25 ‘Eere the king my fair countrie get, This land that’s nativest to me, Mony of his nobils sall be cauld, Their ladies sall be right wearie.’ 26 Then spak his ladye fair of face, She said, Without consent of me That an outlaw shuld come before the king: I am right rad of treasonrie. 27 ‘Bid him be gude to his lordis at hame, For Edinburgh my lord sall never see:’ James tuke his leave of the Outlaw keene, To Edinburgh boun is he. 28 And when he came before the king, He fell before him on his knie: ‘Wellcum, James Boyd,’ said the nobil king, ‘What foreste is Etrick forest frie?’ 29 ‘Etrick forest is the fairest forest That ever man saw with his ee; There’s the dae, the rae, the hart, the hynde, And of all wild beastis great plentie. 30 ‘There’s a prittie castell of lime and stone, O gif it stands not pleasauntlie! There’s on the fore side of that castell Twa unicorns sae bra to see. 31 ‘There’s the picture of a knight and [a] ladie bright, And the grene hollin aboon their brie; There the Outlaw keepis five hundred men, O gif they live not royallie! 32 ‘His merry men in [ae] liverie clad, O the Lincoln grene, so fair to see; He and his ladye in purple clad, O gif they live not royallie! 33 ‘He says yon forest is his ain, He wan it from the Soudronie; Sae as he won it, sae will he keep it, Contrair all kings in Christentie.’ 34 ‘Gar ray my horse,’ said the nobil king, ‘To Etrick [forest] hie will I me;’ Then he gard graith five thousand men, And sent them on for the forest frie. 35 Then word is gane the Outlaw till, In Etrick forest where dwelleth he, That the king was cumand to his cuntrie, To conquess baith his lands and he. 36 ‘I mak a vow,’ the Outlaw said, ‘I mak a vow, and that trulie, Were there but three men to tak my part, Yon king’s cuming full deir suld be.’ 37 Then messengers he called forth, And bade them haste them speedilie: ‘Ane of you go to Halliday, The laird of the Corehead is he. 38 ‘He certain is my sister’s son, Bid him cum quick and succour me; Tell Halliday with thee to cum, And shaw him a’ the veritie.’ 39 ‘What news? what news,’ said Halliday, ‘Man, frae thy master unto me?’ ‘Not as ye wad; seeking your aid; The king’s his mortal enemie.’ 40 ‘Aye, by my troth,’ quoth Halliday, ‘Even for that it repenteth me; For, gif he lose fair Ettrick forest, He’ll take fair Moffatdale frae me. 41 ‘I’ll meet him wi five hundred men, And surely mae, if mae may be:’ [The Outlaw calld a messenger, And bid him hie him speedily.]