"Huntingtower is mine, Jeanie, Huntingtower is mine, Huntingtower, and bonnie Belford, And a' Balquhither's mine." 60 THE RANTIN' LADDIE. An imperfect copy of this ballad was printed in Johnson's _Museum_, (p. 474,) contributed, Mr. Stenhouse informs us, by Burns. The present copy is from the _Thistle of Scotland_, p. 7. Another, shorter than either, is given in Buchan's _Ballads of the North of Scotland_, ii. 66, _Lord Aboyne_. (Also in Smith's _Scottish Minstrel_, iv. 6.) "Aft hae I playd at cards and dice For the love o' a bonny rantin' laddie, But now I maun sit i' my father's kitchen nook, And sing, 'Hush, balow, my baby.' "If I had been wise, and had ta'en advice, 5 And dane as my bonny love bade me, I would hae been married at Martinmas, And been wi' my rantin' laddie. "But I was na wise, I took nae advice, Did not as my bonny love bade me, 10 And now I maun sit by mysel' i' the nook, And rock my bastard baby. "If I had horse at my command, As often I had many, I would ride on to the Castle o' Aboyne, 15 Wi' a letter to my rantin' laddie." Down the stair her father came, And looked proud and saucy; "Who is the man, and what is his name, That ye ca' your rantin' laddie? 20 "Is he a lord, or is he a laird, Or is he but a caddie? Or is it the young Earl o' Aboyne, That ye ca' your rantin' laddie?" "He is a young and noble lord, 25 He never was a caddie; It is the noble Earl o' Aboyne That I ca' my rantin' laddie." "Ye shall hae a horse at your command, As ye had often many, 30 To go to the Castle o' Aboyne, Wi' a letter to your rantin' laddie." "Where will I get a little page, Where will I get a caddie, That will run quick to bonny Aboyne, 35 Wi' this letter to my rantin' laddie?" Then out spoke the young scullion boy, Said, "Here am I, a caddie; I will run on to bonny Aboyne Wi' the letter to your rantin' laddie." 40 "Now when ye come to bonny Deeside, Where woods are green and bonny, Then will ye see the Earl o' Aboyne, Among the bushes mony. "And when ye come to the lands o' Aboyne, 45 Where all around is bonny, Ye'll take your hat into your hand, Gie this letter to my rantin' laddie." When he came near the banks of Dee, The birks were blooming bonny, 50 And there he saw the Earl o' Aboyne Among the bushes mony.