P. 8. #C.# Substitute for Scott’s Minstrelsy, etc., “Scotch Ballads,
Materials for Border Minstrelsy,” No 87, Abbotsford. Add: #H.# ‘Hughie
Grame,’ “Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy,” No 4. #I#.
‘Hughie Graeme,’ Wilkie’s MS., in “Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border
Minstrelsy,” No 36.
P. 10 ff. For #C# substitute this, the original copy, as procured for
Scott by William Laidlaw.
“Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy,” No 87, Abbotsford; in
the handwriting of William Laidlaw. “From Robert Laidlaw.”
1
Gude Lord Scroop’s to the huntin gane;
He’s ridden oer monie a moss an muir,
An he has grippit Hughie the Græme,
For stealin o the bishop’s mare.
2
An they hae grippit Hughie the Græme,
An brought him up thro Carlisle town;
The lasses an lads they stood by the wa’s,
Cryin, Hughie the Græme, thou’s no gae
down!
3
They ha chosen a jury o men,
The best that were i Coventry,
An fifteen o them out a’ at anse,
‘Hughie the Græme, thou art guiltie.’
4
Than up bespak him gude Lord Hume,
As he sat at the judge’s knee;
‘Twentie white ousen, my gude lord,
If ye’ll grant Hughie the Græme to me.’
5
‘O no, no, no, my gude Lord Hume,
For sooth an so it mauna be;
For war there but twae Græms o the name,
They sould be hangit a’ for me.’
6
’Twas up than spak her gude Lady Hume,
As she sat by the judge’s knee;
‘A peck o white pennies, my gude lord,
If ye’ll grant Hughie the Græme to me.’
7
‘O no, O no, my gude Lady Hume,
For sooth an so it sal na be;
For war there but twae Greames of the name,
They soud be hangit a’ for me.’
8
‘If I be guilty,’ said Hughie the Graeme,
‘Of me my friends sal hae nae lack;’
An he has luppen fifteen feet an three,
An his hands they war tyed ahint his back.
9
He’s lookit oer his left shouther,
To see what he coud see,
An there he saw his auld father commin,
An he was weepin bitterlie.
10
‘O had yer tongue, my father,’ he says,
‘An see that ye dinna weep for me,
For they may ravish me o my life,
But they canna banish me thrae the heavens
hie.
11
‘Fare ye weel, Maggie, my wife;
The last time I came oer the muir,
It was you berievt me o my life,
An wi the bishop playd the w[hore].’
* * * * *
H
“Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy,” No 4, Abbotsford; in
the handwriting of William Laidlaw.
1
Lairds and lords a hounting gane,
Out-over hills and valleys clear,
And there they met Hughie Grame,
Was riding on the bishop’s mare.
2
And they have tied him hand and foot,
And they have carried him to Stirling
town;
The lads and lasses there about
Crys, Hughie Grame, you are a lown!
3
‘If I be a lown,’ says he,
‘I am sure my friends has had bad luck;’
We that he jumpted fifteen foot,
With his hands tied behind his back.
4
Out and spoke Laidy Whiteford,
As she sat by the bishop’s knee;
‘Four-and-twenty milk-kie I’ll give to thee,
If Hughie Grame you will let free.’
5
‘Hold your tongue, my laidy Whiteford,
And of your pleading now lay by;
If fifty Grames were in his coat,
Upon my honour he shall die.’
6
Out and spoke Lord Whiteford,
As he sat by the bishop’s knee;
‘Four-and-twenty stots I’ll give thee,
If Hughie Grame you will let free.’
7
‘Hold your tongue, my lord Whiteford,
And of your pleading now lay by;
If twenty Grames were in his coat,
Upon my honour he shall die.’
8
‘You may tell to Meg, my wife,
The first time she comes through the mu[ir],
She was the causer of my death,
For with the bishop [she] plaid the whore.
9
‘You may tell to Meg, my wife,
The first time she comes through the town,
She was the causer of my death,
For with the bishop [she] plaid the lown.’
10
He looked oer his left shoulder,
To see what he could spy or see,
And there he spied his old father,
Was weeping bitterly.
11
‘Hold your tongue, my dear father,
And of your weeping now lay by;
They may rub me of my sweet life,
But not from me the heavence high.
12
‘You may give my brother John
The sword that’s of the mettle clear,
That he may come the morn at four o clock
To see me pay the bishop’s mare.
13
‘You may give my brother James
The sword that’s of the mettle brown;
Tell him to come the morn at four o clock
To see his brother Hugh cut down.’
14
Up and spoke his oldest son,
As he sat by his nurse’s knee;
‘If ere I come to be a man,
Revenged for my father [’s] death I’ll be.’
* * * * *
I
“Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy,” No 36, Abbotsford,
MS. of Thomas Wilkie, 1813–15, p. 9; “from a young girl, a Miss Nancy
Brockie, Bemerside, who learned it from an old woman called Maron
Miller, Threepwood.” Another copy, in Wilkie’s hand, No 86 of the same.
1
Ye dukes and lords that hunt and go
Out-over moors and mountains clear,
And they have taen up poor Hughie Græme.
For stealing of the bishope’s mare.
Fall all the day, fall all the daudy,
Fall all the day, fall the daudy O.
2
They hae tied him hand and foot,
They hae led him thro the town;
The lads and lassies they all met,
Cried, Hughie Græme, ye’ve playd the
loon!
3
‘O if that I had playd the loon,
My friends of me they hae bad luck;’
With that he jumped fifteen feet,
Wi his hands tied fast behind his back.
4
Up then spoke my lady Whiteford,
As she sat by the bishope’s knee;
‘Five hundred white pence I’ll give thee,
If you let Hughie Græme go free.’
5
‘I’ll hae nane of your hundred pense,
And your presents you may lay by;
For if Græme was ten times in his coat,
By my honour, Hugh shall die.’
6
Up then spoke my lord Whiteford,
As he sat by the bishope’s knee;
‘Five score of good stotts I’ll thee give,
If you’ll sett Hughie Græme but free.’
7
‘I’ll have none of your hundred stotts,
And all your presents you may keep to yoursell;
‘For if Græme was ten times in his coat
Hugh shall die, and die he shall.’
8
Then they hae tied him hand and foot,
And they hae led [him] to the gallows high;
The lads and lassies they all met,
Cried, Hughie Græme, thou art to die!
9
Now’s he looked oer his left shoulder,
All for to see what he could spy,
And there he saw his father dear,
Stood weeping there most bitterlie.
10
‘O hold your tongue now, father,’ he said,
‘And of your weeping lai’d now by;
For they can rob me of my life,
But they cannot rob me of the heavens high.
11
‘But you must give to my brother John
The sword that’s bent in the middle clear,
And tell him to come at twelve o clock
And see me pay the bishope’s mare.
12
‘And you may give to my brother James
The sword that’s bent in the middle brown,
And tell him to come at four o clock
And see his brother Hugh cut down.
13
‘And you may tell to Meg, my wife,
The first time she comes thro the town,
She was the occasion of my death
And wi the bishope playd the loon.
14
‘And you may tell to Meg, my wife,
The first time she comes thro the fair,
She was the occasion of my death,
And from the bishope stole the mare.’
* * * * *
#A.#
_A copy in_ The Northern Garland, Newcastle Garlands, No 1, Bell
Ballads, Abbotsford Library, P. 5, _has these readings, some of
which appear to be editorial_:
2^2. after him for some time.
4^4. shall soon.
11^3. my fault.
16^2. down low.
22^3. cause and the loss.
#H.#
8^3, 9^3. the casurer, the casure. _Perhaps we should read_
occasion: _cf._ #I# 13^3, 14^3.
9^4. plaid the whore; _but cf._ #E# 13^4, #I# 13^4.
#I.#
2^3. they (all met) ran in flocks: _cf._ 8^3.
3^1. Of that: _see No_ 86, _below_.
5^3. in==his coat==ocent (_sic_).