106 THE FAMOUS FLOWER OF SERVING-MEN

This ballad was given in Percy's Reliques, III, 87, 1765, "from a written copy, containing some improvements (perhaps modern ones)." These improvements are execrable in style and in matter, so far as there is new matter, but not in so glaring contrast with the groundwork as literary emendations of traditional ballads. Ritson reprinted in A Select Collection of English Songs, II, 244, 1783, some broadside like that which was followed by c.[169]

'Sweet Willie' in Kinloch MSS, V, 407 and VII, 197 (the latter printed in Kinloch's Ancient Scottish Ballads, p. 96), and also a fragment with the same title in the Harris MS., fol. 20 f, No 15, are derived from the broadside through recitation. A copy in Buchan's MSS, I, 150, is taken directly from print.

In other cases portions of the broadside appear to have entered into combination with traditional verses belonging to some other story, or possibly to some older form of this.

The Dean of Derry communicated to Percy in 1776 the following stanzas, which he wrote down from the recitation of his mother, Mrs Barnard, wife of the Bishop of Derry.[170]

1 My mother showd me a deadly spight;
She sent three thieves at darksome night;
They put my servants all to flight,
They robd my bower, and they slew my knight.

2 They could not do me much more harm,
But they slew my baby on my arm;
They left me nothing to wrap it in
But the bloody, bloody sheet that it lay in.

3 They left me nothing to make a grave
But the bloody sword that slew my babe;
All alone the grave I made,
And all alone salt tears I shed.

4 All alone the bell I rung,
And all alone sweet psalms I sung;
I leant my head against a block,
And there I cut my lovely locks.

5 I cut my locks, and chang'd my name
From Fair Eleanore to Sweet William.

Scott inserted in his Border Minstrelsy, III, 83, 1803, seven stanzas under the title of 'The Lament of the Border Widow,' which show broader traces of the sheet-ballad (1-3), and also, as Aytoun has remarked, agreements with 'The Three Ravens' and with 'Fair Helen of Kirconnell' (5-7). 'The Lament of the Border Widow,' "obtained from recitation in the Forest of Ettrick," has been thought to relate to the execution of Cokburne, a border-freebooter, by James V. Those who are interested in such random inventions (as, under pardon, they must be called) will find particulars in Scott's introduction, and a repetition of the same in Maidment's Scotish Ballads and Songs, Historical and Traditionary, II, 170.[171]

1 My love he built me a bonny bower,
And clad it a' wi lilye-flour;
A brawer bower ye neer did see
Than my true-love he built for me.

2 There came a man, by middle day,
He spied his sport and went away,
And brought the king that very night,
Who brake my bower, and slew my knight.

3 He slew my knight, to me sae dear;
He slew my knight, and poind his gear;
My servants all for life did flee,
And left me in extremitie.

4 I sewd his sheet, making my mane;
I watched the corpse, myself alane;
I watched his body, night and day;
No living creature came that way.

5 I took his body on my back,
And whiles I gaed, and whiles I sate;
I diggd a grave, and laid him in,
And happd him with the sod sae green.

6 But think na ye my heart was sair,
When I laid the moul on his yellow hair?
O think na ye my heart was wae,
When I turnd about, away to gae?

7 Nae living man I'll love again,
Since that my lovely knight is slain;
Wi ae lock of his yellow hair
I'll chain my heart for evermair.

Again, there are six couplets in Johnson's Museum, p. 90, No 89, called, from the burden, 'Oh ono chrio,' which have a little of The Border Widow, and incidentally of The Flower of Serving-Men, winding up with sentiments of transcendent elegance.

Oh was I not a weary wight,
Maid, wife and widow in one night!

When in my soft and yielding arms,
When most I thought him free from harms,

Even at the dead time of the night,
They broke my bower, and slew my knight.

With ae lock of his jet-black hair
I'll tye my heart for ever mair.

Nae sly-tongued youth, or flattering swain,
Shall eer untye this knott again.

Thine still, dear youth, that heart shall be,
Nor pant for aught save heaven and thee.

"Dr Blacklock informed Burns that this song... was composed on the horrid massacre at Glencoe": Stenhouse's note, IV, 92.

The English broadside, which may reasonably be believed to be formed upon a predecessor in the popular style, has been held to have a common origin with the Scandinavian ballad 'Maid and Stable Boy,' already spoken of under 'Child Waters' at p. 84f of this volume. The points of resemblance are that a maid cuts her hair, dons man's clothes, and seeks service with a king. In the end she is married to the king's son, or to a nobleman of his court. The differences, in other respects, are considerable.

Percy's ballad is translated by Bodmer, I, 160; by Merk, Ursinus, p. 79, and Bothe, p. 307; by Döring, p. 329.

1 You beautious ladies, great and small,
I write unto you one and all,
Whereby that you may understand
What I have suffered in this land.

2 I was by birth a lady fair,
My father's chief and onely heir,
But when my good old father dy'd,
Then was I made a young knight's bride.

3 And then my love built me a bower,
Bedeckt with many a fragrant flower;
A braver bower you never did see
Then my true-love did build for me.

4 But there came thieves late in the night,
They rob'd my bower, and slew my knight,
And after that my knight was slain,
I could no longer there remain.

5 My servants all from me did flye,
In the midst of my extremity,
And left me by my self alone,
With a heart more cold then any stone.

6 Yet, though my heart was full of care,
Heaven would not suffer me to despair;
Wherefore in hast I chang'd my name
From Fair Elise to Sweet William.

7 And therewithal I cut my hair,
And drest my self in man's attire,
My doublet, hose, and bever-hat,
And a golden band about my neck.

8 With a silver rapier by my side,
So like a gallant I did ride;
The thing that I delighted on,
Was for to be a serving-man.

9 Thus in my sumptuous man's array,
I bravely rode along the way;
And at the last it chanced so
That I unto the king's court did go.

10 Then to the king I bowed full low,
My love and duty for to show,
And so much favour I did crave
That I a serving-man's place might have.

11 'Stand up, brave youth, the king replyd,
'Thy service shall not be denyd;
But tell me first what thou canst do;
Thou shalt be fitted thereunto.

12 'Wilt thou be usher of my hall,
To wait upon my nobles all?
Or wilt thou be taster of my wine,
To wait on me when I shall dine?

13 'Or wilt thou be my chamberlain,
To make my bed both soft and fine?
Or wilt thou be one of my guard?
And I will give thee thy reward.'

14 Sweet William, with a smiling face,
Said to the king, If't please your grace
To show such favour unto me,
Your chamberlain I fain would be.

15 The king then did the nobles call,
To ask the counsel of them all,
Who gave consent Sweet William he
The king's own chamberlain should be.

16 Now mark what strange things came to pass;
As the king one day a hunting was,
With all his lords and noble train,
Sweet William did at home remain.

17 Sweet William had no company then
With him at home but an old man;
And when he saw the coast was clear,
He took a lute which he had there.

18 Upon the lute Sweet William plaid,
And to the same he sung and said,
With a pleasant and most noble voice,
Which made the old man to rejoyce:

19 'My father was as brave a lord
As ever Europe did afford;
My mother was a lady bright,
My husband was a valiant knight.

20 'And I my self a lady gay,
Bedeckt with gorgeous rich array;
The bravest lady in the land
Had not more pleasures to command.

21 'I had my musick every day,
Harmonious lessons for to play;
I had my virgins fair and free,
Continually to wait on me.

22 'But now, alas! my husband's dead,
And all my friends are from me fled;
My former joys are past and gone,
For now I am a serving-man.'

23 At last the king from hunting came,
And presently upon the same
He called for the good old man,
And thus to speak the king began.

24 'What news, what news, old man?' quod he;
'What news hast thou to tell to me?'
'Brave news,' the old man he did say;
'Sweet William is a lady gay.'

25 'If this be true thou tellest me
I'le make thee a lord of high degree;
But if thy words do prove a lye,
Thou shalt be hanged up presently.'

26 But when the king the truth had found,
His joys did more and more abound;
According as the old man did say,
Sweet William was a lady gay.

27 Therefore the king without delay
Put on her glorious rich array,
And upon her head a crown of gold,
Which was most famous to behold.

28 And then, for fear of further strife,
He took Sweet William for his wife;
The like before was never seen,
A serving-man to be a queen.

Her lover being slain, her father dead,
Her bower robd, her servants fled,
She drest her self in mans attire,
She trim'd her locks, she cut her hair,
And therupon she changde her name
From Fair Elise to Sweet William.

FOOTNOTES:

[169] Heber had a copy printed by J. Andrews, who flourished 1655-60.

[170] Mrs Barnard makes this note: I remember to have seen a printed ballad, at least seventy years since, in which this was containd, as sung by a youth, overheard by a king he servd, and exalted to become his queen. I fancy these scenes were in Germany, by the names.—Percy regards the verses as a "fragment of an older copy than that printed of 'The Lady turnd Serving-Man.'"

[171] The Border Widow's Lament has received extraordinary favor. It has been translated by Schubart, p. 209; Talvj, Charakteristik, p. 570; Fiedler, Geschichte der schottischen Liederdichtung, p. 29; Freiligrath, Zwischen den Garben, II, 229, Stuttgart, 1877; Doenniges, p. 77; Knortz, L. u. R. Alt-Englands, p. 195, No 58. Cunningham furbished up the verses a little in The Songs of Scotland, II, 97. The copy in Chambers's Scottish Songs, I, 174, is Cunningham's, all but the sixth stanza, which is from Scott.—A great deal of nonsense passes in ballads, but I am impelled to ask just here how a lover would go about to clothe a bower with lily-flower. Is the ballad lily a climbing plant?

107
WILL STEWART AND JOHN

The fragment B is disordered as well as mutilated. B 1 corresponds to A 18, 13; 2 to 14; 3 to 19, 40; 4 to 41, 42; 5 to 43; 6 to 35, 36; 7 to 17. It is simply a confused recollection of some parts of the ballad.

The first stanza furnishes a sort of general lyrical introduction, and does not belong to the story, to which, as I conceive, the circumstance that Adlatts Park is wide and broad is of no more special pertinence than the other which follows, that grass grows green in our countrye. See I, 7, note.

Will Stewart, of Argyle Castle, languishes with love for the Earl of Mar's daughter, and lies in care-bed. His younger brother, John, a wiser man, offers to go a-wooing for his brother, and to forward his object takes service with the Earl of Mar as chamberlain to his daughter. One Sunday, as John is conveying the lady home from church, he makes known to her that he is a messenger. The lady at first, like Shakspere's Olivia, would rather he should speak for himself, but upon hearing what John has to say for his brother is ready to love Will heartily. She bids her lover come with a hundred men to a foot-ball match on Sunday after St Andrew's day. He must play sixteen games, and if he win the greater part she shall love him the more. This tidings makes Will Stewart leap from care-bed. He chooses a hundred men from eleven score and three, dresses them in green, himself in scarlet (about which the lady had been particular), meets his mistress at the rendezvous, gives her a kiss of courtesy, and wins twelve of the sixteen games. The Earl of Mar invites Will to his house, where the Stewart avows his love for his daughter; he knows not whether the lady loves him. "God forbid!" exclaims the earl. "I would rather thou wert hanged or burned. To thy chamber, lady, or I will beat thee before the Stewart's eye." Will, with John, who renounces Mar's service, returns to Argyle Castle, and Will leaps into care-bed again. A parliament is held at Edinburgh, to which both brothers are summoned. Mar discovers that Will is an earl's son, and even the king's cousin, but this discovery has no effect to change the mind of the peremptory nobleman. Will and John go back to Argyle Castle when the parliament is done, and Will once more leaps into care-bed. John, in great concern for his brother, offers to go a-wooing for him again. He disguises himself as a beggar, comes to Mar's house on a dole-day, makes his way to the lady and sticks by her till all the beggars are gone, and then tells her that he is no beggar, but a messenger. The lady, reproached for her cruelty, says the blame is not hers, and appoints Will to meet her within three days at Martinsdale with a hundred men, they and he dressed as before. Will leaps out of care-bed, chooses a hundred of the best out of eleven score men and three, rides to Martinsdale, and finds the true lady waiting for him. They send for priest and clerk and are married, and she goes home with Will. A twelvemonth after, John is despatched to bid the Earl of Mar to a christening. John frightens the earl with an intimation that his daughter will now be returned on his hands. This brings the wilful father round. The marriage ceremony is performed over again, and Will made Earl of Mar.

As Mr Hales has remarked, Bishop Percy's Folio Manuscript, III, 215, the allusions to manners and customs are highly interesting: as, to foot-ball matches, 27; to the kiss of courtesy, 35³; to the beating of daughters, 42⁴, 43³; to the dole-day, 66²; to the beggar's dress and equipment, 61, 78³.

The superfluous that in 3⁴, 16³, 18⁴, 38¹, 68¹, 89², is common in the ballads of the Percy manuscript.

1 Adlatts parke is wyde and broad,
And grasse growes greene in our countrye;
Eche man can gett the loue of his ladye,
But alas, I can gett none of mine!

2 Itt's by two men I sing my song,
Their names is "William Stewart and Iohn;
William he is the elder brother,
But Iohn hee is the wiser man.

3 But William he is in care-bed layd,
And for the loue of a ffaire ladye;
If he haue not the loue of the Erle of Mar's daughter,
In ffaith ffor loue that he must dye.

4 Then Iohn was sorry ffor his brother,
To see him lye and languish soe:
'What doe you mourne for, brother?' he saies,
'I pray you tell to me your woe.

5 'Doe [you] mourne for gold, brother?' he saies,
'Or doe you mourne ffor ffee?
Or doe you mourne for a likesome ladye,
You neuer saw her with your eye?'

6 'I doe not mourne for gold,' he saies,
'Nor I doe not mourne for any ffee;
But I doe mourne for a likesome ladye,
I neere blinke on her with mine eye.'

7 'But when haruest is gotten, my deere brother—
All this is true that I tell thee—
Gentlemen, they loue hunting well,
And giue wight-men their cloth and ffee.

8 'Then I'le goe a wooing ffor thy sake,
In all the speed that I can gone,
And for to see this likesome ladye,
And hope to send thee good tydings home.'

9 Iohn Stewart is gone a wooing for his brother,
Soe ffarr into ffaire Scottland,
And left his brother in mikle ffeare,
Vntill he heard the good tydand.

10 And when he came to the Erle of Mar's his house,
Soe well he could his curtesye,
And when he came before the erle,
He kneeled low downe vpon his knee.

11 'O rise vp, rise vp, Iohn Steward,
Rise vp, now, I doe bidd thee;
How doth thy ffather, Iohn Stewart,
And all the lords in his countrye?'

12 'And itt please you, my lord, my ffather is dead;
My brother and I cannott agree;
My brother and I am ffallen att discord,
And I am come to craue a service of thee.'

13 'O welcome, welcome, Iohn Stewart,
A welcome man thou art to me;
I'le make thee chamberlaine to my daughter,
And ffor to tend of that ladye soe ffree.

14 'And if thou wilt haue a better office,
Aske, and thou shall haue itt of mee;
And where I giue other men a penny of wage,
Inffaith, Iohn, thou shalt haue three.'

15 And then bespake him Iohn Stewart,
And these were the words said hee:
There is no office in your court
This day that better pleaseth mee.

16 The Ffryday is gone, the Sunday is come—
All this is true that I doe say—
And to the church that they be gone,
Iohn Stewart and the lady gay.

17 And as they did come home againe—
I-wis itt was a meeten mile—
Iohn Stewart and the lady gay,
They thought itt but a [little] while.

18 'I am a messenger, ladye,' he saies,
'I am a messenger to thee:'
'O speake ffor thy selfe, Iohn Stewart,' shee saies,
'A welcome man that thou shalt bee.'

19 'Nay, by my ffaith,' saies Iohn Stewart,
'Which euer, alas, that may not bee!
He hath a higher degree in honour,
Allas, ladye, then euer I!

20 'He is a lord now borne by birth,
And an erle affter his ffather doth dye;
His haire is yellow, his eyes beene gray;
All this is true that I tell yee.

21 'He is ffine in the middle, and small in the wast,
And pleasant in a woman's eye;
And more nor this, he dyes for your loue,
Therefore, lady, show some pittye.'

22 'If this be soe,' then saies the lady,
'If this be true that thou tells mee,
By my ffaith then, Iohn Stewart,
I can loue him hartilye.

23 'Bidd him meete me att S^t Patr[i]cke's Church
On Sunday after S^t Andrew's day;
The fflower of Scottland will be there,
And then begins our summer's play.

24 'And bidd him bring with him a hundred gunners,
And rawnke ryders lett them bee,
And lett them bee of the rankest ryders
That be to be ffound in that countrye.

25 'They best and worst, and all in like,
Bidd him cloth them in one liuerye;
And ffor his men, greene is the best,
And greene now lett their liueryes bee.

26 'And clothe himselfe in scarlett redd,
That is soe seemlye ffor to see;
Ffor scarlett is a ffaire coulour,
And pleasant allwayes in a woman's eye.

27 'He must play sixteene games att ball,
Against the men of this countrye,
And if he winn the greater part,
Then I shall love him more tenderlye.'

28 What the lady said, Iohn Stewart writt,
And to Argyle Castle sent it hee;
And [when] Willie Steward saw the letter,
Fforth of care-bed then lope hee.

29 Hee mustered together his merry men all,
Hee mustered them soe louelilye;
Hee thought hee had had scarson halfe a hundred,
Then had hee eleuen score and three.

30 He chose fforth a hundred of the best
That were to be ffound in that countrye,
He cladd them all in one coulour,
And greene i-wis their liueryes bee.

31 He cladd himselfe in scarlett redd,
That is soe seemelye ffor to see;
Ffor scarlett is a ffaire coulor,
And seemlye in a woman's eye.

32 And then towards Patricke Church he went,
With all his men in braue array,
To gett a sight, if he might,
And speake with his lady gay.

33 When they came to Patricke's churche,
Shee kneeled downe by her mother trulye:
'O mother, if itt please you to glue me leaue,
The Stewart's horsse ffaine wold I see.'

34 'I'le giue you leaue, my deere daughter,
And I and my maide will goe with yee:'
The lady had rather haue gone her selfe
Then haue had her mother's companye.

35 When they came before Willie Steward,
Soe well hee cold his curtesye:
'I wold kisse your daughter, ladye,' he said,
'And if your will that soe itt bee.'

36 The ladye's mother was content
To doe a straunger that curtesye;
And when Willie had gotten a kisse,
I-wis shee might haue teemed him three.

37 Sixteen games were plaid that day there there—
This is the truth as I doe say—
Willie Stewart and his merry men,
Thé carryed twelue of them away.

38 And when they games that they were done,
And all they ffolkes away were gone
But the Erle of Marr and William Stewart,
The erle wold needs haue William home.

39 And when they came vnto the erle's howse,
They walked to a garden greene;
Ffor to confferr of their bussines,
Into the garden they be gone.

40 'I loue your daughter,' saies William Stewart,
'But I cannott tell whether she loueth mee:'
'Marry, God defend,' saies the Erle of Mar,
'That euer soe that itt shold bee!

41 'I had rather a gallowes there was made,
And hange thee ffor my daughter's sake;
I had rather a ffyer were made att a stake,
And burne thee ffor my daughter's sake!

42 'To chamber, to chamber, gay ladye,' he saies,
'In the deuill's name now I bidd thee!
And thou gett thee not to the chamber soone,
I'le beate thee before the Stewart's eye.'

43 And then bespake William Stewart,
These were the words said hee:
'If thou beate thy daughter for my sake,
Thou'st beate a hundred men and mee.'

44 Then bespake Iohn Stewart—
Lord! an angry man was hee—
'O churle, if thou wouldest not haue macht with my brother,
Thou might haue answerd him curteouslye.'

45 'O hold thy peace, Iohn Stewart,
And chamber thy words now, I bidd thee;
If thou chamber not thy words soone,
Thou'st loose a good service; soe shalt thou doe me.'

46 'Marry! hang them that cares,' saies Iohn Stewart,
'Either ffor thy service or ffor thee;
Services can I haue enoughe,
But brethren wee must euer bee.'

47 William Stewart and his brother Iohn,
To Argyle Castle gon they bee;
And when Willye came to Argyle Castle,
Into care-bedd then lope hee.

48 A parlaiment att Edenborrow was made,
The king and his nobles all mett there;
Thé sent ffor William Stewart and Iohn,
To come amongst the other peeres.

49 Their clothing was of Scarlett redd,
That was soe seemelye ffor to see;
Blacke hatts, white ffeathers plewed with gold,
And sett all on their heads trulye.

50 Their stockings were of twisted silke,
With garters ffringed about with gold;
Their shoes were of the cordevine,
And all was comelye to behold.

51 And when they came to Edenborrowe,
They called ffor Iohn Stewart and Willie:
'I answer in a lord's roome,' saies Will Stewart,
'But an erle I hope to bee.'

52 'Come downe, come downe,' saies the Lord of Marr,
'I knew not what was thy degree:'
'O churle, if I might not haue macht with thy daughter,
Itt had not beene long of my degree.

53 'My ffather, hee is the king his brother,
And then the king is vnckle to me;
O churle, if I might not haue macht with thy daughter,
Itt had not beene long of my degree.'

54 'O hold your peace,' then sayd the king,
'Cozen William, I doe bidd thee;
Infaith, cozen William, he loues you the worsse
Because you are a-kinn to mee.

55 'I'le make thee an erle with a siluer wande,
And adde more honors still to thee;
Thy brother Iohn shall be a lord,
Of the best att home in his countrye.

56 'Thy brother Kester shalbe a knight,
Lands and liuings I will him giue,
And still hee shall liue in court with mee,
And I'le maintaine him whilest he doth liue.'

57 And when the parlaiment was done,
And all the ffolkes away were gone,
Willye Stewart and Iohn his brother,
To Argyle Castle they be gone.

58 But when they came to Argyle Castle,
That was soe ffarr in that countrye,
He thought soe much then of his loue
That into care-bedd then lope hee.

59 Iohn Stewart did see his brother soe ill,
Lord, in his heart that hee was woe!
'I will goe wooing for thy sake
Againe yonder gay ladye to.

60 'I'le cloth my selfe in strange array,
In a beggar's habbitt I will goe,
That when I come before the Erle of Marr
My clothing strange he shall not knowe.'

61 Iohn hee gott on a clouted cloake,
Soe meete and low then by his knee,
With four garters vpon one legg,
Two aboue, and towe below trulye.

62 'But if thou be a beggar, brother,
Thou art a beggar that is vnknowne;
Ffor thou art one of the stoutest beggars
That euer I saw since I was borne.

63 'Heere, geeue the lady this gay gold ringe,
A token to her that well is knowne;
And if shee but aduise itt well,
Shee'le know some time itt was her owne.'

64 'Stay, by my ffaith, I goe not yett,'
Iohn Stewart he can replye;
'I'le haue my bottle ffull of beere,
The best that is in thy butterye.

65 'I'le haue my sachell ffilld full of meate,
I am sure, brother, [it] will doe noe harme;
Ffor, before I come to the Erle of Marr's his house,
My lipps, I am sure, they wilbe warme.'

66 And when he came to the Erle of Marr's house,
By chance itt was of the dole-day;
But Iohn cold ffind no place to stand,
Vntill he came to the ladye gaye.

67 But many a beggar he threw downe,
And made them all with weeping say,
He is the devill, hee is no beggar,
That is come fforth of some strange countrye.

68 And now the dole that itt is delte,
And all the beggars be gon away,
Sauing Iohn Stewart, that seemed a beggar,
And the ladye that was soe gay.

69 'Lady,' sais Iohn, 'I am no beggar,
As by my clothes you may thinke that I bee;
I am your servant, Iohn Stewart,
And I am sent a messenger to thee.'

70 'But if thou be Iohn Stewart,
As I doe thinke that thou bee,
Avayle thy capp, avayle thy hoode,
And I will stand and speake to thee.

71 'How doth thy brother, Iohn Stewart,
And all the lords in his countrye?'
'O ffye vpon thee, wicked woman!
My brother he doth the worsse ffor thee.'

72 With that the teares stood in her eyes;
O lord, shee wept soe tenderlye!
Sais, Ligg the blame vnto my ffather;
I pray you, Iohn Stewart, lay itt not to mee.

73 Comend me to my owne true-loue,
That liues soe farr in the North countrye,
And bidd him meete me att Martingsdale,
Ffullye w[i]thin these dayes three.

74 Hang them, sais the lady gay,
That letts their ffather witting bee!
I'le proue a ladye ffull of loue,
And be there by the sunn be a quarter highe.

75 And bidd him bring with him a hundred gunners,
And ranke riders lett them bee;
Lett them be of the rankest ryders
That be to be ffound in that countrye.

76 The best and worse, and all in like,
Bidd him clothe them in one liuerye;
And for his men, greene is the best,
And greene now lett their lyueryes bee.

77 And cloth himselfe in scarlett redd,
That is soe seemelye for to see;
For scarlett is a ffaire coulor,
And pleasant in a woman's eye.

78 What they lady sayd, Iohn Stewart writt,
To Argyle Castle sent itt hee;
His bagg and his dish and showing horne,
Unto three beggars he gaue them all three.

79 And when Willie Stewart saw the letter,
Fforth of care-bed then lope hee;
He thought himselfe as lustye and sound
As any man in that countrye.

80 He mustered together his merrymen all,
He mustered them soe louinglye;
He thought he had had scarce halfe a hundred,
Then had hee eleuen score and three.

81 He chose fforth a hundred of the best
That were to be found in that companye,
And presentlye they tooke their horsse,
And to Martingsdale posted hee.

82 And when he came to Martingsdale,
He found his loue staying there trulye,
For shee was a lady true of loue,
And was there by [the] sunn was a qwarter highe.

83 Shee kisst William Stewart and his brother Iohn,
Soe did shee part of his merry men:
'If the churle, thy ffather, hee were here,
He shold not haue thee backe againe.'

84 They sent ffor preist, they sent ffor clarke,
And they were marryed there with speede;
William tooke the lady home with him,
And they liued together long time indeed.

85 And in twelue monthe soe they wrought,
The lady shee was great with childe;
The sent Iohn Stewart to the Erle off Marre,
To come and christen the barne soe milde.

86 'And if this be soe,' sayes the Erle of Marre,
'Iohn Stewart, as thou tells mee,
I hope in God you haue marryed my daughter,
And put her bodye to honestye.'

87 'Nay, by my ffaith,' then saies Iohn Stewart,
'Ffor euer alas that shall not bee;
Ffor now wee haue put her body to shame,
Thou 'st haue her againe hame to thee.'

88 'I had rather make thee Erle of Marre,
And marry my daughter vnto thee;
For by my ffaith,' sais the Erle of Marr,
'Her marryage is marrd in our countrye.'

89 'If this be soe,' then sais Iohn Stewart,
'A marryage soone that thou shalt see;
Ffor my brother William, my ffather's heyre,
Shall marry thy daughter before thine eye.'

90 They sent ffor preist, the sent ffor clarke,
And marryed there they were with speed;
And William Stewart is Erle of Marr,
And his ffather-in-law dwells with him indeed.