Sometimes she sank, sometimes she swam, Until she cam to the miller’s dam. XIII Out then cam the miller’s son, And saw the fair maid soummin’[206] in. XIV ‘O father, father, draw your dam! There’s either a mermaid or a milk-white swan.’ XV The miller hasted and drew his dam, And there he found a drown’d woman. XVI You couldna see her middle sma’, Her gowden girdle was sae braw. XVII You couldna see her lily feet, Her gowden fringes were sae deep. XVIII You couldna see her yellow hair For the strings o’ pearls was twisted there. XIX You couldna see her fingers sma’, Wi’ diamond rings they were cover’d a’. XX And by there cam a harper fine, That harpit to the king at dine. XXI And when he look’d that lady on, He sigh’d and made a heavy moan. XXII He’s made a harp of her breast-bane, Whose sound wad melt a heart of stane. XXIII He’s ta’en three locks o’ her yellow hair, And wi’ them strung his harp sae rare. XXIV He went into her father’s hall, And there was the court assembled all. XXV He laid his harp upon a stane, And straight it began to play by lane[207]. XXVI ‘O yonder sits my father, the King, And yonder sits my mother, the Queen; XXVII ‘And yonder stands my brother Hugh, And by him my William, sweet and true.’ XXVIII But the last tune that the harp play’d then-- _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ Was, ‘Woe to my sister, false Helèn!’ _By the bonnie milldams o’ Binnorie_. FOOTNOTES: [204] twin’d = robbed, deprived. [205] my warldis make = my one mate in the world. [206] soummin’ = swimming. [207] by lane = alone, of itself. _24. The Broomfield Hill_ I There was a knight and a lady bright Set trysts[208] amang the broom, The ane to come at morning ear[209], The other at afternoon. II ‘I’ll wager, I’ll wager, I’ll wager wi’ you Five hundred merks and ten That a maid shanna gae to the bonny broom And a maiden return again.’-- III ‘I’ll wager, I’ll wager, I’ll wager wi’ you Five hundred merks and ten That a maid shall gae to the bonny green broom And a maiden return again.’ IV The may she sat at her mother’s bower door And aye she made her mane: ‘O whether shou’d I gang to the Broomfield Hill, Or should I stay at hame? V ‘For if I do gang to the Broomfield Hill, A maid I’ll not return; But if I stay frae the Broomfield Hill, My love will ca’ me man-sworn.’ VI Up then spake an auld witch-wife, Sat in the bower abune: ‘O ye may gang to the Broomfield Hill, And yet come maiden hame, VII ‘For when ye gang to the Broomfield Hill, Ye’ll find your love asleep, Wi’ a silver belt above his head, And a broom-cow[210] at his feet.