23. ‘He desires you’ll come to Edinburgh, And hold of him this forest free; And gif you refuse to do this, He’ll conquer baith thy landis and thee; He has vow’d to cast thy castell down, And mak a widow o’ thy gay ladye; 24. ‘He’ll hang thy merry men pair by pair In ony frith where he may them find.’ ‘Aye, by my troth!’ the Outlaw said, ‘Than wad I think me far behind. 25. ‘Ere the king my fair countrie get, This land that ‘s nativest to me, Mony o’ his nobles sall be cauld, Their ladyes sall be right wearie.’ 26. Then spak his ladye, fair of face, She said, ‘Without consent of me, That an Outlaw shuld come before the king; I am right rad of treasonrie. 27. ‘Bid him be gude to his lordis at hame, For Edinburgh my lord sail never see.’ James tuke his leave of the Outlaw keen, To Edinburgh boun is he. 28. And when he cam before the king, He fell before him on his knee: ‘Welcome, James Boyd!’ said the noble king; ‘What forest is Ettrick Forest free?’ 29. ‘Ettrick Forest is the fairest forest That ever man saw with his ee; There’s the doe, the roe, the hart, the hynde, And of a’ wild beastis great plentie. 30. ‘There’s a pretty castell of lime and stane, O gif it stands not pleasauntlie! There’s on the foreside of that castell Twa unicorns sae bra’ to see. 31. ‘There’s the picture of a knight, and a ladye bright, And the green hollin abune their bree. There the Outlaw keepis five hundred men, O gif they live not royallie! 32. ‘His merry men in ae livery clad, O’ the Lincoln green so fair to see; He and his ladye in purple clad; O! gif they live not royallie! 33. ‘He says yon forest is his ain, He wan it from the Soudronie; Sae as he wan it, sae will he keep it, Contrair all kings in Christentie.’ 34. ‘Gar ray my horse,’ said the noble king, ‘To Ettrick Forest hie will I me’; Then he gard graith five thousand men, And sent them on for the forest free. 35. Then word is gane the Outlaw till, In Ettrick Forest, where dwelleth he, That the king was coming to his cuntrie, To conquer baith his lands and he. 36. ‘I mak a vow,’ the Outlaw said, ‘I mak a vow, and that trulie, Were there but three men to take my part Yon king’s coming full dear suld be.’ 37. Then messengers he called forth, And bade them haste them speedilie: ‘Ane of you go to Halliday, The laird of the Covehead is he. 38. ‘He certain is my sister’s son; Bid him come quick and succour me; Tell Halliday with thee to come, And show him a’ the veritie.’ 39. ‘What news, what news?’ said Halliday, ‘Man, frae thy master unto me?’ ‘Not as ye wad; seeking your aid; The king’s his mortal enemie.’