[Annotations: 2.3: ‘brauches,’ brooches. 5.2: ‘hett,’ bid; ‘heede,’ MS. heate. 6.1: ‘potewer.’ Child says:-- Read potener, French _pautonnière_, pouch, purse. 8.4: Perhaps the line should end with ‘his,’ but ‘wiffe’ is the last word in the manuscript. 9.3: ‘new-fangle,’ desirous of novelties. 11.1: ‘gaule,’ perhaps = gules, _i.e._ red. 11.3: ‘wadded,’ woad-coloured, _i.e._ blue. 13.2: ‘blee,’ colour. 13.3: ‘rudd,’ complexion. 14.1: ‘walker,’ fuller. 25.4: ‘dinne,’ trouble. 28.4: ‘crowt,’ pucker. 34.2: ‘by-deene,’ one after another. 37 and 38: Evidently some lines have been lost here, and the rhymes are thereby confused. 42.3: ‘birtled,’ cut up. 43.2: ‘ronge,’ rang.] JOHNEY SCOT +The Text+ of this popular and excellent ballad is given from the Jamieson-Brown MS. It was copied, with wilful alterations, into Scott’s Abbotsford MS. called _Scottish Songs_. Professor Child prints sixteen variants of the ballad, nearly all from manuscripts. +The Story+ of the duel with the Italian is given with more detail in other versions. In two ballads from Motherwell’s MS., where ‘the Italian’ becomes ‘the Tailliant’ or ‘the Talliant,’ the champion jumps over Johney’s head, and descends on the point of Johney’s sword. This exploit is paralleled in a Breton ballad, where the Seigneur Les Aubrays of St. Brieux is ordered by the French king to combat his wild Moor, who leaps in the air and is received on the sword of his antagonist. Again, in Scottish tradition, James Macgill, having killed Sir Robert Balfour about 1679, went to London to procure his pardon, which Charles +II.+ offered him on the condition of fighting an Italian gladiator. The Italian leaped once over James Macgill, but in attempting to repeat this manœuvre was spitted by his opponent, who thereby procured not only his pardon, but also knighthood. JOHNEY SCOT 1. O Johney was as brave a knight As ever sail’d the sea, An’ he’s done him to the English court, To serve for meat and fee. 2. He had nae been in fair England But yet a little while, Untill the kingis ae daughter To Johney proves wi’ chil’. 3. O word’s come to the king himsel’, In his chair where he sat, That his ae daughter was wi’ bairn To Jack, the Little Scott. 4. ‘Gin this be true that I do hear, As I trust well it be, Ye pit her into prison strong, An’ starve her till she die.’ 5. O Johney’s on to fair Scotland, A wot he went wi’ speed, An’ he has left the kingis court, A wot good was his need. 6. O it fell once upon a day That Johney he thought lang, An’ he’s gane to the good green wood, As fast as he coud gang. 7. ‘O whare will I get a bonny boy, To rin my errand soon, That will rin into fair England, An’ haste him back again?’ 8. O up it starts a bonny boy, Gold yallow was his hair, I wish his mother meickle joy, His bonny love mieckle mair.