This ballad has been handed down, through manuscript and oral tradition, in several forms. The oldest copy is furnished by the Bannatyne MS., and this has been often printed, with more or less correctness: as in Ramsay's _Evergreen_, ii. 137; Lord Hailes's _Ancient Scotish Poems, &c._ p. 215; Herd's _Scotish Songs_, ii. 237; Pinkerton's _Select Scottish Ballads_, ii. 97. Our text is that of Laing, _Select Remains, &c._, which professes to be carefully given from the manuscript. Mr. Laing has added in the margin the most important variations of other editions. Allan Ramsay altered several verses and added others. In the Bannatyne MS. this piece is subscribed with the name of "Mofat," and on this ground the authorship has been attributed to Sir John Moffat, who is supposed to have lived in the earlier part of the 16th century. Ritson, who intended to insert the _Wife of Auchtermuchty_ in a projected volume of _Select Scotish Poems_, says in a manuscript note, "The subject of this poem seems to be borrowed from the first part of a story in the _Silva Sermonum Jucundissimorum_, Basil. 1568, 8vo. p. 116, though certainly from a more ancient authority." (Laing.) This story is cited at the end of the volume from which we print. In Wright and Halliwell's _Reliquiæ Antiquæ_, ii. 195, is the first _fit_ of an English ballad on the same subject, "from a MS. on paper, of the reign of Henry VII," (_Ballad of a Tyrannical Husband_.) _John Grumlie_ in Cunningham's _Songs of Scotland_, ii. 123, is another variety. See also _Nursery Rhymes of England_, p. 32, Per. Soc. vol. iv. In 1803, there appeared at Edinburgh a translation of Ramsay's ballad into Latin rhyme. In Auchtirmuchty thair dwelt ane man, An husband, as I hard it tauld, Quha weill could tippill owt a can, And naithir luvit hungir nor cauld. Quhill anis it fell upoun a day, 5 He yokkit his pluch upoun the plane; Gif it be trew as I hard say, The day was foull for wind and rane. He lowsit the pluche at the landis end, And draif his oxin hame at evin; 10 Quhen he come in he lukit bend, And saw the wyf baith dry and clene, And sittand at ane fyre, beik and bauld, With ane fat soup, as I hard say; The man being verry weit and cauld, 15 Betwene thay twa it was na play. Quoth he, "Quhair is my horsis corne? My ox hes naithir hay nor stray; Dame, ye mon to the pluch to morne; I salbe hussy, gif I may." 20 "Husband," quoth scho, "content am I To tak the pluche my day about, Sa ye will reull baith kavis and ky, And all the house baith in and owt.