60 ‘He’ll cast your bonny castell down, And make a widow of your gay ladie, He’ll hang your merry men pair by pair In ony place where he may them see.’ 61 ‘It stands me hard,’ the Outlaw said, ‘Judge if it stands not hard with me; I reck not of losing of mysell, But all my offspring after me. 62 ‘Auld Haliday, young Haliday, Ye sall be twa to gang wi me; Andrew Murray and Sir James Murray, We’ll be nae mae in cumpanie.’ 63 When that they came before the king, They fell before him on their knee: ‘Grant mercy, mercy, royal king, Een for his sake who died on tre!’ 64 ‘Sicken-like mercy sall ye have, On gallows ye sall hangit be;’ ‘God forbid!’ quo the Outlaw then, ‘I hope your Grace will better be. 65 ‘These lands of Etrick forest fair, I wan them frae the enemie; Like as I wan them, sae will I keep them, Contrair all kings in Christentie.’ 66 All the nobilis said, the king about, Pitye it were to see him die: ‘Yet graunt me mercye, sovereign prince, Extend your favour unto me! 67 ‘I’ll give you the keys of my castell, With the blessing of my fair ladie; Mak me the sheriff of the forest, And all my offspring after me.’ 68 ‘Wilt thou give me the keys of thy castell, With the blessing of thy fair ladye? I’ll mak the[e] shiryff of the forest, Surely while upwards grows the trie; If you be not traytour to the king, Forfaulted sall ye never be.’ 69 ‘But, prince, what sall cum o my men? When I go back, traitour they’ll ca me; I had rather lose my life and land, Eer my merry men rebukëd me.’ 70 ‘Will your merry men amend their lives And all their pardouns I grant thee: Now name thy landes whe’ere they be, And here I render them to thee.’ 71 ‘Fair Philiphaugh, prince, is my awin, I biggit it wi lime and stane; The Tinnies and the Hangingshaw, My leige, are native steeds of mine. 72 ‘.. .. .. . . . . . . . . I have mony steeds in the forest shaw, But them by name I dinna knaw.’ 73 The keys of the castell he gave the king, With the blessing of his fair ladye; He was made sheryff of Etrick forest, Surely while upward grows the trie; And, if he was not traytour to the king, Forfaulted he suld never be. 74 Wha ever heard, in ony tymes, Sicken an outlaw in his degree Sic favour get before a king As did the Outlaw Murray of the forest frie? B Glenriddell’s MSS, XI, 61, 1791. 1 Etterick Forest’s a pleasant land, And it grows mony a bonny tree; With buck and doe and a’ wild beast, A castle stands right bonnilie.