‘But when you come to the palace yett[72], His mother a gowden chair will set: XVII ‘And be you maid or be you nane, O sit you there till the day be dane. XVIII ‘And gin you’re sure that you’re a maid, Ye may gae safely him to wed: XIX ‘But gif o’ that ye be na sure, Then hire some damsel o’ your bour.’-- XX O when she came to the palace yett, His mother a gowden chair did set: XXI The bonnie may was tired wi’ ridin’, Gae’d sit her down ere she was bidden. XXII And was she maid or was she nane, She sat in it till the day was dune. XXIII And she’s call’d on her bour-woman, That waiting was into[73] her train: XXIV ‘Five thousand marks I’ll gie to thee, To sleep this night with my lord for me.’-- XXV [‘But will it for my ladye plead, I’se be the bride in my ladye’s stead.’]-- XXVI When bells were rung and mass was sayne, And a’ men unto bed were gane, XXVII Cospatrick and the bonny maid Into ae chamber they were laid. XXVIII ‘Now speak to me, blankets, and speak to me, bed, And speak, thou sheet, inchanted web, XXIX ‘And speak, my brown sword, that winna lee[74], Is this a leal maiden that lies by me?’ XXX ‘It is not a maid that you hae wedded, But it is a maid that you hae bedded: XXXI ‘It is a leal maiden that lies by thee, But not the maiden that it should be.’ XXXII Then out he sprang o’ his bridal bed, And wrathfully his claiths on did: XXXIII And he has ta’en him through the ha’, And on his mother he did ca’. XXXIV ‘I am the most unhappy man That ever was in Christen land: XXXV ‘I courted a maiden meik and mild, And I’ve gat but a woman great wi’ child.’-- XXXVI ‘O stay, my son, into this ha’, And sport ye wi’ your merry men a’. XXXVII ‘And I’ll gang to your painted bour, To see how it fares wi’ your paramour.’ XXXVIII The carline[75] queen was stark and strang She gar’d the door flee aff the ban[76]. XXXIX ‘O is your bairn to laird or loun[77], Or is it to your father’s groom?’-- XL ‘O hear me, mother, on my knee, Till my sad story I tell to thee. XLI ‘O we were sisters, sisters seven; We were the fairest under heaven. XLII ‘We had nae mair for our seven years’ wark But to shape and sew the King’s son a sark. XLIII ‘It fell on a summer’s afternoon, When a’ our langsome task was done, XLIV ‘We cast the kevils[78] us amang To see which suld to the grene-wood gang. XLV ‘Ohone, alas! for I was the youngest, And aye my weird it was the hardest. XLVI ‘The kevil it did on me fa’, Which was the cause of a’ my wae. XLVII ‘For to the grene-wood I must gae, To pu’ the red rose and the slae; XLVIII