* * * * *
Q
“Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy,” No 4 a, Abbotsford;
in the handwriting of William Laidlaw.
1
Young Johnie’s up to England gane
Three quarters of a year;
Young Johnie’s up to England gane,
The king’s banner for to bear.
2
But he had not in England been
The one half of the time
Till the fairest laidy in all the court
Was going with child to him.
3
Word unto the kitchen’s gane,
And word’s to the hall,
And word unto the court has gane,
Among the nobles all.
4
And word unto the chamber’s gane,
The place where the king sat,
That his only daughter is with child
To Johnie, the little Scott.
5
‘If this be true,’ then sais the king,
‘As I true well it be,
I’ll put hir in a strong castle,
And hungre hir till she dee.’
6
Hir breast-plate was made of iron,
In place of the beaten gold,
A belt of steel about hir waist,
And O but she was cold!
7
‘O where will I get a pritty little boy,
That will win hoes and shoon,
That will go doun to yonder lee
And tell my Johnie to come?’
8
‘Here am I, a pritty little boy,
That will win hoes and shoon,
And I’ll go doun to yonder lee
And tell young Johnie to come.’
9
She has wrote a brod letter,
And seald it tenderly,
And she has sent it to Johnie the Scott,
That lay on yonder lee.
10
When Johnie first the letter got,
A blith, blith man was he;
But or he read the half of it
The salt teer blind Johnie’s ee.
11
‘I will go to fair England,’ says he,
‘What ever may betide,
For to releave that gay laidy
Who last lay by my side.’
12
Up then spoke his old mother,
A sorrifull woman was she;
‘If you go to England, John,
I’ll never see you mare.’
13
Up then spoke Johnie’s father,
His head was growing gray;
‘If you go to England, John,
O fair you well for me!’
14
Up then spoke Johnie’s uncle,
Our Scottish king was he;
‘Five hundred of my merry men
Shall bear you company.’
15
When Johnie was mounted on his steed
He looked wondorous bold,
The hair that oer his shouldiers hang
Like threeds of yellow gold.
16
‘Now come along with me, my men,
O come along with me,
We’l blow thier castles in the air,
And set free my gay laidy.’
17
The first gay town that they came to,
Made mass for to be sung;
The nixt gay town that they came to,
Made bells for to be rung.
18
But when they came to London town,
They made the drums beat round,
Who made the king and all his court
To wonder at the sound.
19
‘Is this the Duke of Mulberry,
Or James the Scottish king?
Or is it a young gentleman
To England new come home?’
20
‘It is not the Duke of Mulberry,
Nor James the Scottish [king];
But it is a young gentleman,
MacNaughten is his name.’
21
‘If MacNaughten be your name,’ says the king,
‘As I true well it be,
Before the morn at eight o clock
Dead hanged you shall be.’
22
Up bespoke one of Johnie’s little boys,
And a well-spoke boy was he;
‘Before we see our master hangd,
We’l all fight till we dee.’
23
‘Well spoke, well spoke, my little boy,
That is well spoke of thee;
But I have a champian in my bower
That will fight you three by three.’
24
Up then spoke Johnie himself,
And he spoke manfully;
‘If it please your Majesty,
May I this champian see?’
25
The king and all his nobles then
Rode down unto the plain,
The queen and all [her] gay marries,
To see young Johnie slain.
26
When the champian came out of the bower,
He looked at Johnie with disdain;
But upon the tope of Johnie’s brodsword
This champian soon was slain.
27
He fought on, and Johnie fought on,
With swords of tempered steel,
And ay the blood like dropes of rain
Came trinkling down thier hiel.
28
The very nixt stroke that Johnie gave,
He brought him till his knee;
The nixt stroke that Johnie gave,
He clove his head in twa.
29
He swapt his sword on every side,
And turned him on the plain:
‘Have you any more of your English dogs
That wants for to be slain?’
30
‘A clerk, a clerk!’ the king he crys,
‘I’ll seal her taucher free;’
‘A priest, a priest!’ the queen she crys,
‘For weded they shall be.’
31
‘I’ll have none of your [gold],’ say[s] he,
‘Nor any of your white money;
But I will have my ain true-love;
This day she has cost me dear.’
27^4. hill.
29^4. two.
* * * * *
R
“Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy,” No 37, Abbotsford,
MS. of Thomas Wilkie, p. 11; from Miss Nancy Brockie, Bemerside. Another
copy, “Scotch Ballads,” etc., No 139, in the handwriting of T. Wilkie,
and somewhat retouched by him.
1
Lord Jonnie’s up to England gone
Three quarters of an year;
Lord Jonnie’s up to England gone,
The king’s banner to bear.
2
He had not been in fair England,
Three quarters he was not,
Till the king’s eldest daughter
Goes with child to Lord Jonnie Scott.
3
Word is to the kitchen gone,
And word’s gone to the hall,
And word’s gone to the high, high room,
Among the nobles all.
4
Word’s gone to the king himsel,
In the chamber where he sat,
That his eldest daughter goes with child
To Lord Jonnie Scott.
5
‘If that be true,’ the king replied,
‘As I suppose it be,
I’ll put her in a prison strong,
And starve her till she die.’
6
‘O where will I get a little boy,
That has baith hose and shoon,
That will run into fair Scotland,
And tell my love to come?’
7
‘O here is a shirt, little boy,
Her own hand sewed the sleeve;
Tell her to come to good greenwood,
Not ask her father’s leave.’
8
‘What news, what news, my little boy?
What news have ye brought to me?’
‘No news, no news, my master dear,
But what I will tell thee.
9
‘O here is a shirt, madam,
Your awn hand sewed the sleeve;
You must gang to good greenwood,
Not ask your parents’ leave.’
10
‘My doors they are all shut, little boy,
My windows round about;
My feet is in the fetters strong,
And I cannot get out.
11
‘My garters are of the black, black iron,
And O but they are cold!
My breast-plate’s o the strong, strong steel,
Instead of beaten gold.
12
‘But tell him for to bide away,
And not come near to me,
For there’s a champion in my father’s ha
Will fight him till he dee.’
13
‘What news, what news, my little boy?
What news have ye to me?’
‘No news, no news, my master dear,
But what I will tell thee.
14
‘Her doors they are all shut, kind sir,
Her windows round about;
Her feet are in the fetters strong,
And she cannot get out.
15
‘Her garters are of the black, black iron,
And O but they are cold!
Her breast-plate’s of the strong, strong steel,
Instead of beaten gold.
16
‘She bids you for to bide away,
And not go near to see,
For there’s a champion in her father’s house
Will fight you till you die.’
17
Then up and spoke Lord Jonnie’s mother,
But she spoke out of time;
‘O if you go to fair England
I fear you will be slain.’
18
But up and spoke a little boy,
Just at Lord Jonnie’s knee,
‘Before you lose your ain true-love,
We’ll a’ fight till we die.’
19
The first church-town that they came to,
They made the bells be rung;
The next church-town that they came to,
The[y] gard the mass be sung.
20
The next church-town that they came to,
They made the drums go through;
The king and all his nobles stood
Amazing for to view.
21
‘Is this any English gentleman,
Or James our Scottish king?
Or is it a Scottish gentleman,
To England new come in?’
22
‘No, ‘t is no English gentleman,
Nor James the Scottish king;
But it is a Scottish gentleman,
Lord Jonnie is my name.’
23
‘If Lord Jonnie be your name,
As I suppose it be,
I have a champion in my hall
Will fight you till you die.’
24
‘O go fetch out that gurrley fellow,
Go fetch him out to me;
Before I lose my ain true-love,
We’ll all fight till we die.’
25
Then out and came that gurrly fellow,
A gurrly fellow was he,
With twa lang sclasps between his eyes,
His shoulders there were three.
26
The king and all his nobles stood
To see the battle gained;
The queen and all her maries stood
To see Lord Jonnie slain.
27
The first stroke that Lord Jonnie gave,
He wounded very sore;
The next stroke that Lord Jonnie gave,
The champion could fight no more.
28
He’s taen a whistle out from his side,
He’s blawn a blast loud and shill:
‘Is there any more of your English dogs
To come here and be killed?’
29
‘A clerk, a clerk!’ the king did say,
‘To cry her toucher free;’
‘A priest, a priest!’ Lord Jonnie [did] cry
‘To wed my love and me.
30
‘’Twas for none of your monnie I fought,
Nor for none of your world’s gear;
But it was for my own true-love;
I think I’ve bought her dear.’
“This song (L. Jonnie) I took down from the same girl who sung Hughie
Graeme.”
5^2. supose.