"O I will pay my maiden's hire,

And hire I'll gi'e to thee; If ye'll conceal this fatal deed,

Ye's ha'e gowd for your fee."

Then out it speaks a bonny bird,

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That flew aboon their head;

'Keep well, keep well your green claithing Frae ae drap o' his bluid."

"O I'll keep well my green claithing

Frae ae drap o' his bluid,

Better than I'll do your flattering tongue,
That flutters in your head.

"Come down, come down, my bonny bird,

85

For ae gowd feather that's in your wing,

Light down upon my hand;

I wou'd gi'e a' my land."

"How shall I come down, how can I come down,

How shall I come down to thee?

The things ye said to young Hunting,

The same ye're saying to me.”

But it fell out on that same day,

90

The king was going to ride,

And he call'd for him, young Hunting,

95

For to ride by his side.

Then out it speaks the little young son,
Sat on the nurse's knee,

"It fears me sair," said that young babe,

"He's in bower wi'

yon

ladie."

100

Then they ha'e call'd her, Lady Katharine,

And she sware by the thorn,

That she saw not him, young Hunting,

Sin' yesterday at morn.

Then they ha'e call'd her, Lady Maisry,

And she sware by the moon,

That she saw not him, young Hunting,

Sin' yesterday at noon.

"He was playing him at the Clyde's water, Perhaps he has fa’en in : ”

The king he call'd his divers all,

To dive for his young son.

They div'd in thro' the wan burn-bank,
Sae did they out thro' the other:

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110

“We'll dive nae mair," said these young men, 115

66

Suppose he were our brother."

Then out it spake a little bird,

That flew aboon their head: "Dive on, dive on, ye divers all, For there he lies indeed.

"But ye'll leave aff your day diving,
And ye'll dive in the night;
The pot where young Hunting lies in,
The candles they'll burn bright.

"There are twa ladies in yon bower,

And even in yon ha',

And they ha'e kill'd him, young Hunting,

And casten him awa'.

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125

66

They booted him and spurred him,
As he'd been gaun to ride;

A hunting horn tied round his neck,
A sharp sword by his side.

"The deepest pot o' Clyde's water,

There they flang him in, Laid a turf on his breast bane,

To had young Hunting down."

Now they left aff their day diving,
And they dived on the night;
The pot that young Hunting lay in,
The candles were burning bright.

The king he call'd his hewers all,
To hew down wood and thorn,
For to put up a strong bale-fire,

These ladies for to burn.

And they ha'e taʼen her, Lady Katharine,

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And they ha'e pitten her in;

But it wadna light upon her cheek,

Nor wou'd it on her chin,

But sang the points o' her yellow hair,

For healing the deadly sin.

150

Then they ha'e ta'en her, Lady Maisry,

And they ha'e put her in :

First it lighted on her cheek,

And syne upon her chin,

And sang the points o' her yellow hair,

155

And she burnt like keckle-pin.

YOUNG WATERS.- See

p.

88.

From Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, i. 15. p.

Ir fell about the gude Yule time,
When caps and stoups gaed roun',
Down it came him young Waters,
To welcome James, our king.

The great, the great, rade a' together,
The sma' came a' behin';

But wi' young Waters, that brave knight,
There came a gay gatherin'.

The horse young Waters rade upon,

It cost him hunders nine;

For he was siller shod before,

And gowd graith had behin'.

At ilka tippit o' his horse mane

There hang a siller bell;

The wind was loud, the steed was proud,

And they gae a sindry knell.

The king he lay ower's castle wa',

Beheld baith dale and down;

And he beheld him, young Waters,
Come riding to the town.

10

15

20

He turn'd him right and round about,
And to the queen said he,-
"Who is the bravest man, my dame,
That ever your een did see?"

"I've seen lairds, and I've seen lords,
And knights o' high degree;
But a braver man than young Waters
My e'en did never see.”

He turn'd him right and roun' about,
And ane angry man was he;
"O wae to you, my dame, the queen;
Ye might ha'e excepted me!"

25

80

"Ye are nae laird, ye are nae lord,

Ye are the king that wears the crown;

There's nae a lord in fair Scotland,

35

But unto you maun a' bow down."

"O lady, for your love choicing,
Ye shall win to your will;
The morn, or I eat or drink,

And nevertheless, the king cou'd say, "Ye might ha'e excepted me;

Yea for yea," the king cou'd say,

"Likewise for your ill-wyled words

Ye sall ha'e cause to mourn;
Gin ye hadna been sae big wi' child,
Ye on a hill su'd burn."

40

45