Then ane of her maidens they loosed aff her gown, But bonny Jeanie Gordon, she fell in a swoon; She fell in a swoon low down by their knee; Says, "Look on, I die for my love Auchanachie!" That very same day Miss Jeanie did die, 45 And hame came Auchanachie, hame frae the sea; Her father and mither welcom'd him at the gate; He said, "Where's Miss Jeanie, that she's nae here yet?" Then forth came her maidens, all wringing their hands, Saying, "Alas! for your staying sae lang frae the land: 50 Sae lang frae the land, and sae lang fra the fleed, They've wedded your Jeanie, and now she is dead!" "Some of you, her maidens, take me by the hand, And show me the chamber Miss Jeanie died in;" He kiss'd her cold lips, which were colder than stane, 55 And he died in the chamber that Jeanie died in. WILLIE AND MAY MARGARET. A fragment obtained by Jamieson from the recitation of Mrs. Brown, of Falkland. _Popular Ballads_, i. 135. In connection with this we give the complete story from Buchan. Aytoun has changed the title to _The Mother's Malison_. An Italian ballad, containing a story similar to that of this ballad and the two following (but of independent origin), is _La Maledizione Materna_, in Marcoaldi's _Canti Popolari_, p. 170. "Gie corn to my horse, mither; Gie meat unto my man; For I maun gang to Margaret's bower, Before the nicht comes on." "O stay at hame now, my son Willie! 5 The wind blaws cald and sour; The nicht will be baith mirk and late, Before ye reach her bower." "O tho' the nicht were ever sae dark, Or the wind blew never sae cald, 10 I will be in my Margaret's bower Before twa hours be tald." "O gin ye gang to May Margaret, Without the leave of me, Clyde's water's wide and deep enough;-- 15 My malison drown thee!" He mounted on his coal-black steed, And fast he rade awa'; But, ere he came to Clyde's water, Fu' loud the wind did blaw. 20 As he rode o'er yon hich, hich hill, And down yon dowie den, There was a roar in Clyde's water Wad fear'd a hunder men. His heart was warm, his pride was up; 25 Sweet Willie kentna fear; But yet his mither's malison Ay sounded in his ear. O he has swam through Clyde's water, Tho' it was wide and deep; 30 And he came to May Margaret's door, When a' were fast asleep. O he's gane round and round about, And tirled at the pin; But doors were steek'd, and window's bar'd, 35 And nane wad let him in.