I'll have the truth o' your right hand, The Queen she gave it me." "I wish I had drank o' the water, sister, "Maybe I am a carle's daughter, And maybe I am nane; 66 But when we met in the greenwood, Now will ye wear the short claithing, Or will ye walk to your wedding, "I will not wear the short claithing, When he was set upon the horse, The lassie him behin'; It's cauld and eerie were the words, And he has gi'en to her the ring, And he has mounted at the kirk-door, * Long, as applied to garments. And there was never word but ane, "O ill it sets a beggar's brat, At a gude knight's back to be!" "Then by there cam' a beggar wife; "O haud your tongue, ye beggar's brat, And when they came to Marykirk, "Gin my auld carline mother were here," she says, "Sae weel she wad you pyke," she says, "She wad you pyke and pu', She wad boil you weel, and butter you weel, "O hauld your tongue, ye beggar's brat, My heart will break in three!” "And sae did mine on yon bonnie hillside, When ye wadna let me be." And when they cam' to the water o' Tyne, "Gude luck, ye mills o' Tyne water, * Son-in-law. "Weel may ye clap, weel may ye gang, And better be your luck k; For I wot my minnie ne'er gaed by you, He's drawn his hat out ower his face, Sae they hae come to Earl Richard's house, And were at dinner set; Then out and spak' the bonnie bride, "Gae, tak' awa the china plates, And tak' awa thae siller spoons, The like I ne'er did see; And bring to me the horn cutties, When they were dined, and served well, Earl Richard and his bonnie bride, In ae chamber were placed. O haud away the linen sheets, They are o' Hollands fine; And bring to me the linsey clouts, "O haud your tongue you beggar's brat ! My heart will break in three !" "And sae did mine on yon bonnie hillside, When ye wadna let me be. "Lay a pock o' meal beneath my head, And ye may keep your Holland sheets "Haud far awa', ye carline's brat, It doesna suit a beggar's brat, "It's maybe I'm a carline's get, But when we met in the greenwood, It's up then spak' the Billy Blin', "Let a body rest," said the Billy Blin', "O fair fa' you, ye Billy Blin', And weel aye may ye be ! For I've sought her lang, and I hae her now, And my ain dear wife is she!” THE BARRING OF THE DOOR. THIS ballad was recovered by Herd, and is inserted in his collection. It appears to be of considerable antiquity, and is unquestionably very humorous. T fell about the Martinmas time, IT And a gay time it was then ; When our gudewife gat puddings to make, And she's boiled them in the pan. The wind sae cauld blew south and north, And blew intil the floor; Quoth our gudeman to our gudewife, "My hand is in my hussyskep, Gudeman, as ye may see, An it shouldna be barr'd this hundred year, They made a paction 'tween them twa, That wha should speak the foremost word Then by there came twa gentlemen |