon!
For gin he be your first true love,
He is my eldest sister’s son.
13
‘There is a steed in my stable
Cost me baith gold and white money;
Ye’s get as mieckle o my free lan
As he’ll ride about in a summer’s day.’
* * * * *
#a.#
3^1. to our.
5^3. has he.
#b.#
1^3. maids in.
2^1. said.
3^{1,2}.
And this beheard her mother’s foot-page,
Who listed the words thae twa.
3^3. He tauld them ower to.
4^2. Gart bind: his ain.
4^4. hands.
_After 4_:
They threw him into dungeon-keep;
Full little he reckd the pain;
But sair he mournd each springing hope
That was blasted a’ sae sune.
5^1. fell out.
5^2. That _wanting_.
5^3. And they hae.
5^4. him to thole a deadly doom.
6^{3,4}. For gin I judge frae his gentle look I think he is where
he should na stand.
7.
‘Yet has he broken my highest towr,
Was bigged strong wi stane and lime,
And stolen forth my rich jewels
Frae my coffer bound wi aiken beam.’
8^1. out and spak sweet.
8^2. sat near hir mother’s.
8^3. hae ye tauld.
8^4. Justice, hear you.
9^{1,2}. has not broken her highest towr, Was bigged strong wi
stane and lime.
9^4. ane. _After 9_:
‘Yet has he stolen a dearer pledge,
Not frae my mother, but frae me;
For he has stolen a virgin’s heart
Should have waited for ane o high degree.’
10^1. first fair.
11^1. Then out and spake the good.
11^3. nae harm.
11^4. his hands.
12^1. love, sweet Lady.
12^3. first fair.