"If I be guilty," said Hughie the Græme, Though his hands they were tied behind his back. He looked over his left shoulder, And for to see what he might see; There was he aware of his auld father, Came tearing his hair most piteouslie. "O hald your tongue, my father," he says, "And see that ye dinna weep for me! For they may ravish me o' my life, But they canna banish me fro' Heaven hie. "Fair ye weel, fair Maggie, my wife! The last time we came ower the muir, 'Twas thou bereft me of my life, And wi' the Bishop thou play'd the whore.' "Here, Johnie Armstrang, take thou my sword, JOHNIE OF BREADISLEE. AN ANCIENT NITHSDALE BALLAD. The hero of this ballad appears to have been an outlaw and deer-stealer-probably one of the broken men residing upon the Border. There are several different copies, in one of which the principal personage is called Johnie of Cockielaw. The stanzas of greatest merit have been selected from each copy. It is sometimes said, that this outlaw possessed the old Castle of Morton, in Dumfries-shire, now ruinous :-"Near to this castle there was a park, built by Sir Thomas Randolph, on the face of a very great and high hill; so artificially, that, by the advantage of the hill, all wild beasts, such as deers, harts, and roes, and hares, did easily leap in, but could not get out again; and if any other cattle, such as cows, sheep, or goats, did voluntarily leap in, or were forced to do it, it is doubted if their owners were permitted to get them out again." Account of Presbytery of Penpont, apud Marfarlane's MSS. Such park would form a convenient domain to an outlaw's castle, and the mention of Durrisdeer, a neighbouring parish, adds weight to the tradition. I have seen on a mountain near Callendar, a sort of pinfold, composed of immense rocks, piled upon each other, which, I was told, was anciently constructed for the abovementioned purpose. The mountain is thence called Uah var, or the Cove of the Giant. Of the morality of Robert Aldridge, Bishop of Carlisle, we know but little; but his political and religious faith were of a stretching and accommodating texture. Anthony a Wood ob serves, that there were many changes in his time, both in church and state; but that the worthy prelate retained his office and preferments during them all. JOHNIE OF BREADISLEE. Johnie rose up in a May morning, Call'd for water to wash his hands"Gar loose to me the gude graie dogs, That are bound wi' iron bands."When Johnie's mother gat word o' that, Her hands for dule she wrang"O Johnie! for my benison, To the greenwood dinna gang! "Eneugh ye hae o' gude wheat bread, And eneugh o' the blood-red wine; And, therefore, for nae venison, Johnie, But Johnie's busk't up his gude bend bow, And he has gane to Durrisdeer, To hunt the dun deer down. As he came down by Merriemass, Johnie he shot, and the dun deer lap, And Johnie has bryttled the deer sae weel, That he's had out her liver and lungs; And wi' these he has feasted his bluidy hounds, As if they had been earl's sons. They eat sae much o' the venison, And drank sae much o' the blude, Fell asleep as they had been dead. Where the Seven Foresters did lie. "What news, what news, ye gray-headed carle, What news bring ye to me?' "I bring nae news," said the gray-headed carle, "Save what these eyes did see. "As I came down by Merriemass, And down among the scroggs,5 • Border-Anc. Songs. 3 Ling-Heath. 4 Bryllle-To cut up venison. See the Ancient ballad of Chevy Chace, v. 8. 5 Scroggs-Stunted trees. 6 The Lincoln manufacture. "The buttons that were on his sleeve Were o' the goud sae gude: But up and spak the Sixth Forester, "If this be Johnie o' Breadislee, We soon shall gar him die!"— The first flight of arrows the Foresters shot, Johnie's set his back against an aik, His fute against a stane; And he has slain the Seven Foresters, He has broke three ribs in that ane's side; "O is there nae a bonnie bird, Can sing as I can say; Could flee away to my mother's bower, And tell to fetch Johnie away?”—1 The starling flew to his mother's window stane, And aye the ower word o' the tune They made a rod o' the hazel bush, Another o' the slae-thorn tree, And mony mony were the men Then out and spak his auld mother, And fast her tears did fa' "Ye wad nae be warn'd, my son Johnie, Frae the hunting to bide awa'. "Aft hae I brought to Breadislee, The less gear and the mair, But I ne'er brought to Breadislee, What grieved my heart sae sair. "But wae betyde that silly auld carle! Now Johnie's gude bend bow is broke, KATHARINE JANFARIE. The Ballad was published in the first edition of this work, under the title of "The Laird of Laminton. It is now given in a more perfect state, from several recited copies. The residence of the lady, and the scene of the affray at her bridal, is said, by old people, to have been upon the banks of the Cadden, near to where it joins the Tweed.-Others say the skirmish was fought near Traquair, and KATHARINE JanFARIE'S dwelling was in the glen about three miles above Traquair House." There was a may, and a weel-far'd may, She was courted by mony men. Up then came Lord Lauderdale, Up frae the Lawland Border; A' mounted in good order. He told na her father, he told na her mother, And he told na ane o' her kin; But he whisper'd the bonnie lassie hersell, And has her favour won. But out then cam Lord Lochinvar, 5 Out frae the English Border, All for to court this bonny may, Weel mounted, and in order. He told her father, he told her mother, And a' the lave o' her kin; But he told na the bonnie may hersell, Till on her wedding e'en. [Perhaps here should be inserted the beautiful stanza preserved by Finlay, so descriptive, as he remarks, of the languor of death: "There's no a bird in a' this forest Will do as meikle for me, As dip its wing in the wan water, * Gear-Usually signifies goods, but here spoil. 3 Mr. Motherwell has printed some stanzas of perhaps a more ancient set of this ballad-e. g. V. 2.- Jobnie look it east, and Johnie lookit west, And it's lang before the sun, sun; And there did he spy the dun deer lie Beneath a bush o' brume, brume, Beneath a bush o' brume." V. 5. It's down, and it's down, and it's down, down, And it's down among the scrogs, scrogs; Asleep amang their dogs, dogs, Asleep amang their dogs."-P. 23. ] 4 [ At page 225 of Motherwell, the reader will find another version of this ballad, in which the heroine bears not the name of Janfarie but Johnstone, and her lover is, as in the first edition of the Minstrelsy, the Laird of Lamington-i. e. Baillie of Lammington, in Clydesdale, the head of that ancient name.-ED.] 5 [Gordon of Lochinvar, head of a powerful branch of that name, afterwards Viscounts of Lochinvar. } 2 She sent to the Lord o' Lauderdale, And he has sent a messenger Right quickly through the land, And raised mony an armed man To be at his command. The bride looked out at a high window, Beheld baith dale and down, And she was aware of her first true love, With riders mony a one. She scoffed him, and scorned him, Upon her wedding day; And said—" It was the Fairy court "O come ye here to fight, young lord, Or come ye here to drink good wine "I come na here to fight," he said, I'll but lead a dance wi' the bonny bride, It is a glass of the blood-red wine Wha her true love had been.3 He's ta'en her by the milk-white hand, But, if you take your bride again, There were four-and-twenty bonnie boys, ["Then spoke the bride's father, bis band on his sword, (For the poor craven bridegroom said never a word,) O come ye in peace here, or come ye in war, Or to dance at our bridal, young Lord Lochinvar?'" Ibid. ] And four-and-twenty Leader lads Bid them mount and ride awa'. The blood ran down by Caddon bank, My blessing on your heart, sweet thing! Whae's bluid ye have garr❜d to spill. Now a' you lords of fair England, And that dwell by the English Border, Come never here to seek a wife, For fear of sic disorder. They'll haik ye up, and settle ye bye, THE LAIRD O' LOGIE. An edition of this ballad is current, under the title of "The Laird of Ochiltree;" but the Editor, since the first publication of this work, has been fortunate enough to recover the following more correct and ancient copy, as recited by a gentleman residing near Biggar. It agrees more nearly, both in the name and in the circumstances, with the real fact, than the printed ballad of Ochiltree. In the year 1592, Francis Stuart, Earl of Bothwell, was agitating his frantic and ill-concerted attempts against the person of James VI., whom he endeavoured to surprise in the Palace of Falkland. Through the emulation and private rancour of the courtiers, he found adherents even about the King's person; among whom, it seems, was the hero of our ballad, whose history is thus narrated in that curious and valuable chronicle, of which the first part has been stone. She is won! we are gone, over bank, bush, and scaur; 5 Johnstone Grey-The livery of the ancient family of John[This circumstance appears to support the Clydesdale copy, which gives Katharine the surname of Johnstone, I incline to suspect that she was a Johnstone of amphray, and that Katharine o' Wamphray had been blundered, by the Ettrick reciters, into Katharine Jeffrey, vulgarly pronounced Janfray.—ED.] published under the title of "The Historie of King James the Sext." "In this close tyme it fortunit, that a gentleman, callit Weymis of Logye, being also in credence at court, was delatit as a traffekker with Frances Erle Bothwell; and he, being examinat before King and counsall, confessit his accusation to be of veritie, that sundry tymes he had spokin with him, expresslie aganis the King's inhibitioun proclamit in the contrare, whilk confession he subscryvit with his hand; and because the event of this mater had sik a success, it sall also be pray sit be my pen, as a worthie turne, proceiding from honest chest love and charitie, whilk suld on na wayis be obscurit from the posteritie, for the gude example; and therefore I have thought gude to insert the same for a perpetual memorie. "Queen Anne, our noble princess, was servit with dyverss gentilwemen of hir awin cuntrie, and naymelie with ane callit Mres. Margaret Twynstoun,' to whome this gentilman, Weymes of Lohye, bure great honest affection, tending to the godlie band of marriage, the whilk was honestlie requytet be the said gentilwoman, yea even in his greatest mister; for howsone she understude the said gentilman to be in distress, and apperantlie be his confession to be puneist to the death, and she having prevelege to ly in the Queynis chalmer that same verie night of his accusation, whare the King was also reposing that same night, she came furth of the dure prevelie, bayth the prencis being then at quyet rest, and past to the chalmer, whare the said gentilman was put in custodie to certayne of the garde, and commandit thayme that immediatelie he sould be broght to the King and Queyne, whareunto they geving sure credence, obeyit. But howsone she was cum back to the chalmer dur, she desyrit the watches to stay till he sould cum furth agayne, and so she closit the dur, and convoyit the gentilman to a windo', whare she ministrat a long corde unto him to convoy himself doun upon; and sa, be hir gude cheritable help, he happelie escapit be the subteltie of love." THE LAIRD O' LOGIE. I will sing, if ye will hearken, 1 Twynlace, according to Spottiswoode. • Mister-necessity. 3 Sir John Carmichael of Carmichael, the hero of the ballad called the Raid of the Reidswire, was appointed captain of the king's guard in 1588, and usually had the keeping of state criminals of rank. "Lament, lament na, may Margaret, May Margaret has kilted her green cleiding, And she has curl'd back her yellow hair"If I canna get young Logie's life, Farewell to Scotland for evermair."When she came before the King, She knelit lowly on her knee— "O what's the matter, may Margaret? And what needs a' this courtesie ?" "A boon, a boon, my noble liege, A boon, a boon, I beg o' thee! And the first boon that I come to crave, Is to grant me the life of young Logie.”"O na, O na, may Margaret, Forsooth, and so it mauna be; For a' the gowd o' fair Scotland Shall not save the life of young Logie." When he came to the tolbooth stair, There he let his volley flee: E'en in the bed where he might be. "Gae out, gae out, my merrymen a', And bid Carmichael come speak to me; For I'll lay my life the pledge o' that, That yon's the shot o' young Logie."When Carmichael came before the King, He fell low down upon his knee : The very first word that the King spake, Was--"Where's the laird of young Logie?"— Carmichael turn'd him round about, (I wot the tear blinded his ee,) "There came a token frae your grace, Has ta'en away the laird frae me." "Hast thou play'd me that, Carmichael? And hast thou play'd me that?" quoth he; "The morn the justice court's to stand, And Logie's place ye maun supplie." 4 [ After stanza 2d, Mr. Motherwell inserts, from recitation, the following: "May Margaret sits in the Queen's bouir Cursing the day that she ere was born, Or that ere she heard o' Logie's name."-P. 56.-ED.] 5 Redding kaim-Comb for the hair. Carmichael's awa to Margaret's bower, Even as fast as he may dree"O if young Logie be within, Tell him to come and speak with me!"May Margaret turn'd her round about, (I wot a loud laugh laughed she,) "The egg is chipp'd, the bird is flown, Ye'll see nae mair of young Logie." The tane is shipped at the pier of Leith, The tother at the Queen's Ferrie : And she's gotten a father to her bairn, The wanton laird of young Logie. A LYKE-WAKE DIRGE. This is a sort of charm sung by the lower ranks of Roman Catholics in some parts of the north of England, while watching a dead body, previous to interment. The tune is doleful and monotonous, and, joined to the mysterious import of the words, has a solemn effect. The word sleet, in the chorus, seems to be corrupted from sell, or salt; a quantity of which, in compliance with a popular superstition, is frequently placed on the breast of a corpse. The late Mr. Ritson found an illustration of this dirge in a MS. of the Cotton Library, containing an account of Cleveland, in Yorkshire, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. It was kindly communicated to the Editor by Mr. Frank, Mr. Ritson's executor, and runs thus :-"When any dieth, certaine women sing a song to the dead bodie, recyting the journey that the partye deceased must goe; and they are of beliefe (such is their fondnesse) that once in their lives, it is good to give a pair of new shoes to a poor man, for as much as, after this life, they are to pass barefoote through a great launde, full of thornes and furzen, except by the meryte of the almes aforesaid they have redemed the forfeyte; for, at the edge of the launde, an oulde man shall meet them with the same shoes that were given by the partie when he was lyving; and, after he hath shodde them, dismisseth them to go through thick and thin, without scratch or scalle." -Julius, F. VI. 459. The mythologic ideas of the dirge are common to various creeds. The Mahometan believes, that, in advancing to the final judgment-seat, he must traverse a bar of red-hot iron, stretched across a bottomless gulf. The good works of each true believer, assuming a substantial form, will then interpose betwixt his feet and this "Bridge of Dread;" but the wicked, having no such protection, must fall headlong into the abyss.-D'HERBELOT, Bibliothèque Orientale. Passages, similar to this dirge, are also to be found in Lady Culross's Dream, as quoted in the second Dissertation prefixed by Mr. Pinkerton to his Select "Through dreadful dens, which made my heart aghast, He bare me up when I began to tire. Sometimes we clamb o'er craggy mountains high, Again, she supposes herself suspended over an infernal gulf : "Ere I was ware, one gripp'd me at the last, And held me high above a flaming fire. The fire was great; the heat did pierce me sore; My faith grew weak; my grip was very small; I trembled fast; my fear grew more and more." A horrible picture of the same kind, dictated probably by the author's unhappy state of mind, is to be found in Brooke's Fool of Quality. The dreamer, a ruined female, is suspended over the gulf of perdition by a single hair, which is severed by a demon, who, in the form of her seducer, springs upwards from the flames. The Russian funeral service, without any allegoin language alike simple and noble. rical imagery, expresses the sentiment of the dirge "Hast thou pitied the afflicted, O man? In death shalt thou be pitied. Hast thou consoled the orphan? The orphan will deliver thee. Hast thou clothed the naked? The naked will procure thee protection." -RICHARDSON'S Anecdotes of Russia. But the most minute description of the Brig o' Dread occurs in the legend of Sir Owain, No. XL. in the MS. Collection of Romances, W. 4. 1. Advocates' Library, Edinburgh: though its position is not cion that the order of the stanzas in the latter has the same as in the dirge, which may excite a suspiafter many frightful adventures in St. Patrick's purbeen transposed. Sir Owain, a Northumbrian knight, gatory, at last arrives at the bridge, which, in the legend, is placed betwixt purgatory and paradise : "The fendes han the knight ynome,' The fendes seyd tho; 3 Here over thou must go. Ynome-took.-2 Seigh never er-saw never before.-3 Tho-then.-4 Sestow-sec'st thou. |