After the battle of Roslin, we are informed by Bower, the continuator of Fordun's _Scotichronicon_, Wallace took ship for France, and various songs, both in that kingdom and in Scotland, he goes on to say, bear witness to the courage with which he encountered the attacks of pirates on the ocean, and of the English on the continent. Whatever we may think of Wallace's expedition to France, there can be no doubt that the hero's exploits were at an early date celebrated in popular song. Still, the ballads which are preserved relate to only one of Wallace's adventures, and are of doubtful antiquity. Burns communicated to Johnson's _Museum_ (p. 498) a defective ballad called _Gude Wallace_. A better copy of this, from tradition, is here given. It is taken from Buchan's _Gleanings_ (p. 114), and was derived by the editor from a wandering gipsy tinker. Mr. Laing has inserted in the notes to the new edition of Johnson's _Museum_ (iv. 458*) what may perhaps be the original of both these recited ballads, though inferior to either. This copy appeared in a chap-book with some Jacobite ballads, about the year 1750. There are two other versions of this same story, in which Wallace's mistress is induced to betray him to the English, but repents in time to save her lover. The best of these is annexed to the present ballad. The other, which is but a fragment, is printed in Buchan's larger collection, ii. 226, _Wallace and his Leman_. The principal incidents of this story are to be found in the Fifth Book of Blind Harry's Metrical _Life of Wallace_. Jamieson, in _Popular Ballads_, ii. 166, and Cunningham, in _The Songs of Scotland_, i. 262, have taken the stanzas in Johnson's _Museum_ as the basis of ballads of their own. Wallace in the high highlans, Neither meat nor drink got he; Said, "Fa' me life, or fa' me death, Now to some town I maun be." He's put on his short claiding, 5 And on his short claiding put he; Says, "Fa' me life, or fa' me death, Now to Perth-town I maun be." He stepped o'er the river Tay, I wat he stepped on dry land; 10 He wasna aware of a well-fared maid Was washing there her lilie hands. "What news, what news, ye well-fared maid? What news hae ye this day to me?" "No news, no news, ye gentle knight, 15 No news hae I this day to thee, But fifteen lords in the hostage house Waiting Wallace for to see." "If I had but in my pocket The worth of one single pennie, 20 I would go to the hostage house, And there the gentlemen to see." She put her hand in her pocket, And she has pull'd out half-a-crown; Says, "Take ye that, ye belted knight, 25 'Twill pay your way till ye come down."