‘Ye maun tak’ with you your brither John; It’s not meet for maidens to venture alone.’-- X ‘I’ll not tak’ with me my brither John, But I’ll gang along myself all alone.’ XI It’s when she cam’ to her true lovers yett, She dealt the red gold round for his sak’. XII It’s when she came to her true lover’s bed She lifted the sheet to look at the dead. XIII He’s ta’en her hand sae meek and sae sma’, [And ca’d her his wife before them a’]. XIV ‘Fair maid, ye cam’ without horse or boy, But I’ll send you home with a merry convoy.’ FOOTNOTES: [423] yett = gate. [424] lyke-wake = corpse-watching. _62. Fair Margaret and Sweet William_ I As it fell out on a long summer’s day, Two lovers they sat on a hill: They sat together that long summer’s day, And could not talk their fill. II ‘I see no harm by you, Margaret, Nor you see none by me; Before to-morrow eight o’clock A rich wedding shall you see.’ III Fair Margaret sat in her bower-window Combing her yellow hair, She saw Sweet William and his brown bride Unto the church draw near. IV Then down she laid her ivory comb, And up she bound her hair; She went out from her bower alive But alive never more came there. V When day was gone, and night was come, And all men fast asleep, Came in the ghost of fair Margaret, And stood at William’s feet. VI ‘How like ye the lady, Sweet William, That lies in your arms asleep? God give you joy of your gay bride-bed, And me of my winding-sheet!’ VII When night was gone, and day was come, And all men waked from sleep, His lady said to Sweet William, ‘My dear, I have cause to weep: VIII ‘I dream’d a dream, Sweet William, That seldom comes to good: My bower was fill’d with wild-wood swine, And our bride-bed full of blood.’ IX He callèd up his merry men all, By one, by two, by three. Saying, ‘I’ll away to Fair Margaret’s bower, With the leave of my ladye.’ X And when he came to Fair Margaret’s bower He knockèd at the ring; And who so ready as her seven brothers To rise and let him in? XI ‘O, is she in the parlour?’ he said, ‘Or is she in the hall? Or is she in the long chamber Amongst her merry maids all?’-- XII ‘No, she’s not in the parlour,’ they said, ‘Nor she’s not in the hall: But she is in the long chamber, Laid out against the wall.’-- XIII He turnèd up the covering-sheet, And look’d upon the dead. ‘Methinks her lips are pale and wan, She has lost her cherry red.’ XIV With that bespake the seven brothers, Making a piteous moan: ‘You may go kiss your jolly brown bride, And let our sister alone.’-- XV