18 With that he threw [aff] his strange disguise, Laid by the mask that he had on; Said, Hide me now, my ladie fair, For Violentrie will soon be home. 19 ‘For the love I bare thee once, I’ll strive to hide you if I can;’ Then put him down to a dark cellar, Where there lay mony a new slain man. 20 But he hadna in the cellar been Not an hour but barely three, Till hideous was the sound he heard; Then in at the gates came Violentrie. 21 Says, I wish you well, my lady fair, It’s time for us to sit and dine; Come, serve me with the good white bread, And likewise with the claret wine. 22 ‘That Scots chieftain, our mortal foe, So oft from field has made us flee, Ten thousand sequins this day I’d give That I his face could only see.’ 23 ‘Of that same gift would ye give me, If I could bring him unto thee? I fairly hold you at your word; Come ben, John Thomson, to my lord.’ 24 Then from the vault John Thomson came, Wringing his hands most piteouslie; ‘What would ye do,’ the Turk he cried, ‘If ye had me, as I have thee?’ 25 ‘If I had you, as ye have me, I’ll tell you what I’d do to thee; I’d hang you up in good greenwood, And cause your own hand wile the tree. 26 ‘I meant to stick you with my knife, For kissing my beloved wife;’ ‘But that same weed ye’ve shaped for me, It quickly shall be sewed for thee.’ 27 Then to the wood they both are gone, John Thomson clamb from tree to tree; And aye he sighd, and said, Ohon! Here comes the day that I must die! 28 He tied a ribbon on every branch, Put up a flag his men might see; But little did his false foe ken He meant them any injurie. 29 He set his horn to his mouth, And he has blawn baith loud and shrill; And then three thousand armed men Came tripping all out-oer the hill. 30 ‘Deliver us our chief!’ they all did cry, ‘It’s by our hand that ye must die!’ ‘Here is your chief,’ the Turk replied, With that fell on his bended knee. 31 ‘O mercy, mercy, good fellows all, Mercy I pray you’ll grant to me!’ ‘Such mercy as ye meant to give, Such mercy we shall give to thee.’ 32 This Turk they in his castle burnt, That stood upon yon hill so hie; John Thomson’s gay lady they took, And hangd her on yon greenwood tree. B Leyden’s Glossary to The Complaynt of Scotland, p. 371. 1 O Cam ye in by the House o Rodes, Or cam ye there away? Or have [ye] seen Johne Tamson? They say his wife has run away. * * * * * * * 2 ‘O what wad ye do, Johne Tamson, Gin ye had me as I hae thee?’ ‘I wad tak ye to the gude green-wood, And gar your ain hand weil the tree.’ * * * * * * *