"Gar bid the headin-man mak haste," Our king reply'd fu' lordly;-- "O noble king, tak a' that's mine, But gie me back my Geordie." 40 The Gordons cam, and the Gordons ran, And they were stark and steady; And ay the word amang them a', Was, "Gordons, keep you ready." An aged lord at the king's right hand, 45 Says, "Noble king, but hear me; Gar her tell down five thousand pound, And gie her back her dearie." Some gae her marks, some gae her crowns, Some gae her dollars many; 50 And she's tell'd down five thousand pound, And she's gotten again her dearie. She blinkit blythe in her Geordie's face, Says, "Dear I've bought thee, Geordie; But there sud been bluidy bouks on the green, 55 Or I had tint my laddie." He claspit her by the middle sma', And he kist her lips sae rosy; "The fairest flower o' woman-kind, Is my sweet, bonnie lady!" 60 20. Cunningham here inserts a stanza "from the recitation of Mrs. Cunningham," which is not in the other printed copies: And soon she came to the water broad, Nor boat nor barge was ready; She turned her horse's head to the flood, And swam through at Queensferry. GEORDIE. Kinloch's _Ancient Scottish Ballads_, p. 192. There was a battle in the North, And rebels there were monie; And monie ane got broken heads, And taken was my Geordie. _My Geordie O, my Geordie O,_ 5 _O the love I bear to Geordie;_ _For the very grund I walk upon,_ _Bears witness I loe Geordie._ As she gaed up the tolbooth stair, The cripples there stood monie; 10 And she dealt the red gowd them among, To pray for her love Geordie. And whan she cam into the hall, The nobles there stood monie; And ilka ane stood hat on head, 15 But hat in hand stood Geordie. Up bespak a Norlan lord, I wat he spak na bonnie,-- "If ye'll stay here a little while, Ye'll see Geordie hangit shortly." 20 Then up bespak a baron bold, And O but he spak bonnie,-- "If ye'll pay doun five hundred crowns, Ye'se get your true-love Geordie." Some lent her guineas, some lent her crowns, 25 Some lent her shillings monie; And she's paid doun five hundred crowns, And she's gotten her bonnie love Geordie. When she was mounted on her hie steed, And on ahint her Geordie, 30 Nae bird on the brier e'er sang sae clear, As the young knight and his ladie.