Ballads, English -- England -- Texts; Ballads, Scots -- Scotland -- Texts
The lady fair into that ha'
Was comely to be seen;
Her kirtle was made o' the pa',
Her gowns seem'd o' the green. 30
Her gowns seem'd like green, like green,
Her kirtle o' the pa';
A siller wand intill her hand,
She marshall'd ower them a'.
She gae every knight a lady bright, 35
And every squire a may;
Her own sell chose him, Livingston,
They were a comely tway.
Then Seaton started till his foot,
The fierce flame in his e'e: 40
"On the next day, wi' sword in hand,
On plain fields, meet ye me."
When bells were rung, and mass was sung,
And a' man bound for bed;
Lord Livingston and his fair dame 45
In bed were sweetly laid.
The bed, the bed, where they lay in,
Was cover'd wi' the pa';
A covering o' the gude red gowd,
Lay nightly ower the twa. 50
So they lay there, till on the morn
The sun shone on their feet;
Then up it raise him, Livingston,
To draw to him a weed.
The first an' weed that he drew on, 55
Was o' the linen clear;
The next an' weed that he drew on,
It was a weed o' weir.
The niest an' weed that he drew on,
Was gude iron and steel; 60
Twa gloves o' plate, a gowden helmet,
Became that hind chiel weel.
Then out it speaks that lady gay,
A little forbye stood she;
"I'll dress mysell in men's array, 65
Gae to the fields for thee."
"O God forbid," said Livingston,
"That e'er I dree the shame;
My lady slain in plain fields,
And I coward knight at hame!" 70
He scarcely travelled frae the town
A mile but barely twa,
Till he met wi' a witch woman,
I pray to send her wae.
"This is too gude a day, my lord, 75
To gang sae far frae town;
This is too gude a day, my lord,
On field to make you boun'.
"I dream'd a dream concerning thee,
O read ill dreams to guid! 80
Your bower was full o' milk-white swans,
Your bride's bed full o' bluid."
"O bluid is gude," said Livingston,
"To bide it whoso may;
If I be frae yon plain fields, 85
Nane knew the plight I lay."
Then he rade on to plain fields,
As swift's his horse cou'd hie;
And there he met the proud Seaton,
Come boldly ower the lee. 90
"Come on to me now, Livingston,
Or then take foot and flee;
This is the day that we must try
Who gains the victorie."
Then they fought with sword in hand, 95
Till they were bluidy men;
But on the point o' Seaton's sword
Brave Livingston was slain.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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