1
Lady Margery was her mother's ain daughter,
And her father's only heir,
And she's away to Strawberry Castle,
To learn some unco lair.
2
She hadna been in Strawberry Castle
A year but only three,
Till she has proved as big with child,
As big as woman could be.
3
Word has to her father gone,
As he pat on his shoon,
That Lady Margery goes wi child,
Unto some English loon.
4
Word has to her mother gane,
As she pat on her gown,
That Lady Margery goes wi child,
Unto some English loon.
5
The father he likes her ill,
The mother she likes her waur,
But her father he wished her in a fire strang,
To burn for ever mair.
* * * * *
6
'Will ye hae this auld man, Lady Margery,
To be yeer warldly make?
Or will ye burn in fire strang,
For your true lover's sake?'
7
'I wunna hae that old, old man
To be my worldly make,
But I will burn in fire strang,
For my true lover's sake.'
8
'O who will put of the pot?
O who will put of the pan?
And who will build a bale-fire,
To burn her body in.'
9
The brother took of the pot,
The sister took of the pan,
And her mother builded a bold bale-fire,
To burn her body in.
10
'O where will I get a bony boy
That will run my errand soon?
That will run to Strawberry Castle,
And tell my love to come soon?'
11
But then started up a little boy,
Near to that lady's kin:
'Often have I gane your errands, madam,
But now it is time to rin.'
12
O when he came to Strawberry Castle,
He tirled at the pin;
There was nane sae ready as that lord himsell
To let the young body in.
13
'O is my towers broken?
Or is my castle wone?
Or is my lady Margery lighter
Of a daughter or a son?'
14
'Your towers are not broken,
Nor is your castle wone;
But the fairest lady of a' the land
For thee this day does burn.'
15
'Go saddle for me the black, black horse,
Go saddle to me the brown;
Go saddle to me as swift a steed
As ever man rade on.'
16
They saddled to him the black horse,
They saddled to him the brown;
They've saddled to him as swift a steed
As ever man rade on.
17
He put his foot into the stirrup,
He bounded for to ride;
The silver buttons lap of his breast,
And his nose began to bleed.
18
He bursted fifteen gude stout steeds,
And four o them were dappled gray,
And the little foot-page ran aye before,
Crying, Mend it, an ye may!
19
When he came to the bale-fire,
He lighted wi a glent,
Wi black boots and clean spurs,
And through the fire he went.
20
He laid ae arm about her neck,
And the other beneath her chin;
He thought to get a kiss o her,
But her middle it gade in twain.
21
'But who has been so false,' he said,
'And who has been sae cruel,
To carry the timber from my ain wood
To burn my dearest jewel?
22
'But I'll burn for ye, Lady Margery,
Yeer father and yeer mother;
And I'll burn for ye, Lady Margery,
Yeer sister and yeer brother.
23
'I'll do for ye, Lady Margery,
What never was done for nane;
I'll make many lady lemanless,
And many a clothing thin.
24
'And I'll burn for yeer sake, Lady Margery,
The town that yeer burnt in,
And [make] many a baby fatherless,
That's naething o the blame.'
E
Motherwell's MS., p. 1, from the recitation of Mrs Thomson,
Kilbarchan, February 25, 1825; Motherwell's Minstrelsy,
p. 234.
1
Lady Marjory was her mother's only daughter.
Her father's only heir, O
And she is awa to Strawberry Castle,
To get some unco lair. O
2
She had na been in Strawberry Castle
A twelve month and a day,
Till Lady Marjory she gaes wi child,
As big as she can gae.
3
Word is to her father gone,
Before he got on his shoon,
That Lady Marjory she gaes wi child,
And it is to an Irish groom.
4
But word is to her mother gane,
Before that she gat on her gown,
That Lady Marjorie she goes wi child,
To a lord of high renown.
5
'O wha will put on the pot?' they said,
'Or wha will put on the pan?
Or wha will put on a bauld, bauld fire,
To burn Lady Marjorie in?'
6
Her father he put on the pot,
Her sister put on the pan,
And her brother he put on a bauld, bauld fire,
To burn Lady Marjorie in;
And her mother she sat in a golden chair,
To see her daughter burn.
7
'But where will I get a pretty little boy,
That will win hose and shoon,
That will go quickly to Strawberry Castle
And bid my lord come doun?'
8
'O here am I a pretty boy,
That'll win hose and shoon,
That will rin quickly to Strawberry Castle,
And bid thy lord come doun.'
9
O when he came to broken brigs,
He bent his bow and swam,
And when he came to good dry land,
He let down his foot and ran.
10
When he came to Strawberry Castle,
He tirled at the pin;
None was so ready as the gay lord himsell
To open and let him in.
11
'O is there any of my towers burnt?
Or any of my castles broken?
Or is Lady Marjorie brought to bed,
Of a daughter or a son?'
12
'O there is nane of thy towers burnt,
Nor nane of thy castles broken,
But Lady Marjorie is condemned to die,
To be burnt in a fire of oaken.'
13
'O gar saddle to me the black,' he said,
'Gar saddle to me the brown;
Gar saddle to me the swiftest steed
That eer carried a man from town.'
14
He left the black into the slap,
The brown into the brae,
But fair fa that bonny apple-gray
That carried this gay lord away!
15
He took a little horn out of his pocket,
And he blew't both loud and shrill,
And the little life that was in her,
She hearkend to it full weel.
16
'Beet on, beet on, my brother dear,
I value you not one straw,
For yonder comes my own true-love,
I hear his horn blaw.
17
'Beet on, beet on, my father dear,
I value you not a pin,
For yonder comes my own true-love,
I hear his bridle ring.'
18
But when he came into the place,
He lap unto the wa;
He thought to get a kiss o her bonny lips,
But her body fell in twa.
19
'Oh vow, oh vow, oh vow,' he said,
'Oh vow but ye've been cruel!
Ye've taken the timber out of my own wood
And burnt my ain dear jewel.
20
'Now for thy sake, Lady Marjorie,
I'll burn both father and mother;
And for thy sake, Lady Marjorie,
I'll burn both sister and brother.
21
'And for thy sake, Lady Marjorie,
I'll burn both kith and kin;
But I will remember the pretty little boy
That did thy errand rin.'
F
The Scots [Edinburgh] Magazine, 1822, LXXXIX, 734,
communicated by W. W.
1
Fair Marjory's gaen into the school,
Between six and seven,
An she's come back richt big wi bairn,
Between twalve and eleven.
2
It's out then sprung her mither dear,
Stood stately on the flure:
'Ye're welcum back, young Marjory,
But ye're sune becum a hure.'
3
'I'm not a hure, mither,' she said,
'Nor ever intend to be;
But I'm wi child to a gentleman,
An he swears he'll marry me.'
4
[It's out then sprung her father dear,
Stood stately on the flure:
'Ye're welcum back, young Marjory,
But ye're sune becum a hure.'
5
'I'm not a hure, father,' she said,
'Nor ever intend to be;
But I'm wi child to a gentleman,
An he swears he will marry me.'
6
It's out then sprung her brother dear,
Stood stately on the flure:
'Ye're welcum back, young Marjory,
But ye're sune becum a hure.'
7
'I'm not a hure, brother,' she said,
'Nor ever intend to be;
But I'm wi child to a gentleman,
An he swears he will marry me.'
8
It's out then sprung her sister dear,
Stood stately on the flure:
'Ye're welcum back, young Marjory,
But ye're sune becum a hure.'
9
'I'm not a hure, sister,' she said,
'Nor ever intend to be;]
Ye're but a young woman, sister,
An ye shuld speak sparinlie.'
10
Her father's to the grene-wude gaen,
Her brither's to the brume;
An her mither sits in her gowden chair,
To see her dochter burn.
* * * * *
11
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
The sister she culd do naething,
And she sat down to greet.
12
'Oh whare will I get a bonny boy,
That wull win hose an shoon,
That wull rin to Strawberry Castle for me,
And bid my true-love come?'
13
It's out than spak a bonny boy,
That stude richt at her knee:
'It's I wull rin your errand, ladie,
Wi the saut tear i my ee.'
14
It's whan he cam to broken brigg,
He bent his bow an swam,
An whan he cam whare green grass grew,
Set doon his feet an ran.
15
An whan he cam to Strawberry Castle,
He thirled at the pin,
An aye sae ready as the porter was
To rise and let him in.
* * * * *
16
'Gae saddle to me the black,' he says,
'Gae saddle to me the broun;
Gae saddle to me the swiftest steed
That eer set fute on grun.'
17
It's first he burst the bonny black,
An syne the bonny broun,
But the dapple-gray rade still away,
Till he cam to the toun.
18
An aye he rade, an aye he rade,
An aye away he flew,
Till the siller buttons flew off his coat;
He took out his horn an blew.
19
An aye he blew, an aye he blew,
He blew baith loud an shrill,
An the little life that Marjory had,
She heard his horn blaw weel.
20
'Beik on, beik on, cruel mither,' she said,
'For I value you not a straw;
For if ever I heard my love in my life,
He's comin here awa.'
* * * * *
21
When he cam unto the flames
He jamp in, butes and a';
He thocht to hae kissd her red rosy lips,
But her body broke in twa.
* * * * *
22
I'll burn for thy sake, Marjory,
The toun that thou lies in;
An I'll mak the baby fatherless,
For I'll throw mysel therein.
G
Notes and Queries, Second Series, IX, 193; communicated
by A. J., Edinburgh, as learned by himself and an elder sister
from an old washerwoman of East Dereham, Norfolk, in the
early part of this century.
* * * * *
1
'My father was the first good man
Who tied me to a stake;
My mother was the first good woman
Who did the fire make.
2
'My brother was the next good man
Who did the fire fetch;
My sister was the next good woman
Who lighted it with a match.
3
'They blew the fire, they kindled the fire,
Till it did reach my knee:
"O mother, mother, quench the fire!
The smoke will smother me."
4
'O had I but my little foot-page,
My errand he would run;
He would run unto gay London,
And bid my lord come home.'
5
Then there stood by her sister's child,
Her own dear sister's son:
'O many an errand I've run for thee,
And but this one I'll run.'
6
He ran, where the bridge was broken down
He bent his bow and swam;
He swam till he came to the good green turf,
He up on his feet and ran.
7
He ran till he came at his uncle's hall;
His uncle sat at his meat:
'Good mete, good mete, good uncle, I pray,
O if you knew what I'd got to say,
How little would you eat!'
8
'O is my castle broken down,
Or is my tower won?
Or is my gay lady brought o bed,
Of a daughter or a son?'
9
'Your castle is not broken down,
Your tower it is not won;
Your gay lady is not brought to bed,
Of a daughter or a son.
10
'But she has sent you a gay gold ring,
With a posy round the rim,
To know, if you have any love for her,
You'll come to her burning.'
11
He called down his merry men all,
By one, by two, by three;
He mounted on his milk-white steed,
To go to Margery.
12
They blew the fire, they kindled the fire,
Till it did reach her head:
'O mother, mother, quench the fire!
For I am nearly dead.'
13
She turned her head on her left shoulder,
Saw her girdle hang on the tree:
'O God bless them that gave me that!
They'll never give more to me.'
14
She turned her head on her right shoulder,
Saw her lord come riding home:
'O quench the fire, my dear mother!
For I am nearly gone.'
15
He mounted off his milk-white steed,
And into the fire he ran,
Thinking to save his gay ladye,
But he had staid too long.
H
Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, I, 103.
1
There stands a stane in wan water,
It's lang ere it grew green;
Lady Maisry sits in her bower door,
Sewing at her silken seam.
2
Word's gane to her mother's kitchen,
And to her father's ha,
That Lady Maisry is big wi bairn—
And her true-love's far awa.
3
When her brother got word of this,
Then fiercely looked he:
'Betide me life, betide me death,
At Maisry's bower I'se be.
4
'Gae saddle to me the black, the black,
Gae saddle to me the brown;
Gae saddle to me the swiftest steed,
To hae me to the town.'
5
When he came to Maisry's bower,
He turnd him round about,
And at a little shott-window,
He saw her peeping out.
6
'Gude morrow, gude morrow, Lady Maisry,
God make you safe and free!'
'Gude morrow, gude morrow, my brother dear,
What are your wills wi me?'
7
'What's come o a' your green claithing,
Was ance for you too side?
And what's become o your lang stays,
Was ance for you too wide?'
8
'O he that made my claithing short,
I hope he'll make them side;
And he that made my stays narrow,
I hope he'll make them wide.'
9
'O is it to a lord o might,
Or baron o high degree?
Or is it to any o your father's boys,
Rides in the chase him wi?'
10
'It's no to any Scottish lord,
Nor baron o high degree;
But English James, that little prince,
That has beguiled me.'
11
'O was there not a Scots baron
That could hae fitted thee,
That thus you've lovd an Englishman,
And has affronted me?'
12
She turnd her right and round about,
The tear blinded her ee:
'What is the wrang I've done, brother,
Ye look sae fierce at me?'
13
'Will ye forsake that English blude,
When your young babe is born?'
'I'll nae do that, my brother dear,
Tho I shoud be forlorn.'
14
'I'se cause a man put up the fire,
Anither ca in the stake,
And on the head o yon high hill
I'll burn you for his sake.
15
'O where are all my wall-wight men,
That I pay meat and fee,
For to hew down baith thistle and thorn,
To burn that lady wi?'
16
Then he has taen her, Lady Maisry,
And fast he has her bound;
And he causd the fiercest o his men
Drag her frae town to town.
17
Then he has causd ane of his men
Hew down baith thistle and thorn;
She carried the peats in her petticoat-lap,
Her ainsell for to burn.
18
Then ane pat up this big bauld fire,
Anither ca'd in the stake;
It was to burn her Lady Maisry,
All for her true-love's sake.
19
But it fell ance upon a day,
Prince James he thought full lang;
He minded on the lady gay
He left in fair Scotland.
20
'O where will I get a little wee boy,
Will win gowd to his fee,
That will rin on to Adam's high tower,
Bring tidings back to me?'
21
'O here am I, a little wee boy,
Will win gowd to my fee,
That will rin on to Adam's high tower,
Bring tidings back to thee.'
22
Then he is on to Adam's high tower,
As fast as gang coud he,
And he but only wan in time
The fatal sight to see.
23
He sat his bent bow to his breast,
And ran right speedilie,
And he is back to his master,
As fast as gang coud he.
24
'What news, what news, my little wee boy?
What news hae ye to me?'
'Bad news, bad news, my master dear,
Bad news, as ye will see.'
25
'Are ony o my biggins brunt, my boy?
Or ony o my towers won?
Or is my lady lighter yet,
O dear daughter or son?'
26
'There's nane o your biggins brunt, master,
Nor nane o your towers won,
Nor is your lady lighter yet,
O dear daughter nor son.
27
'There's an has been [put up] a big bauld fire,
Anither ca'd in the stake,
And on the head o yon high hill,
They're to burn her for your sake.'
28
'Gae saddle to me the black, the black,
Gae saddle to me the brown;
Gae saddle to me the swiftest steed,
To hae me to the town.'
29
Ere he was three miles near the town,
She heard his horse-foot patt:
'Mend up the fire, my fause brother,
It scarce comes to my pap.'
30
Ere he was twa miles near the town,
She heard his bridle ring:
'Mend up the fire, my fause brother,
It scarce comes to my chin.
31
'But look about, my fause brother,
Ye see not what I see;
I see them coming here, or lang
Will mend the fire for thee.'
32
Then up it comes him little Prince James,
And fiercely looked he:
'I'se make my love's words very true
She said concerning me.
33
'O wha has been sae bauld,' he said,
'As put this bonfire on?
And wha has been sae bauld,' he said,
'As put that lady in?'
34
Then out it spake her brother then,
He spoke right furiouslie;
Says, I'm the man that put her in:
Wha dare hinder me?
35
'If my hands had been loose,' she said,
'As they are fastly bound,
I woud hae looted me to the ground,
Gien you up your bonny young son.'
36
'I will burn, for my love's sake,
Her father and her mother;
And I will burn, for my love's sake,
Her sister and her brother.
37
'And I will burn, for my love's sake,
The whole o a' her kin;
And I will burn, for my love's sake,
Thro Linkum and thro Lin.
38
'And mony a bed will I make toom,
And bower will I make thin;
And mony a babe shall thole the fire,
For I may enter in.'
39
Great meen was made for Lady Maisry,
On that hill whare she was slain;
But mair was for her ain true-love,
On the fields for he ran brain.
I
a. Motherwell's MS., p. 235; Motherwell's Minstrelsy,
p. 221. b. Motherwell's MS., p. 179, from Mrs Thomson,
of Kilbarchan. c. Motherwell's MS., p. 181, from Mrs
McLean, of Glasgow.
1
There lived a lady in Scotland,
Hey my love and ho my joy
There lived a lady in Scotland,
Who dearly loved me
There lived a lady in Scotland,
An she's fa'n in love wi an Englishman.
And bonnie Susie Cleland is to be burnt in Dundee
2
The father unto the daughter came,
Who dearly loved me
Saying, Will you forsake that Englishman?
3
'If you will not that Englishman forsake,
Who dearly loved me
O I will burn you at a stake.'
4
'I will not that Englishman forsake,
Who dearly loved me
Tho you should burn me at a stake.
5
'O where will I get a pretty little boy,
Who dearly loves me
Who will carry tidings to my joy?'
6
'Here am I, a pretty little boy,
Who dearly loves thee
Who will carry tidings to thy joy.'
7
'Give to him this right-hand glove,
Who dearly loves me
Tell him to get another love.
For, etc.
8
'Give to him this little penknife,
Who dearly loves me
Tell him to get another wife.
For, etc.
9
'Give to him this gay gold ring;
Who dearly loves me
Tell him I'm going to my burning.'
An, etc.
10
The brother did the stake make,
Who dearly loved me
The father did the fire set.
An bonnie Susie Cleland was burnt in Dundee.
A.
111. she says.
161. blood I was disposed to change to lord:
but see H 131.
213, 4. As cited by Anderson from William
Tytler's MS.,
... to green grass growing
He took off his sheen.
B.
224. Janet's exite: in C 164 Janet's lyke.
D.
Stanzas 8, 9, 21, are the three last of the MS.
81, 2. I should read put on, were it not for
91, 2.
233. lady lamentless.
E.
33. If for that in the margin, without explanation.
15-17. The order in the MS. is 16, 17, 15.
Motherwell, as often elsewhere, makes slight
changes in printing, as: 112, broken to
won, though not changed in 122; 153 [173],
And to And wi, unnecessarily, see F 193.
F.
2-9. "Her father, brother, and sister successively
address her in the same polite style,
and receive the same answer; except that to
the latter, instead of the information contained
in the last two lines, she addresses a
piece of advice." The phrase stood stately
in 22, most appropriate for the mother, was
probably varied for father, brother, and
sister.
15-16. "He delivers his message in the approved
ballad style, and the lover speaks."
20. "The few verses following contain her testamentary
bequests to her relatives above
mentioned; but the person from whom I got
the ballad could not repeat them."
G.
I. a.
1. Given in the Appendix to Motherwell's
Minstrelsy, p. xix, XIV, with this
slight difference in the burden: And
she dearly loved me.
3-9. at Dundee in the burden.
82. Penknife for wife, in my copy of the MS.
10. In the Minstrelsy, from b:
Her father he ca'd up the stake,
Her brother he the fire did make.
b.
1.
There lived a lady in Scotland
O my love and O my joy
Who dearly loved an Englishman.
And bonnie Susie Cleland is to be burnt at Dundee
2.
The father to the daughter came:
'Will you forsake your Englishman?'
For, etc.
4.
'My Englishman I'll neer forsake,
Altho you burn me at your stake.
For, etc.
5.
'O where will I get a pretty little boy,
That will bring tidings to my joy?'
For, etc.
6.
'O here am I, a pretty little boy,
And I'll carry tidings to thy joy.'
For, etc.
7.
'O take to him this right-hand glove,
Tell him to seek another love.'
For, etc.
9.
'O bring to him this gay gold ring,
And bid him come to my burning.'
For, etc.
10.
Her father he ca'd up the stake,
Her brother he the fire did make.
And bonnie Susie Cleland is burnt at Dundee
c.
5.
'Where will I get a bonny boy,
Oh my love and oh my joy
Where will I get a bonny boy,
That dearly loves me
Where will I get a bonny boy,
Will carry tidings to my joy?'
Bonnie Susie Cleland was burned at Dundee
6.
'Here am I, a little boy,
That dearly loves thee
Will carry tidings to thy joy.'
7.
'Carry my love this glove,
Who dearly loves me
Bid him seek another love.
8.
'Carry my love this knife,
That dearly loves me
Bid him seek another wife.
9.
'Carry my love this ring,
That dearly loves me
Bid him come to my burning.