He has not sent it with a boy, 5 Nor with any Scots lord; But he's sent it with the noblest knight E'er Scotland could afford. The very first line that my lord did read, He gave a smirkling smile; 10 Before he had the half of it read, The tears from his eyes did fall. "Come saddle to me my horse," he said, "Come saddle to me with speed; For I must away to fair London town, 15 For to me there was ne'er more need." Out and spoke his lady gay, In childbed where she lay: "I would have you make your will, my lord Dunwaters, Before you go away." 20 "I leave to you, my eldest son, My houses and my land; I leave to you, my youngest son, Ten thousand pounds in hand. "I leave to you, my lady gay, -- 25 You are my wedded wife, -- I leave to you, the third of my estate, That'll keep you in a lady's life." They had not rode a mile but one, Till his horse fell owre a stane: 30 "It's a warning good enough," my lord Dunwaters said, "Alive I'll ne'er come hame." When they came to fair London town, Into the courtiers' hall, The lords and knights of fair London town 35 Did him a traitor call. "A traitor! a traitor!" says my lord, "A traitor! how can that be? An it be nae for the keeping five thousand men, To fight for King Jamie. 40 "O all you lords and knights in fair London town, Come out and see me die; O all you lords and knights in fair London town, Be kind to my ladie. "There's fifty pounds in my right pocket, 45 Divide it to the poor; There's other fifty in my left pocket, Divide it from door to door." THE BATTLE OF TRANENT-MUIR, OR OF PRESTON-PANS Herd's _Scottish Songs_, i. 166: Ritson's _Scotish Songs_, ii. 76. This ballad is the work of Adam Skirving, a clever and opulent farmer, father of Archibald Skirving, the portrait painter. It was printed shortly after the battle as a broadside, and next appeared in _The Charmer_, vol. ii. p. 349, Edinb. 1751. Neither of those editions contains the eleventh stanza. The foot-notes commonly attached to the subsequent reprints are found in _The Charmer_. (Laing in Johnson's _Museum_, iv. 189*.)