English and Scottish Ballads, Volume VI

Ballads, English -- England -- Texts; Ballads, Scots -- Scotland -- Texts

Word is gane to our nobil King,
      In Edinburgh where that he lay,
    That there was an Outlaw in Ettricke Foreste,
      Counted him nought, nor a' his courtrie gay.                  20

    "I make a vowe," then the gude King said,
      "Unto the man that deir bought me,
    I'se either be King of Ettricke Foreste,
      Or King of Scotlande that Outlaw sall be!"

    Then spake the lord hight Hamilton,                             25
      And to the nobil King said he,
    "My sovereign prince, sum counsell take,
      First at your nobilis, syne at me.

    "I redd ye, send yon braw Outlaw till,
      And see gif your man cum will he:                             30
    Desyre him cum and be your man,
      And hald of you yon Foreste frie.

    "Gif he refuses to do that,
      We'll conquess baith his landis and he!
    Or else, we'll throw his castell down,                          35
      And make a widowe o' his gaye ladye."

    The King then call'd a gentleman,
      James Boyd (the Earle of Arran his brother was he);[L38]
    When James he cam before the King,
      He knelit befor him on his kn['e].                            40

    "Wellcum, James Boyd!" said our nobil King,
      "A message ye maun gang for me;
    Ye maun hye to Ettricke Foreste,
      To yon Outlaw, where bydeth he.

    "Ask him of whom he haldis his landis,                          45
      Or man, wha may his master be,
    And desyre him cum, and be my man,
      And hald of me yon Foreste frie.

    "To Edinburgh to cum and gang,
      His safe warrant I sall gie;                                  50
    And gif he refuses to do that,
      We'll conquess baith his landis and he.

    "Thou mayst vow I'll cast his castell down,
      And mak a widowe o' his gaye ladye;
    I'll hang his merryemen, payr by payr,                          55
      In ony frith where I may them see."

    James Boyd tuik his leave o' the nobil King,
      To Ettricke Foreste feir cam he;
    Down Birkendale Brae when that he cam,
      He saw the feir Foreste wi' his ee.[L60]                      60

    Baith dae and rae, and harte and hinde,
      And of a' wilde bestis great plentie;
    He heard the bows that bauldly ring,[L63]
      And arrows whidderan' hym near bi.

    Of that feir castell he got a sight;                            65
      The like he neir saw wi' his ee!
    On the fore front o' that castell feir,
      Twa unicorns were gaye to see;
    The picture of a knight, and ladye bright,
      And the grene hollin abune their brie.                        70

    Thereat he spyed five hundred men,
      Shuting with bows on Newark Lee;
    They were a' in ae livery clad,
      O' the Lincome grene sae gaye to see.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

English and Scottish Ballads, Volume VI

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