Notes and Queries, Fifth Series, VII, 387, 1877: communicated
by B. Montgomerie Ranking, as "heard sung years
ago by a West Country fisherman."
* * * * *
1
'Oh daughter, oh daughter,' her father he said,
'What makes you look so pale?
. . . . . . .
Or are you in love with any man?'
2
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
'But if it be one of my own sailor lads,
High hanged he shall be.'
3
Johnnie Barbour he cam doun the stair,
His shirt was of the silk;
His two bonnie black een were rolling in his head,
And his skin was as white as milk.
4
'Oh are you ready to marry my daughter,
And take her by the hand,
And to eat and drink with me at the table,
And be heir of all my land?'
5
'Oh it's I am ready to marry your daughter,
And take her by the hand,
And to eat and drink with her at the table,
And to fight for all your land.'
F
Motherwell's MS., p. 404; from the recitation of Agnes
Laird, of Kilbarchan, August 24, 1825.
1
Our king hath been a poor prisoner,
And a poor prisoner in Spain; O
When seven long years was past and gone,
Our Scotish king came hame. O
2
As he was riding along the way,
He met with his dear dochter:
'What ails thee, what ails thee, my dochter dear,
Thou looks so pale and wan?
3
'Have ye had any sore sickness,
Or have ye lovd a man?
Or is it for me, my dochter dear,
I have been so long in Spain?'
4
'I have had no sore sickness,
Nor yet have I loved a man;
But it is for you, my father dear,
Thou've been so long in Spain.'
5
'Cast aff, cast aff thy brown silk gown,
And spread it on yonder stone,
And I will tell you by and by
Whether thou art a maid or none.'
6
She's coosten off her brown silk gown,
And spread it on yonder stone,
And her belly was big, and her face pale and wan,
And she was about half gone.
7
'Is it to a man o micht?
Or to a man of fame?
Or is it to one of the rank rebels
That I sent out of Spain?'
8
'It is not to a man of micht,
Nor to a man of fame,
Nor yet to one of the rank rebels
That ye sent out o Spain;
But it is to Willie o Winsberry,
Thy very own serving-man.'
9
'If it be to Willie o Winsberry,
As I trew well it be,
Gin the morn at ten o the clock
It's hanged shall he be.'
10
As the king was riding up the gate
He met Willie clothed in scarlet red,
And his hair was as yellow as the beam, beam gold,
And his breast as white as milk.
11
'No wonder, no wonder,' quo the king,
'My dochter luvit thee;
For if thou was a woman, as thou'rt a man,
My bedfellow thou should be.'
12
The king called down his merry men all,
By one, by two, and by three;
Sweet Willie should ha been the foremost man,
But the hindmost man drew he.
13
'Will you take my dochter Jean,
By the faith of her richt hand?
And you shall sup and dine with me,
And heir the third part of my land.'
14
'I will take your dochter Jean,
By the faith of her richt hand,
And I will sup and dine with you,
But a fig for all your land;
For I've as much land in Winsberry
As we'll ride in a long summer's day.'
G
Buchan's MSS, II, 174; Buchan's Ballads of the North
of Scotland, II, 212.
1
Seven years the king he staid
Into the land of Spain,
And seven years True Thomas was
His daughter's chamberlain.
2
But it fell ance upon a day
The king he did come home;
She baked and she benjed ben,
And did him there welcome.
3
'What aileth you, my daughter Janet,
You look sae pale and wan?
There is a dreder in your heart,
Or else you love a man.'
4
'There is no dreder in my heart,
Nor do I love a man;
But it is for your lang byding
Into the land of Spain.'
5
'Ye'll cast aff your bonny brown gown,
And lay it on a stone,
And I'll tell you, my jelly Janet,
If ever ye lovd a man.'
6
She's cast aff her bonny brown gown,
And laid it on a stone;
Her belly was big, her twa sides high,
Her colour it was quite gane.
7
'Is it to a man o the might, Janet,
Or is it till a man o the main?
Or is it to one o my poor soldiers,
That I brought hame frae Spain?'
8
'It's not till a man o the might,' she says,
'Nor yet to a man o the main;
But it's to Thomas o Winsbury,
That cannot longer len.'
9
'O where are all my wall-wight men,
That I pay meat and fee,
That will go for him True Thomas,
And bring him in to me?
For the morn, ere I eat or drink,
High hanged shall he be.'
10
She's turnd her right and round about,
The tear blinded her ee:
'If ye do any ill to True Thomas,
Ye's never get gude o me.'
11
When Thomas came before the king
He glanced like the fire;
His hair was like the threads o gold,
His eyes like crystal clear.
12
'It was nae wonder, my daughter Janet,
Altho ye loved this man;
If he were a woman, as he is a man,
My bed-fellow he would been.
13
'O will ye marry my daughter Janet?
The truth's in your right hand;
Ye's hae some o my gold, and some o my gear,
And the twalt part o my land.'
14
'It's I will marry your daughter Janet;
The truth's in my right hand;
I'll hae nane o your gold, nor nane o your gear,
I've enough in my own land.
15
'But I will marry your daughter Janet
With thirty ploughs and three,
And four and twenty bonny breast-mills,
And a' on the water o Dee.'
H
Kinloch's Scottish Ballads, p. 92.
1
It fell upon a time, when the proud king of France
Went a hunting for five months and more,
That his dochter fell in love with Thomas of Winesberrie,
From Scotland newly come oer.
2
Whan her father cam hame frae hunting the deer,
And his dochter before him cam,
Her belly it was big, and her twa sides round,
And her fair colour was wan.
3
'What ails thee, what ails thee, my dochter Janet?
What maks thee to look sae wan?
Ye've either been sick, and very, very sick,
Or else ye hae lain wi a man.'
4
'Ye're welcome, ye're welcome, dear father,' she says,
'Ye're welcome hame to your ain,
For I hae been sick, and very, very sick,
Thinking lang for your coming hame.
5
'O pardon, O pardon, dear father,' she says,
'A pardon ye'll grant me:'
'Na pardon, na pardon, my dochter,' he says,
'Na pardon I'll grant thee.
6
'O is it to a man of micht,
Or to a man of mean?
Or is it to onie of thae rank robbers
That I sent hame frae Spain?'
7
'It is not to a man of micht,
Nor to a man of mean;
But it is to Thomas o Winesberrie,
And for him I suffer pain.'
8
'If it be to Thomas o' Winesberrie,
As I trust well it be,
Before I either eat or drink,
Hie hangit sall he be.'
9
When this bonnie boy was brought afore the king,
His claithing was o the silk,
His fine yellow hair hang dangling doun,
And his skin was like the milk.
10
'Na wonder, na wonder, Lord Thomas,' he says,
'My dochter fell in love wi thee,
For if I war a woman, as I am a man,
My bed-fellow ye shoud be.
11
'Then will ye marry my dochter Janet,
To be heir to a' my land?
O will ye marry my dochter Janet,
Wi the truth o your richt hand?'
12
'I will marry your dochter Janet,
Wi the truth o my richt hand;
I'll hae nane o your gowd, nor yet o your gear,
I've eneuch in fair Scotland.
13
'But I will marry your dochter Janet,
I care na for your land,
For she's be a queen, and I a king,
Whan we come to fair Scotland.'
I
a. A stall copy printed by M. Randall, Stirling, b. A
stall copy by C. Randall, Stirling. c. Buchan's Gleanings,
p. 127.
1
It fell upon a time that the proud king of France
Went a hunting for five months and more;
His daughter fell in love with Lord Winsberry,
Who from Scotland was newly come oer.
2
'You're welcome, welcome, dear father,' she said,
'You're welcome again to your own;
For I have been sick, and very, very sick,
Thinking long for your coming home.'
3
'Put off, put off your gown of green,' he says,
'And spread it on yonder green,
And tell them from me that in mourning you are,
Or that ye have lain with a man.'
4
She's put off her gown of green,
And spread it on the strand;
Her haunches were round, and her belly was big,
From her face the colour is gone.
5
'O is it to a man of might,' he says,
'Or is it to a man that's mean?
Or is it to one of those rank rebels,
That lately from Scotland came?'
6
'O it is to a man of might,' she says,
'It is not to one that is mean;
It is to Lord Thomas of Winsberry,
And for him I must suffer pain.'
7
The king called up his merry men all,
By one, by two, and by three:
'Go fetch me Lord Thomas of Winsberry,
For tomorrow he shall die.'
8
They sought him up, they sought him down,
As fast as fast could be;
There they found Lord Thomas of Winsberry,
Sitting under an orange tree.
9
'Get up, get up, Lord Thomas,' they said,
'Get up, and bound your way;
For the king has sworn by his honoured crown
That tomorrow is thy dying-day.'
10
'O what have I robbd, or what have I stolen,
Or what have I killed or slain,
That I should be afraid to speak to your king?
For I have done him no wrong.'
11
Lord Thomas came tripping up the stair,
His cloathing was of the silk;
His fine yellow hair hung dangling down,
His skin was white as the milk.
12
And when he came before the king
He kneeled down on his knee;
Says, What is your will with me, my liege,
What is your will with me?
13
'I think no wonder, Lord Thomas,' he says,
'That my daughter fell in love with thee;
If thou wert a woman, as thou art a man,
My bed-fellow thou wouldst be.
14
'Will ye marry my daughter Jean,
By the faith of thy right hand?
Thou'se have part of my gold, part of my gear,
And a third part of my land.'
15
'Yes, I will marry thy daughter Jean,
By the faith of my right hand;
I'll have none of your gold, none of your gear;
I have enough in fair Scotland.'
16
He has mounted her on a milk-white steed,
Himself on a dapple-grey;
He's got as much land in fair Scotland
As they can ride in a summer's day.
A.
O is added, in singing, to every second and
fourth verse.
12. oh.
93. the reeds of, in my copy.
112. of my.
B.
Quhat, ze, etc., are printed what, ye.
C.
9. Given thus in Kinloch's annotated copy of
his Ancient Scottish Ballads; derived, from
Motherwell:
The king called doun his merry men,
By thirties and by three;
Lord Thomas, that used to be the first.
The hindmost man was he.
D.
32. altered, wrongly, to But lain with a.
92. shrrill.
F.
O is added, in singing, to every second and
fourth verse.
13, 4. Thus in Motherwell's Note-Book, p.
27:
Seven long years was past and gone
When our Scotish king came home. O
16. Given thus in Kinloch's annotated copy of
his Ancient Scottish Ballads, as the concluding
verse of Mr Motherwell's copies and
that of Buchan:
He mounted her on a milk-white steed,
Himself on a dapple-grey,
And they've as muckle land in braid Scotland
As can be rode in a lang simmer's day.
G. Some trifling changes are made by Buchan in
printing.
84. ben, printed by Buchan len.
I. a.
142. of my: so b.
161. her wanting.
b.
23. and very sick.
41, 2. wanting.
52. that is.
53. these.
82. As fast as they.
93. his wanting.
113. hang.
134. should be.
c.
22. You are.
31. Put off your.
52. that is.
53. these.
74. Sitting under an orange tree.
8. wanting.
142. of my.
143. Thou'llt.
101
WILLIE O DOUGLAS DALE
A. 'Willy o Douglass-dale,' Jamieson-Brown MS., fol.
8.
B. a. 'Dame Oliphant, or, Willie o Douglass Dale,'
Buchan MSS, II, 117. b. 'The Earl of Douglas and
Dame Oliphant,' Buchan's Ballads of the North of
Scotland, II, 181; 'Lord Willie Douglas,' Motherwell's
MS., p. 619.
C. 'Douglass Dale,' Kinloch MSS, V, 327.
A was among the fifteen ballads furnished
by Mrs Brown to William Tytler in 1783, No
8. The first stanza is cited by Dr Anderson
in Nichols's Illustrations, VII, 177. There is
a copy in the Abbotsford MS. "Scottish
Songs," fol. 16, in which the text is considerably
altered; stanzas 7, 12, 19, 22-24 are
omitted, and 25 is inserted between 30 and 31.
B b inserts two stanzas after B a 15, and adds
one at the end. The copy in Christie's Traditional
Ballad Airs, II, 32, is an abridgment
of B b as made over in The Ballad Minstrelsy
of Scotland, Glasgow, 1871, p. 63. C has an
appendage of two stanzas which belong to another
ballad, and are transferred accordingly.
The first part of the story of this ballad, or
down to the birth of the boy, is repeated in
'Willie and Earl Richard's Daughter' (hitherto
called 'The Birth of Robin Hood'), which
immediately follows. This portion of the ballad
has resemblances to 'Leesome Brand,' No
15.[167]
A 9, B 15, is a popular passage the like of
which is found in many ballads: as 'Child
Waters,' A 2, 3; 'Lady Maisry,' H 7, 8;
'Willie o Winsbury,' A 5, C 5, D 3; 'Willie
and Earl Richard's Daughter,' A 4; 'Der
Ritter und die Magd,' Düntzer u. Herder,
Briefe Goethe's, I, 157, st. 6; Nicolai, I, 40,
No 2, st. 6; Wunderhorn, 1806, I, 50, st. 11,
Erk, IV, 304, st. 5; Erk's Liederhort, p. 81,
st. 10; Hoffmann u. Richter, No. 4, st. 4;
Meier, Schwäbische Volkslieder, No 177, st. 9;
Ditfurth, II, Nos 6, 7, 8, st. 5; Uhland, No 97 A,
st. 5; Mittler, No 91, st. 6; 'Schön Elselein,'
'Das Schwabentöchterlein,' Böhme, No 51a,
st. 11, No 51b, st. 8 (=Mittler, No 218; Uhland,
No 257); 'Þiðriks kvæði konúngs,' Íslenzk
fornkvæði, II, 218, No 57, st. 6; Haupt
u. Schmaler, V. l. der Wenden, I, 160, No 136,
st. 7; Sakellarios, Τα Κυπριακα, III, 52, No 20,
vv 5-9; Guillon, Ch. p. de l'Ain, 'La Fille
d'un Boulanger,' p. 201, sts 1, 2; Milá, Romancerillo,
'La infanta seducida,' p. 249, No
258, l. 4; 'De la infanta y el hijo del rey de
Francia,' Wolf y Hofmann, Primavera, II, 91,
No 158, verses 5, 6; Aigner, Ungarische Volksdichtungen,
p. 86, st. 1, p. 215, st. 2.
The very ill-timed question in B 20 occurs
in 'Young Hunting,' No 68, K 8, 'Clerk
Saunders,' No 69, F 5, Buchan, Ballads of the
North of Scotland, 'Auld Matrons,' II, 238,
st. 4, and 'Willie's Fatal Visit,' II, 260, st. 7.
For others in this passage see 'Rose the Red
and White Lily.' The bribe of gowns in B
29 is found in 'Young Hunting,' B 9, C 7,
K 13.
The historical foundation for this ballad
suggested in The Ballad Minstrelsy of Scotland,
Glasgow, 1871, p. 63, cannot be seriously
entertained.
A
Jamieson-Brown MS., fol. 8.
1
O Willy was as brave a lord
As ever saild the sea,
And he has gane to the English court,
To serve for meat and fee.
2
He had nae been at the kingis court
A twelvemonth and a day,
Till he longd for a sight o the king's daughter,
But ane he coud never see.
3
O it fell ance upon a day
To the green wood she has gane,
An Willy he has followd her,
With the clear light o the moon.
4
He looted him low, by her did go,
Wi his hat intill his hand:
'O what's your will wi me, Sir Knight?
I pray keep your hat on.'
5
'O I am not a knight, Madam,
Nor never thinks to be;
For I am Willy o Douglassdale,
An I serve for meat and fee.'
6
'O I'll gang to my bowr,' she says,
'An sigh baith even an morn
That ever I saw your face, Willy,
Or that ever ye was born.
7
'O I'll gang to my bowr,' she says,
'An I'll pray baith night an day,
To keep me frae your tempting looks,
An frae your great beauty.'
8
O in a little after that
He keepit Dame Oliphant's bowr,
An the love that passd between this twa,
It was like paramour.
9
'O narrow, narrow's my gown, Willy,
That wont to be sae wide;
An short, short is my coats, Willy,
That wont to be sae side;
An gane is a' my fair colour,
An low laid is my pride.
10
'But an my father get word of this,
He'll never drink again;
An gin my mother get word of this,
In her ain bowr she'll go brain;
An gin my bold brothers get word this,
I fear, Willy, you'll be slain.'
11
'O will you leave your father's court,
An go along wi me?
I'll carry you unto fair Scotland,
And mak you a lady free.'
12
She pat her han in her pocket
An gae him five hunder poun:
'An take you that now, Squire Willy,
Till awa that we do won.'
13
Whan day was gane, and night was come,
She lap the castle-wa;
But Willy kepit his gay lady,
He was laith to let her fa.
14
Whan night was gane, an day come in,
An lions gaed to their dens,
An ay the lady followd him,
An the tears came hailing down.
15
'O want ye ribbons to your hair?
Or roses to your shoone?
Or want ye as meickle dear bought love
As your ain heart can contain?'
16
'I want nae ribbons to my hair,
Nor roses till my shoone;
An Ohone, alas, for dear bought love!
I have mair nor I can contain.'
17
O he's pu'd the oak in good green wood,
An he's made to her a fire;
He coverd it oer wi withred leaves,
An gard it burn thro ire.
18
He made a bed i the good green wood,
An he's laid his lady down,
An he's coverd her oer wi fig-tree leaves,
But an his ain night-gown.
19
'O had I a bunch o yon red roddins,
That grows in yonder wood,
But an a drink o water clear,
I think it woud do me good.'
20
He's pu'd her a bunch o yon red roddins,
That grew beside yon thorn,
But an a drink o water clear,
Intill his hunting-horn.
21
He's bent his bow, and shot the deer,
An thro the green wood gane,
An ere that he came back again
His lady took travailing.
22
'O up ye tak that horn,' she says,
'An ye blaw a blast for me;
Gin my father be in good green wood,
Sae seen's he'll come me ti.'
23
'O gin there be a man on earth
That ye loo better nor me,
Ye blaw the horn yoursel,' he says,
'For it's never be blawn by me.'
24
O he's bent his bow, an shot the deer,
An thro the green wood has he gane,
An lang or he came back again
His lady bare him a son.
25
O up has he tane his bonny young son,
An washn him wi the milk,
An up has he tane his gay lady,
An rowd her i the silk.
26
He's bent his bow, and shot the deer,
An thro the green wood has he gane,
Till he met wi a well-fard may,
Her father's flock feeding.
27
'Ye leave your father's flock feeding,
An go along wi me;
I'll carry you to a lady fair,
Will gi you both meat and fee.'
28
O whan she came the lady before,
She's fa'n down on her knee:
'O what's your will wi me, my dame?
An a dame you seem to be.'
29
'O I'm Dame Oliphant, the king's daughter,
Nae doubt but ye've heard o me;
Will you leave your father's flock feeding,
An go to Scotlan wi me?
30
'An ye sal get a nouriship
Intill an earldome,
An I will gar provide for the
To marry some brave Scotsman.'
31
The may she keepit the bonny boy,
An Willy led his lady,
Untill they took their fair shippin,
Then quikly hame came they.
32
The win was fair, an the sea was clear,
An they a' wan safe to lan;
He's haild her lady of Douglassdale,
Himsel the lord within.
B
a. Buchan MSS, II, 117. b. Buchan's Ballads of the
North of Scotland, II, 181; Motherwell's MS., p. 619.
1
Willie was an earl's ae son,
And an earl's ae son was he,
But he thought his father lack to sair,
And his mother of low degree.
2
But he is on to fair England,
To sair for meat an fee,
And all was for Dame Oliphant,
A woman of great beauty.
3
He hadna been in fair England
A month but barely ane,
Ere he dreamd that fair Dame Oliphant
Gied him a gay gold ring.
4
He hadna been in fair England
A month but barely four,
Ere he dreamd that fair Dame Oliphant
Gied him a red rose flower,
Well set about with white lilies,
Like to the paramour.
5
It fell ance upon a day
Dame Oliphant thought lang,
And she gaed on to good green wood,
As fast as she could gang.
6
As Willie stood in his chamber-door,
And as he thought it good,
There he beheld Dame Oliphant,
As she came thro the wood.
7
He's taen his bow his arm oer,
His sword into his hand,
And he is on to good green wood,
As fast as he could gang.
8
And there he found Dame Oliphant,
Was lying sound asleep,
And aye the sounder she did sleep
The nearer he did creep.
9
But when she wakend from her sleep
An angry maid was she,
Crying, Had far away frae me, young man,
Had far away frae me!
For I fear ye are the Scottish knight
That beguiles young ladies free.
10
'I am not the Scottish knight,
Nor ever thinks to be;
I am but Willie o Douglass Dale,
That serves for meat an fee.'
11
'If ye be Willie o Douglass Dale,
Ye're dearly welcome to me;
For oft in my sleep have I thought on
You and your merry winking ee.'
12
But the cocks they crew, and the horns blew,
And the lions took the hill,
And Willie he gaed hame again,
To his hard task and till;
And likewise did Dame Oliphant,
To her book and her seam.
13
Till it fell ance upon a day
Dame Oliphant thought lang,
And she went on to Willie's bower-yates,
As fast as she could gang.
14
'O are ye asleep now, Squire Willie?
O are you asleep?' said she;
O waken, waken, Squire Willie,
O waken, and speak to me.
15
'For the gowns that were oer wide, Willie,
They winna meet on me,
And the coats that were oer side, Willie,
They winna come to my knee;
And if the knights of my father's court get word,
I'm sure they'll gar you die.'
* * * * *
16
But she's taen a web of the scarlet,
And she tare it fine an sma,
And even into Willie's arms
She leapt the castle-wa;
And Willie was wight and well able,
And he keept her frae a fa.
17
But the cocks they crew, and the horns blew,
And the lions took the hill,
And Willie's ladie followed him,
And the tears did twinkle still.
18
'O want ye ribbons to your hair?
Or roses to your sheen?
Or want ye chains about your neck?
Ye'se get mair ere that be deen.'
19
'I want not ribbons to my hair,
Nor roses to my sheen,
And there's mair chains about my neck
Nor ever I'll see deen;
But I have as much dear bought love
As my heart can contain.'
20
'Will ye go to the cards or dice?
Or to the table ee?
Or to a bed, so well down spread,
And sleep till it be day?'
21
'I've mair need of the roddins, Willie,
That grow on yonder thorn;
Likewise a drink o Marywell water,
Out of your grass-green horn.
22
'I've mair need of a fire, Willie,
To had me frae the cauld;
Likewise a glass of your red wine,
Ere I bring my son to the fauld.'
23
He's got a bush o roddins till her,
That grows on yonder thorn;
Likewise a drink o Marywell water,
Out of his grass-green horn.
24
He carried the match in his pocket
That kindled to her the fire,
Well set about wi oaken spells,
That learnd oer Lincolnshire.
25
And he has bought to his lady
The white bread and the wine;
And the milk he milked from the goats,
He fed his young son on.
26
Till it fell ance upon a day
Dame Oliphant thought lang:
'O gin ye hae a being, Willie,
I pray ye hae me hame.'
27
He's taen his young son in his arms,
His lady by the hand,
And they're down thro good green wood,
As fast as they could gang.
28
Till they came to a shepherd-may,
Was feeding her flocks alone;
Said, Will ye gae alang wi me,
And carry my bonny young son?
29
The gowns that were shapen for my back,
They shall be sewd for thine;
And likewise I'll gar Squire Willie
Gie you a braw Scotsman.
30
When they came on to Willie's bower-yates,
And far beyont the sea,
She was haild the lady o Douglass Dale,
And Willie an earl to be:
Likewise the maid they brought awa,
She got a braw Scotsman.
C