“There's never lint gang on my head,

Nor kame gang in my hair, Nor ever coal nor candle light, Shine in my bower mair."

When seven years were near an end,
The lady she thought lang;

And wi' a crack her heart did brake,
And sae this ends my sang.

130

135

CLERK TAMAS.

Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, i. 43.

CLERK TAMAS lov'd her, fair Annie,
As well as Mary lov'd her son;

But now he hates her, fair Annie,

And hates the lands that she lives in.

"Ohon, alas!" said fair Annie,

"Alas! this day I fear I'll die; But I will on to sweet Tamas, And see gin he will pity me."

As Tamas lay ower his shott-window,

Just as the sun was gaen down,

There he beheld her, fair Annie,

As she came walking to the town

"O where are a' my well-wight men,

I wat that I pay meat and fee,

For to lat a' my hounds

gang

loose,

To hunt this vile whore to the sea!

The hounds they knew the lady well,
And nane o' them they wou'd her bite;
Save ane that is ca'd Gaudy-where,

I wat he did the lady smite.

"O wae mat worth ye, Gaudy-where,
An ill reward this is to me;
For ae bit that I gae the lave,

I'm very sure I've gi'en you three.

"For me, alas! there's nae remeid,

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25

Here comes the day that I maun die;

I ken ye lov'd your master well,
And sae, alas for me, did I!"

A captain lay ower his ship window,
Just as the sun was gaen down;
There he beheld her, fair Annie,

As she was hunted frae the town.

"Gin ye'll forsake father and mither,

And sae will ye your friends and kin, Gin ye'll forsake your lands sae broad, Then come and I will take you in."

"Yes, I'll forsake baith father and mither,
And sae will I my friends and kin,
Yes, I'll forsake my lands sae broad,

And come, gin ye will take me in."

Then a' thing gaed frae fause Tamas,
And there was naething byde him wi’;
Then he thought lang for Arrandella,
It was fair Annie for to see.

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85

40

"How do ye now, ye sweet Tamas?
And how gaes a' in your countrie ? ”
"I'll do better to you than ever I've done,
Fair Annie, gin ye'll come an' see.”

"O Guid forbid," said fair Annie,

"That e'er the like fa' in my hand; Wou'd I forsake my ain gude lord,

And follow you, a gae-through-land?

"Yet nevertheless now, sweet Tamas, Ye'll drink a cup o' wine wi' me; And nine times in the live lang day,

Your fair claithing shall changed be."

Fair Annie pat it till her cheek,

Sae did she till her milk-white chin,

Sae did she till her flattering lips,

But never a drap o' wine gaed in.

Tamas pat it till his cheek,

Sae did he till his dimpled chin;

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50

85

00

He pat it till his rosy lips,

And then the well o' wine gaed in.

"These pains," said he, "are ill to bide;

65

Here is the day that I maun die ;

O take this cup frae me, Annie,
For o' the same I am weary."

"And sae was I, o' you, Tamas,

When I was hunted to the sea;

But I'se gar bury you in state,

Which is mair than ye'd done to me."

70

JOHN THOMSON AND THE TURK.

From Motherwell's Minstrelsy, Appendix, p. ix. The same in Buchan's collection, ii. 159.

JOHN THOMSON fought against the Turks
Three years, intill a far countrie;
And all that time, and something mair,
Was absent from his gay ladie.

But it fell ance upon a time,
As this young chieftain sat alane,
He spied his lady in rich array,
As she walk'd ower a rural plain.

"What brought ye here, my lady gay,
So far awa from your ain countrie?
I've thought lang, and very lang,

And all for your fair face to see."

For some days she did with him stay,
Till it fell ance upon a day,
"Fareweel, for a time," she said,

"For now I must boun hame away."

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