_A copy of this Ballad, materially different from that which follows, appeared in_ "Scottish Songs," _2 vols. Edinburgh, 1792, under the title of_ Lord Bothwell. _Some stanzas have been transferred from thence to the present copy, which is taken down from the recitation of a Lady, nearly related to the Editor. Some readings have been also adopted from a third copy, in Mrs_ BROWN'S _MS., under the title of_ Child Brenton. _Cospatrick_ (Comes Patricius) _was the designation of the Earl of Dunbar, in the days of_ WALLACE _and_ BRUCE. * * * * * Cospatrick has sent o'er the faem; Cospatrick brought his ladye hame; And fourscore ships have come her wi', The ladye by the grene-wood tree. There were twal' and twal' wi' baken bread, And twal' and twal' wi' gowd sae reid, And twal' and twal' wi' bouted flour, And twal' and twal' wi' the paramour. Sweet Willy was a widow's son, And at her stirrup he did run; And she was clad in the finest pall, But aye she let the tears down fall. "O is your saddle set awrye? "Or rides your steed for you owre high? "Or are you mourning, in your tide, "That you suld be Cospatrick's bride?" "I am not mourning, at this tide, "That I suld be Cospatrick's bride; "But I am sorrowing, in my mood, "That I suld leave my mother good. "But, gentle boy, come tell to me, "What is the custom of thy countrie?" "The custom thereof, my dame," he says, "Will ill a gentle ladye please. "Seven king's daughters has our lord wedded, "And seven king's daughters has our lord bedded; "But he's cutted their breasts frae their breast-bane, "And sent them mourning hame again. "Yet, gin you're sure that you're a maid, "Ye may gae safely to his bed; "But gif o' that ye be na sure, "Then hire some damsell o' your bour." The ladye's called her bour maiden, That waiting was into her train; "Five thousand merks I'll gie to thee, "To sleep this night with my lord for me." When bells were rung, and mass was sayne, And a' men unto bed were gane, Cospatrick and the bonny maid, Into ae chamber they were laid. "Now, speak to me, blankets, and speak to me, bed, "And speak, thou sheet, enchanted web; "And speak up, my bonny brown sword, that winna lie, "Is this a true maiden that lies by me?" "It is not a maid that you hae wedded, "But it is a maid that you hae bedded; "It is a leal maiden that lies by thee, "But not the maiden that it should be." O wrathful he left the bed, And wrathfully his claiths on did; And he has ta'en him through the ha', And on his mother he did ca'. "I am the most unhappy man, "That ever was in christen land! "I courted a maiden, meik and mild, "And I hae gotten naething but a woman wi' child."