They hae ta’en him up the Ricker-gate; The wives they cast their windows wide, And ilka wife to anither can say, ‘That’s the man loos’d Jock o’ the Side!’-- XXVIII ‘Fy on ye, women! why ca’ ye me man? For it’s nae man that I’m used like; I’m but like a forfoughen[1204] hound, Has been fighting in a dirty syke[1205].’ XXIX Then they hae ta’en him up thro’ Carlisle town, And set him by the chimney-fire; They gave brave Noble a wheat loaf to eat, And that was little his desire. XXX They gave him a wheaten loaf to eat And after that a can of beer; Then they cried a’, wi’ ae consent, ‘Eat, brave Noble, and make good cheer! XXXI ‘Confess my lord’s horse, Hobbie,’ they say, ‘And the morn in Carlisle thou’se no dee.’-- ‘How shall I confess them?’ Hobbie says, ‘For I never saw them with mine e’e.’ XXXII Then Hobbie has sworn a fu’ great aith, By the day that he was gotten or born, He never had onything o’ my lord’s That either ate him grass or corn. XXXIII ‘Now fare thee weel, sweet Mangerton! For I think again I’ll ne’er thee see; I wad betray nae lad alive, For a’ the gowd in Christentie. XXXIV ‘And fare thee well now, Liddesdale, Baith the hie land and the law! Keep ye weel frae traitor Mains! For gowd and gear he’ll sell ye a’. XXXV ‘I’d rather be ca’d Hobbie Noble, In Carlisle, where he suffers for his faut, Before I were ca’d the traitor Mains, That eats and drinks o’ the meal and maut.’ FOOTNOTES: [1194] seld = sold. [1195] graith’d = clad in armour. [1196] fringed = long-haired at fetlocks. [1197] feiries = feres, comrades. [1198] feid = feud. [1199] pick = pitch. [1200] houp = ‘hope,’ a hollow between two hills. [1201] slough-hounds = sleuth-hounds. [1202] eie = awe. [1203] clock = lame one, hobbler. [1204] forfoughen = out-wearied. [1205] syke = ditch. _140. Archie of Cawfield_ I As I was a-walking mine alane, It was by the dawning of the day, I heard twa brithers make their mane, And I listen’d weel what they did say. II The youngest to the eldest said: ‘Blythe and merrie how can we be? There were three brithren of us born, And ane of us is condemn’d to die.’-- III ‘An ye wad be merrie, an ye wad be sad, What the better wad billy[1206] Archie be? Unless I had thirty men to mysell, And a’ to ride in my companie. IV ‘Ten to hald the horses’ heads, And other ten the watch to be, And ten to break up the strong prison Where billy Archie he does lie. V ‘Had I but thirty well-wight[1207] men, Thirty o’ the best in Christiantie, I wad go on to fair Dumfries, I wad loose my brother and set him free.’ VI