#A.# ‘My luve she lives in Lincolnshire,’ Harris MS., fol. 18 b; Mrs
Harris. #b.# ‘Alison’ Buchan’s MSS., I, 231.
Alison gaily invites Willie to her wedding; he will not come unless to
be the bridegroom, with her for bride. That day you will never see, says
Alison; once on your horse, you will have no more mind of me than if I
were dead. Willie rides slowly away, and his heart breaks with the pains
of love; he dies by the way, and is left to the birds. A letter stops
the wedding, and breaks Alison’s heart.
Stanza 7 must be left to those who can interpret Thomas of Erceldoune’s
prophecies.
* * * * *
1
‘My luve she lives in Lincolnshire,
I wat she’s neither black nor broun,
But her hair is like the thread o gowd,
Aye an it waur weel kaimëd doun.’
2
She’s pued the black mask owre her face,
An blinkit gaily wi her ee:
‘O will you to my weddin come,
An will you bear me gude companie?’
3
‘I winna to your weddin come,
Nor [will] I bear you gude companie,
Unless you be the bride yoursell,
An me the bridegroom to be.’
4
‘For me to be the bride mysel,
An you the bonnie bridegroom to be—
Cheer up your heart, Sweet Willie,’ she said,
‘For that’s the day you’ll never see.
5
‘Gin you waur on your saiddle set,
An gaily ridin on the way,
You’ll hae nae mair mind o Alison
Than she waur dead an laid in clay.’
6
When he was on his saiddle set,
An slowly ridin on the way,
He had mair mind o Alison
Than he had o the licht o day.
7
He saw a hart draw near a hare,
An aye that hare drew near a toun,
An that same hart did get a hare,
But the gentle knicht got neer a toun.
8
He leant him owre his saiddle-bow,
An his heart did brak in pieces three;
Wi sighen said him Sweet Willie,
‘The pains o luve hae taen hald o me.’
9
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
There cam a white horse an a letter,
That stopped the weddin speidilie.
10
She leant her back on her bed-side,
An her heart did brak in pieces three;
She was buried an bemoaned,
But the birds waur Willie’s companie.
* * * * *
#a.#
2^3. Oh. 10^3. He was.
#b.#
But _wanting:_ threads.
2^1. She pu’d: mask aff.
2^2. blinked blythely.
2^3. Says, Will ye.
2^4. Or: gude _wanting_.
3^2. Nor will; gude wanting.
3^4. the bonny bridegroom be.
4^2. to _wanting_.
4^3. Sweet _wanting_.
5^2. And merry.
5^3. Ye’ll mind nae mair o.
5^4. When.
6^2. An weary.
7^1. He spied: draw till.
7^2. aye the.
7^3. An _wanting_.
8^1. leand his back to his.
8^3. said that sweet.
8^4. luve’s taen.
9^{1,2}. Their wedding-day it was well set, And a’ their friends
invited there.
9^3. While came.
9^4. wedding in prepare.
_Before 10^1_: She said, If Willie he be dead, A wedded wife I’ll
never be.
10^1. Then leand her back to her bed-stock.
10^2. Her heart in pieces broke in three.
10^3. then was.
257