"Some time a good fellow thou hast been, 85 And sparedst not thy gold and fee; Therefore Ile lend thee forty pence, And other forty if need bee. "And ever I pray thee, John o' the Scales, To let him sit in thy companie: 90 For well I wot thou hadst his land, And a good bargain it was to thee." Up then spake him John o' the Scales, All wood he answer'd him againe: "Now Christs curse on my head," he sayd, 95 "But I did lose by that bargàine. "And here I proffer thee, heire of Linne, Before these lords so faire and free, Thou shalt have it backe again better cheape By a hundred markes than I had it of thee." "I drawe you to record, lords," he said, 100 With that he cast him a gods-pennie: "Now by my fay," sayd the heire of Linne, "And here, good John, is thy monèy." And he pull'd forth three bagges of gold, 105 And layd them down upon the bord; All woe begone was John o' the Scales, Soe shent he cold say never a word. He told him forth the good red gold. He told it forth [with] mickle dinne. 110 "The gold is thine, the land is mine, And now Ime againe the lord of Linne." Sayes, "Have thou here, thou good fellòwe, Forty pence thou didst lend mee: Now I am againe the lord of Linne, 115 And forty pounds I will give thee. "Ile make thee keeper of my forrest, Both of the wild deere and the tame; For but I reward thy bounteous heart, I-wis, good fellowe, I were to blame." 120 "Now welladay!" sayth Joan o' the Scales; "Now welladay, and woe is my life! Yesterday I was lady of Linne, Now Ime but John o' the Scales his wife." "Now fare thee well," sayd the heire of Linne, 125 "Farewell now, John o' the Scales," said hee: "Christs curse light on mee, if ever again I bring my lands in jeopardy." THE HEIR OF LINNE. From _Scottish Traditional Versions of Ancient Ballads_, p. 30, Percy Society, vol. xvii. The bonny heir, and the weel-faur'd heir, And the wearie heir o' Linne, Yonder he stands at his father's yetts, An naebody bids him come in. O see for he gangs, an' see for he stands, 5 The wearie heir o' Linne; O see for he stands on the cauld casey, And nae an' bids him come in. But if he had been his father's heir, Or yet the heir o' Linne, 10 He wou'dna stand on the cauld casey, Some an' wad taen him in.