Chapter III: Book VI: The Lochmaben Harper (2)

Farweil, my bonny Gilnock-Hall,
Whair on Esk syde thou standest stout!
Gif I had leived but seven yeirs mair,
I wald haif gilt thee round about."

John murdred was at Carlinrigg, 125
And all his galant companie;
But Scotlands heart was never sae wae,
To see sae mony brave men die.

Because they savd their country deir
Frae Englishmen: nane were sae bauld, 130
Whyle Johnie livd on the Border syde,
Nane of them durst cum neir his hald.

17. Langum hown.

30. thou mayst sune.

HUGHIE GRAHAM.

Of the two editions of this ballad which follow, the first is taken from _The Scots Musical Museum_ (p. 312), to which it was contributed by Burns. Burns states that he obtained his copy from oral tradition in Ayrshire, but he had certainly retouched several stanzas (the ninth and tenth, says Cromek), and the third and eighth are entirely of his composition.

The other copy is from the _Border Minstrelsy_, and consists of a version "long current in Selkirkshire" (procured for Scott by Mr. William Laidlaw), which also has been slightly improved by the pen of the editor.

In the Appendix we have placed the story as it occurs in Durfey's _Pills to purge Melancholy_, and in Ritson's _Ancient Songs_. The seventeenth volume of the Percy Society Publications furnishes us with a Scottish version in which Sir Hugh is rescued and sent over the sea: _Scottish Traditional Versions of Ancient Ballads_, p. 73. These, we believe, are all the published forms of this ballad, unless we mention Mr. Allan Cunningham's _r['e]chauff['e]_ of Burns, in his _Songs of Scotland_, i. 327.

"According to _tradition_," says Mr. Stenhouse, "Robert Aldridge, Bishop of Carlisle, about the year 1560, seduced the wife of Hugh Graham, one of those bold and predatory chiefs who so long inhabited what was called the Debatable Land, on the English and Scottish border. Graham, being unable to bring so powerful a prelate to justice, in revenge made an excursion into Cumberland, and carried off _inter alia_, a fine mare belonging to the bishop (!) but being closely pursued by Sir John Scroope, warden of Carlisle, with a party on horseback, was apprehended near Solway Moss, and carried to Carlisle, where he was tried and convicted of felony. Great intercessions were made to save his life; but the bishop, it is said, being determined to remove the chief obstacle to his guilty passions, remained inexorable, and poor Graham fell a victim to his own indiscretion and his wife's infidelity. Anthony Wood observes that there were many changes in this prelate's time, both in church and state, but that he retained his offices and preferments during them all."--_Musical Museum_, iv. 297.

Our lords are to the mountains gane,
A hunting o' the fallow deer,
And they hae gripet Hughie Graham,
For stealing o' the Bishop's mare.

And they hae tied him hand and foot, 5
And led him up thro' Stirling town;
The lads and lasses met him there,
Cried, "Hughie Graham, thou art a loun."

"O lowse my right hand free," he says,
"And put my braid sword in the same, 10
He's no in Stirling town this day,
Daur tell the tale to Hughie Graham."

Up then bespake the brave Whitefoord,
As he sat by the bishop's knee,
"Five hundred white stots I'll gie you, 15
If ye'll let Hughie Graham gae free."

"O haud your tongue," the bishop says,
"And wi' your pleading let me be;
For tho' ten Grahams were in his coat,
Hughie Graham this day shall die." 20

Up then bespake the fair Whitefoord,
As she sat by the bishop's knee;
"Five hundred white pence I'll gie you,
If ye'll gie Hughie Graham to me."

"O haud your tongue now, lady fair, 25
And wi' your pleading let it be;
Altho' ten Grahams were in his coat,
It's for my honour he maun die."

They've taen him to the gallows knowe,
He looked to the gallows tree, 30
Yet never colour left his cheek,
Nor ever did he blin' his e'e.

At length he looked round about,
To see whatever he could spy,
And there he saw his auld father, 35
And he was weeping bitterly.

"O haud your tongue, my father dear.
And wi' your weeping let it be;
Thy weeping's sairer on my heart, 40
Than a' that they can do to me.

"And ye may gie my brother John
My sword that's bent in the middle clear,
And let him come at twelve o'clock,
And see me pay the bishop's mare.

"And ye may gie my brother James 45
My sword that's bent in the middle brown,
And bid him come at four o'clock,
And see his brother Hugh cut down.

"Remember me to Maggy, my wife,
The niest time ye gang o'er the moor; 50
Tell her, she staw the bishop's mare,
Tell her, she was the bishop's whore.

"And ye may tell my kith and kin
I never did disgrace their blood,
And when they meet the bishop's cloak, 55
To mak it shorter by the hood."

HUGHIE THE GR[AE]ME.

From _Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border_, iii. 110.

Gude Lord Scroope's to the hunting gane,
He has ridden o'er moss and muir;
And he has grippet Hughie the Gr[ae]me,
For stealing o' the Bishop's mare.

"Now, good Lord Scroope, this may not be! 5
Here hangs a broadsword by my side;
And if that thou canst conquer me,
The matter it may soon be tryed."

"I ne'er was afraid of a traitor thief;
Although thy name be Hughie the Gr[ae]me, 10
"I'll make thee repent thee of thy deeds,
If God but grant me life and time."

"Then do your worst now, good Lord Scroope,
And deal your blows as hard as you can;
It shall be tried within an hour, 15
Which of us two is the better man."

But as they were dealing their blows so free,
And both so bloody at the time,
Over the moss came ten yeomen so tall,
All for to take brave Hughie the Gr[ae]me. 20

Then they hae grippit Hughie the Gr[ae]me,
And brought him up through Carlisle town;
The lasses and lads stood on the walls,
Crying, "Hughie the Gr[ae]me, thou'se ne'er gae down!"

Then they hae chosen a jury of men, 25
The best that were in Carlisle town;
And twelve of them cried out at once,
"Hughie the Gr[ae]me, thou must gae down!"

Then up bespak him gude Lord Hume,
As he sat by the judge's knee, 30
"Twenty white owsen, my gude lord,
If you'll grant Hughie the Gr[ae]me to me."

"O no, O no, my gude Lord Hume,
Forsooth and sae it mauna be;
For were there but three Gr[ae]mes of the name, 35
They suld be hanged a' for me."

'Twas up and spake the gude Lady Hume,
As she sat by the judge's knee,
"A peck of white pennies, my good lord judge,
If you'll grant Hughie the Gr[ae]me to me." 40

"O no, O no, my gude Lady Hume,
Forsooth and so it must na be;
Were he but the one Gr[ae]me of the name,
He suld be hanged high for me."

"If I be guilty," said Hughie the Gr[ae]me, 45
"Of me my friends shall have small talk;"
And he has louped fifteen feet and three,
Though his hands they were tied behind his back.

He looked over his left shoulder,
And for to see what he might see; 50
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, 55
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. 60

"Here, Johnie Armstrang, take thou my sword,
That is made o' the metal sae fine;
And when thou comest to the English side,
Remember the death of Hughie the Gr[ae]me."

KINMONT WILLIE.

In the year 1596, Mr. Salkeld, the deputy of Lord Scroope, the English warden of the West Marches, and Robert Scott, the representative of the Laird of Buccleuch, then keeper of Liddesdale, held a meeting on the border line of the kingdoms, according to the custom of the times, for the purpose of arranging such differences, and redressing such grievances, as either party might have to allege. On these occasions a truce was always proclaimed, inviolable on pain of death, from the day of the meeting to the next day at sunrise. After the conference in question, as William Armstrong of Kinmonth, a notorious freebooter, whose ordinary style was Kinmont Willie, was returning to his home, accompanied by only three or four persons, he was pursued by a couple of hundred Englishmen, taken prisoner, and in contravention of the truce, lodged in the castle of Carlisle. The Laird of Buccleuch sought to obtain the enfranchisement of his client and retainer, through the mediation, first of the English warden, and then of the Scottish ambassador. Receiving no satisfaction, he took the matter into his own hands, raised a party of two hundred horse, surprised the castle of Carlisle, and carried off the prisoner by main force. This dashing achievement was performed on the 13th of April, 1596.

According to a rhymester who celebrated the daring feat of Buccleuch about a hundred years later, Kinmont Willie was a descendant of Johnie Armstrong of Gilnockie.

Interesting details of the surprise of the castle, and further notices of Kinmont Willie are given by Scott in the _Border Minstrelsy_ (ii. 32), where the ballad was first published.

"This ballad is preserved," says Scott, "on the West Borders, but much mangled by reciters, so that some conjectural emendations have been absolutely necessary to render it intelligible."

O have ye na heard o' the fause Sakelde?
O have ye na heard o' the keen Lord Scroope?
How they hae ta'en bauld Kinmont Willie,
On Haribee to hang him up?[L4]

Had Willie had but twenty men, 5
But twenty men as stout as he,
Fause Sakelde had never the Kinmont ta'en,
Wi' eight score in his cumpanie.

They band his legs beneath the steed,
They tied his hands behind his back; 10
They guarded him, fivesome on each side,
And they brought him ower the Liddel-rack.

They led him thro' the Liddel-rack,[L13]
And also thro' the Carlisle sands;
They brought him to Carlisle castell, 15
To be at my Lord Scroope's commands.

"My hands are tied, but my tongue is free,
And whae will dare this deed avow?
Or answer by the Border law?
Or answer to the bauld Buccleuch?" 20

"Now haud thy tongue, thou rank reiver!
There's never a Scot shall set thee free:
Before ye cross my castle yate,
I trow ye shall take farewell o' me."

"Fear na ye that, my lord," quo' Willie: 25
"By the faith o' my body, Lord Scroope," he said,
"I never yet lodged in a hostelrie,
But I paid my lawing before I gaed."

Now word is gane to the bauld Keeper,
In Branksome Ha' where that he lay, 30
That Lord Scroope has ta'en the Kinmont Willie,
Between the hours of night and day.

He has ta'en the table wi' his hand,
He garr'd the red wine spring on hie--
"Now Christ's curse on my head," he said, 35
"But avenged of Lord Scroope I'll be!

"O is my basnet a widow's curch?
Or my lance a wand of the willow-tree?
Or my arm a ladye's lilye hand,
That an English lord should lightly me! 40

"And have they ta'en him, Kinmont Willie,
Against the truce of Border tide,
And forgotten that the bauld Buccleuch
Is keeper here on the Scottish side?

"And have they e'en ta'en him, Kinmont Willie, 45
Withouten either dread or fear,
And forgotten that the bauld Buccleuch
Can back a steed, or shake a spear?

"O were there war between the lands,
As well I wot that there is none, 50
I would slight Carlisle castell high,
Though it were builded of marble stone.

"I would set that castell in a low,
And sloken it with English blood!
There's never a man in Cumberland, 55
Should ken where Carlisle castell stood.

"But since nae war's between the lands,
And there is peace, and peace should be;
I'll neither harm English lad or lass,
And yet the Kinmont freed shall be!" 60

He has call'd him forty Marchmen bauld,
I trow they were of his ain name,
Except Sir Gilbert Elliot, call'd
The Laird of Stobs, I mean the same.

He has call'd him forty Marchmen bauld, 65
Were kinsmen to the bauld Buccleuch;
With spur on heel, and splent on spauld,
And gleuves of green, and feathers blue.

There were five and five before them a',
Wi' hunting-horns and bugles bright: 70
And five and five came wi' Buccleuch,
Like warden's men, array'd for fight.

And five and five, like a mason gang,
That carried the ladders lang and hie;
And five and five, like broken men; 75
And so they reach'd the Woodhouselee.[L76]

And as we cross'd the Bateable Land,
When to the English side we held,
The first o' men that we met wi',
Whae sould it be but fause Sakelde? 80

"Where be ye gaun, ye hunters keen?"
Quo' fause Sakelde; "come tell to me!"
"We go to hunt an English stag,
Has trespass'd on the Scots countrie."

"Where be ye gaun, ye marshal men?" 85
Quo' fause Sakelde; "come tell me true!"
"We go to catch a rank reiver,
Has broken faith wi' the bauld Buccleuch."

"Where are ye gaun, ye mason lads,
Wi' a' your ladders lang and hie?" 90
"We gang to herry a corbie's nest,
That wons not far frae Woodhouselee."

"Where be ye gaun, ye broken men?"
Quo' fause Sakelde; "come tell to me!"
Now Dickie of Dryhope led that band, 95
And the nevir a word of lear had he.

"Why trespass ye on the English side?
Row-footed outlaws, stand!" quo' he;
The nevir a word had Dickie to say,
Sae he thrust the lance through his fause bodie. 100

Then on we held for Carlisle toun,
And at Staneshaw-bank the Eden we cross'd;[L102]
The water was great and meikle of spait,
But the nevir a horse nor man we lost.

And when we reach'd the Staneshaw-bank, 105
The wind was rising loud and hie;
And there the Laird garr'd leave our steeds,
For fear that they should stamp and nie.

And when we left the Staneshaw-bank,
The wind began full loud to blaw; 110
But 'twas wind and weet, and fire and sleet,
When we came beneath the castle wa'.

We crept on knees, and held our breath,
Till we placed the ladders against the wa';
And sae ready was Buccleuch himsell 115
To mount the first before us a'.

He has ta'en the watchman by the throat,
He flung him down upon the lead--
"Had there not been peace between our lands,
Upon the other side thou hadst gaed! 120

"Now sound out, trumpets!" quo' Buccleuch;
"Let's waken Lord Scroope right merrilie!"
Then loud the warden's trumpet blew--
_O wha dare meddle wi' me_?[L124]

Then speedilie to wark we gaed, 125
And raised the slogan ane and a',
And cut a hole through a sheet of lead,
And so we wan to the castle ha'.

They thought King James and a' his men
Had won the house wi' bow and spear; 130
It was but twenty Scots and ten,
That put a thousand in sic a stear!

Wi' coulters, and wi' forehammers,
We garr'd the bars bang merrilie,
Until we came to the inner prison, 135
Where Willie o' Kinmont he did lie.

And when we cam to the lower prison,
Where Willie o' Kinmont he did lie--
"O sleep ye, wake ye, Kinmont Willie,
Upon the morn that thou's to die?" 140

"O I sleep saft, and I wake aft,
It's lang since sleeping was fley'd frae me;
Gie my service back to my wife and bairns,
And a' gude fellows that spier for me."

Then Red Rowan has hente him up, 145
The starkest man in Teviotdale--
"Abide, abide now, Red Rowan,
Till of my Lord Scroope I take farewell.

"Farewell, farewell, my gude Lord Scroope!
My gude Lord Scroope, farewell!" he cried-- 150
"I'll pay you for my lodging maill,
When first we meet on the Border side."

Then shoulder high, with shout and cry,
We bore him down the ladder lang;
At every stride Red Rowan made, 155
I wot the Kinmont's airns play'd clang.

"O mony a time," quo' Kinmont Willie,
"I have ridden horse baith wild and wood;
But a rougher beast than Red Rowan
I ween my legs have ne'er bestrode. 160

"And mony a time," quo' Kinmont Willie,
"I've prick'd a horse out oure the furs;
But since the day I back'd a steed,
I never wore sic cumbrous spurs."

We scarce had won the Staneshaw-bank, 165
When a' the Carlisle bells were rung,
And a thousand men on horse and foot
Cam wi' the keen Lord Scroope along.

Buccleuch has turn'd to Eden Water,
Even where it flow'd frae bank to brim, 170
And he has plunged in wi' a' his band,
And safely swam them through the stream.

He turn'd him on the other side,
And at Lord Scroope his glove flung he--
"If ye like na my visit in merry England, 175
In fair Scotland come visit me!"

All sore astonish'd stood Lord Scroope,
He stood as still as rock of stane;
He scarcely dared to trew his eyes,
When through the water they had gane. 180

"He is either himsell a devil frae hell,
Or else his mother a witch maun be;
I wadna have ridden that wan water
For a' the gowd in Christentie."

4. Haribee is the place of execution at Carlisle.--S.

13. The Liddel-rack is a ford on the Liddel.--S.

76. A house on the Border, belonging to Buccleuch.--S.

102. Eden has been substituted for Eske, the latter name being inconsistent with geography.--S.

124. The name of a Border tune.--S.

DICK O' THE COW.

From Caw's _Poetical Museum_, p. 22.

The personage from whom this ballad is named was jester to Lord Scroop, who was warden of the West Marches of England from 1590 to 1603. The Laird's Jock, that is John, the son of the Laird of Mangerton, "appears as one of the _men of name_ in Liddesdale, in the list of the Border Clans, 1597."

_Dick o' the Cow_ is closely connected with _Jock o' the Side_ and _Hobie Noble_, which follow shortly after. All three were first printed in Caw's _Museum_, and seem to have been contributed by a Mr. Elliot, a Liddesdale gentleman, to whom Sir W. Scott acknowledges many obligations. We are told that both _Dick o' the Cow_ and _Jock o' the Side_ were until lately so popular in Liddesdale with all classes of people, that they were invariably sung, from beginning to end, at every festive meeting.

The ballad of _Dick o' the Cow_ was well known in England as early as 1596.

"An allusion to it likewise occurs in PARROT'S _Laquei Ridiculosi_, or _Springes for Woodcocks_; London, 1613.

"Owenus wondreth since he came to Wales,
What the description of this isle should be,
That nere had seen but mountains, hills, and dales,
Yet would he boast, and stand on pedigree,
From Rice ap Richard, sprung from _Dick a Cow_,
Be cod, was right gud gentleman, look ye now!"

_Epigr. 76._--SCOTT.

Now Liddisdale has lyan lang in,
There is nae riding there at a';
The horses are grown sae lidder fat,
They downa stur out o' the sta'.

Then Johnie Armstrong to Willie can say-- 5
"Billie, a riding then we'll gae;
England and us has been lang at a feid;
Ablins we'll hit on some bootie."

Then they're com'd on to Hutton Ha',
They rade the proper place about; 10
But the laird he was the wiser man,
For he had left nae gear without.

Then he had left nae gear to steal,
Except sax sheep upon a lee:
Quo' Johnie--"I'd rather in England die, 15
Ere thir sax sheep gae t' Liddisdale wi' me.

"But how ca'd they the man we last met,
Billie, as we cam o'er the know?"
"That same he is an innocent fool,
And some men ca' him Dick o' the Cow." 20

"That fool has three as good ky o' his ain,
As there's in a' Cumberland, billie," quo' he:
"Betide me life, betide me death,
These three ky shall gae t' Liddisdale wi' me."

Then they're com'd on to the poor fool's house, 25
And they hae broken his wa's sae wide;
They have loos'd out Dick o' the Cow's three ky,
And tane three co'erlets aff his wife's bed.

Then on the morn, whan the day was light,
The shouts and cries rose loud and hie: 30
"O had thy tongue, my wife," he says,
"And o' thy crying let me be!

"O had thy tongue, my wife," he says,
"And of thy crying let me be;
And aye that where thou wants a cow, 35
In good sooth I'll bring thee three."

Then Dickie's com'd on for's lord and master,
And I wat a dreirie fool was he;
"Now had thy tongue, my fool," he says,
"For I may not stand to jest wi' thee." 40

"Shame speed a' your jesting, my lord!" quo' Dickie,
"For nae sic jesting grees wi' me;
Liddisdale's been i' my house last night,
And they hae tane my three ky frae me.

"But I may nae langer in Cumberland dwell, 45
To be your poor fool and your leal,
Unless ye gi' me leave, my lord,
T' gae t' Liddisdale and steal."

"I gi' thee leave, my fool," he says;
"Thou speakest against my honour and me, 50
Unless thou gi' me thy trowth and thy hand,
Thou'lt steal frae nane but wha sta' frae thee."

"There is my trowth, and my right hand!
My head shall hang on Hairibee,[L54]
I'll near cross Carlisle sands again, 55
If I steal frae a man but wha sta' frae me."

Dickie's tane leave at lord and master,
And I wat a merry fool was he;
He's bought a bridle and a pair o' new spurs,
And pack'd them up in his breek thigh. 60

Then Dickie's come on for Pudding-burn,[L61]
E'en as fast as he might drie;
Now Dickie's come on for Pudding-burn,
Where there were thirty Armstrongs and three.

"O what's this com'd o' me now?" quo' Dickie; 65
"What meikle wae's this happen'd o' me? quo' he;
Where here is but ae innocent fool,
And there is thirty Armstrongs and three!"

Yet he's com'd up to the ha' amang them a',
Sae weil he's became his curtesie! 70
"Weil may ye be, my good Laird's Jock!
But the de'il bless a' your companie.

"I'm come to 'plain o' your man, fair Johnie Armstrong,
And syne o' his billie Willie," quo' he;
"How they hae been i' my house the last night, 75
And they hae tane my three ky frae me."

Quo' Johnie Armstrong, "We will him hang;"
"Na then," quo' Willie, "we'll him slae;"
But up and bespake anither young man,
"We'll gie 'im his batts, and let him gae." 80

Then up and bespake the good Laird's Jock,
The best falla in a' the companie;
"Sit thy ways down a little while, Dickie,
And a piece o' thy ain cow's hough I'll gi' thee."

But Dickie's heart it grew sae great, 85
That ne'er a bit o't he dought to eat;
Then Dickie was ware o' an auld peat-house,
Where a' the night he thought for to sleep.

Then Dickie was ware o' an auld peat-house,
Where a' the night he thought for to ly; 90
And a' the prayers the poor fool pray'd,
"I wish I had amense for my ain three ky!"

Then it was the use of Pudding-burn,
And the house of Mangerton, all haill,[L94]
These that cam na at the first ca', 95
They got nae mair meat t' the neist meal.

The lads, that hungry and weary were,
Aboon the door-head they hang the key;
Dickie he took good notice to that,
Says--"There's a bootie yonder for me." 100

Then Dickie into the stable is gane,
Where there stood thirty horses and three;
He has tied them a' wi' St. Mary's knot,[L103]
A' these horses but barely three.

He has tied them a' wi' St. Mary's knot, 105
A' these horses but barely three;
He's loupen on ane, tane anither in hand,
And out at the door and gane is Dickie.

Then on the morn, whan the day grew light,
The shouts and cries rose loud and hie-- 110
"O where's that thief?" quo' the good Laird's Jock,
"Tell me the truth and the veritie!"

"O where's that thief?" quo' the good Laird's Jock;
"See unto me ye dinna lie!"--
"Dickie's been i' the stable last night, 115
And has my brother's horse and mine frae me."

"Ye wad ne'er be tall'd," quo' the good Laird's Jock;
"Have ye not found my tales fu' leel?
Ye wad ne'er out o' England bide,
Till crooked, and blind, and a' wad steal." 120

"But lend me thy bay," Johnie Armstrong can say;
"There's nae horse loose in the stable but he;
And I'll either bring Dick o' the Cow again,
Or the day is come that he shall die."

"To lend thee my bay!" the Laird's Jock can say, 125
"He's worth baith goud and good monie:
Dick o' the Cow has away twa horse:
I wish na thou may make him three."

He's tane the laird's jack on his back,
A twa-handed sword that hang by his thigh; 130
He's tane the steel cap on his head,
And on is he gane to follow Dickie.

Then Dickie was na a mile aff the town,
I wat a mile but barely three,
Till he's o'ertane by Johnie Armstrong, 135
Hand for hand, on Cannobie lee.[L136]

"Abide, abide now, Dickie, than,
The day is come that thou maun die;"
Then Dickie look'd o'er his left shoulder,
"Johnie, has thou any moe in companie? 140

"There is a preacher in our chapel,
And a' the lee-lang day teaches he:
Whan day is gane and night is come,
There's ne'er ae word I mark but three.

"The first and second is--Faith and Conscience; 145
The third--Ne'er let a traitour free:
But, Johnie, what faith and conscience hadst thou,
Whan thou took my three ky frae me?

"And when thou had tane away my three ky,
Thou thought in thy heart thou was no well sped, 150
But sent thy billie Willie o'er the know,
And he took three co'erlets aff my wife's bed."

Then Johnie let a spear fa' laigh by his thigh,
Thought weil to hae slain the innocent, I trow;
But the powers above were mair than he, 155
For he ran but the poor fool's jerkin through.

Together they ran, or ever they blan,
This was Dickie the fool and he;
Dickie coud na win to him wi' the blade o' the sword,
But feld 'im wi' the plumet under the eie. 160

Now Dickie has feld fair Johnie Armstrong,
The prettiest man in the south countrie;
"Gramercy!" then can Dickie say,
"I had but twa horse, thou has made me three."

He has tane the laird's jack aff his back, 165
The twa-handed sword that hang by his thigh;
He has tane the steel cap aff his head--
"Johnie, I'll tell my master I met wi' thee."

When Johnie wakened out o' his dream,
I wat a drierie man was he: 170
"And is thou gane, now, Dickie, than?
The shame gae in thy companie!

"And is thou gane, now, Dickie, than?
The shame gae in thy companie!
For if I should live this hundred years, 175
I ne'er shall fight wi' a fool after thee."

Then Dickie's come hame to lord and master,
E'en as fast as he may drie;
"Now, Dickie, I'll neither eat nor drink,
Till hie hanged thou shalt be." 180

"The shame speed the liars, my lord!" quo' Dickie;
"That was no the promise ye made to me!
For I'd ne'er gane t' Liddisdale t' steal,
Till I had got my leave at thee."

"But what gard thou steal the Laird's Jock's horse? 185
And, limmer, what gard thou steal him?" quo' he;
"For lang might thou in Cumberland dwelt,
Ere the Laird's Jock had stawn frae thee."[L188]

"Indeed I wat ye lied, my lord!
And e'en sae loud as I hear ye lie! 190
I wan him frae his man, fair Johnie Armstrong,
Hand for hand, on Cannobie lee.

"There's the jack was on his back,
This twa-handed sword that hang laigh by his thigh,
And there's the steel cap was on his head; 195
I hae a' these takens to let thee see."

"If that be true thou to me tells,
(I trow thou dare na tell a lie,)
I'll gi' thee twenty punds for the good horse,
Weil tel'd in thy cloak lap shall be. 200

"And I'll gi' thee ane o' my best milk-ky,
To maintain thy wife and children three;
And that may be as good, I think,
As ony twa o' thine might be."

"The shame speed the liers, my lord!" quo' Dickie; 205
"Trow ye aye to make a fool o' me?
I'll either hae thirty punds for the good horse,
Or he's gae t' Mortan fair wi' me."

He's gi'en him thirty punds for the good horse,
All in goud and good monie; 210
He has gi'en him ane o' his best milk-ky,
To maintain his wife and children three.

Then Dickie's came down through Carlisle town,
E'en as fast as he might drie:
The first o' men that he met with, 215
Was my Lord's brother, Bayliff Glozenburrie.

"Weil may ye be, my gude Ralph Scroope!"--
"Welcome, my brother's fool!" quo' he:
"Where did thou get fair Johnie Armstrong's horse?"
"Where did I get him, but steal him," quo' he. 220

"But wilt thou sell me fair Johnie Armstrong's horse?
And, billie, wilt thou sell him to me?" quo' he:
"Aye, and tell me the monie on my cloak lap:
For there's no ae fardin I'll trust thee."

"I'll gi' thee fifteen punds for the good horse, 225
Weil tel'd on thy cloak lap shall be;
And I'll gi' thee ane o' my best milk-ky,
To maintain thy wife and children three."

"The shame speed the liers, my lord!" quo' Dickie;
"Trow ye aye to make a fool o' me?" quo' he; 230
"I'll either hae thirty punds for the good horse,
Or he's gae t' Mortan fair wi' me."

He's gi'en him thirty punds for the gude horse,
All in goud and good monie;
He has gi'en him ane o' his best milk-ky, 235
To maintain his wife and children three.

Then Dickie lap a loup fu' hie,
And I wat a loud laugh laughed he--
"I wish the neck o' the third horse were broken,
For I hae a better o' my ain, if better can be." 240

Then Dickie's com'd hame to his wife again,
Judge ye how the poor fool sped;
He has gi'en her three score English punds,
For the three auld co'erlets was tane aff her bed.

"Hae, tak thee these twa as good ky, 245
I trow, as a' thy three might be;
And yet here is [a] white-footed nagie,
I think he'll carry baith thee and me.

"But I may nae langer in Cumberland bide;
The Armstrongs they'll hang me hie:"-- 250
So Dickie's tane leave at lord and master,
And [at] Burgh under Stanmuir there dwells he.

54. The place of execution at Carlisle.--P. M.

61. This was a house of strength held by the Armstrongs. The ruins at present form a sheep-fold on the farm of Reidsmoss, belonging to the Duke of Buccleuch.--S.

94. The Laird of Mangerton was chief of the clan Armstrong--S.

103. Hamstringing a horse is termed, in the Border dialect, _tying him with St. Mary's knot_. Dickie used this cruel expedient to prevent a pursuit. It appears from the narration, that the horses left unhurt, belonged to fair Johnie Armstrang, his brother Willie, and the Laird's Jock--of which Dickie carried off two, and left that of the Laird's Jock, probably out of gratitude for the protection he had afforded him on his arrival.--S.

136. A rising-ground on Cannobie, on the borders of Liddesdale.--P. M.

188. The commendation of the Laird's Jock's honesty seems but indifferently founded; for, in July, 1586, a bill was fouled against him, Dick of Dryup, and others, by the Deputy of Bewcastle, at a warden-meeting, for 400 head of cattle taken in open foray from the Drysike in Bewcastle: and in September, 1587, another complaint appears at the instance of one Andrew Rutlege of the Nook, against the Laird's Jock, and his accomplices, for 50 kine and oxen, besides furniture, to the amount of 100 merks sterling. See Bell's MSS., as quoted in the _History of Cumberland and Westmoreland_. In Sir Richard Maitland's poem against the thieves of Liddesdale, he thus commemorates the Laird's Jock:--

"They spuilye puir men of their pakis,
They leif them nocht on bed nor bakis:
Baith hen and cok,
With reil and rok,
The _Lairdis Jock_
All with him takis."--S.

JOCK O' THE SIDE.

From Caw's _Poetical Museum_, p. 145.

The rescue of a prisoner from the hands of justice was a very favourite subject with ballad-makers, and, it is to be feared, no uncommon event in the actual experience of the police of former days. We have in the fifth volume seen how such an affair was conducted by Robin Hood and his associates; and in _Kinmont Willie_ have had an authenticated account of a remarkable exploit of this description at the close of the reign of Elizabeth. The two ballads which follow have this same theme; but only the authority of tradition. _Jock o' the Side_ has one circumstance in common with _Kinmont Willie_--the daring passage of the river: with _Archie of Ca'field_ it agrees throughout.

Jock o' the Side would seem to have been nephew to the Laird of Mangertoun (the chief of the clan Armstrong), and consequently cousin to the Laird's Jock. Scott suggests that he was probably brother to Christie of the Syde, mentioned in the list of Border clans, 1597. Both of these worthies receive special notice in Maitland's complaint _Against the Thieves of Liddisdale_.

"He is weil kend, Johne of the Syde;
A greater thief did never ryde;
He nevir tyris
For to brek byris,
Our muir and myris
Ouir gude ane guide."

Scott has pointed out that Jock o' the Side assisted the Earl of Westmoreland in his escape after his insurrection with the Earl of Northumberland, in the twelfth year of Elizabeth.

"Now Liddisdale has ridden a raid,
But I wat they had better staid at hame;
For Mitchel o' Winfield he is dead,
And my son Johnie is prisoner ta'en."

For Mangerton-House Auld Downie is gane, 5
Her coats she has kilted up to her knee;
And down the water wi' speed she rins,
While tears in spaits fa' fast frae her eie.

Then up and bespake the Lord Mangerton,
"What news, what news, sister Downie, to me?" 10
"Bad news, bad news, my Lord Mangerton;
Mitchel is kill'd, and tane they hae my son Johnie."

"Ne'er fear, sister Downie," quo' Mangerton;
"I hae yokes of oxen, four and twentie;
My barns, my byres, and my faulds, a' weel fill'd, 15
And I'll part wi' them a', ere Johnie shall die.

"Three men I'll take to set him free,
Weel harness'd a' wi' best o' steel;
The English rogues may hear, and drie
The weight o' their braid-swords to feel. 20

"The Laird's Jock ane, the Laird's Wat twa,
O Hobie Noble, thou ane maun be;
Thy coat is blue, thou has been true,
Since England banish'd thee, to me."

Now Hobie was an English man, 25
In Bewcastle-dale was bred and born;
But his misdeeds they were sae great,
They banish'd him ne'er to return.

Lord Mangerton them orders gave,
"Your horses the wrang way maun a' be shod; 30
Like gentlemen ye must not seem,
But look like corn-caugers gawn ae road.

"Your armour gude ye maunna shaw,
Nor ance appear like men o' weir;
As country lads be all array'd, 35
Wi' branks and brecham on ilk mare."

Sae now a' their horses are shod the wrang way,
And Hobie has mounted his grey sae fine;
Jock his lively bay, Wat's on his white horse behind,
And on they rode for the water o' Tyne. 40

At the Cholerford they a' light down,[L41]
And there, wi' the help o' the light o' the moon,
A tree they cut, wi' fifteen naggs upo' ilk side,
To climb up the wa' o' Newcastle town.

But when they cam to Newcastle town, 45
And were alighted at the wa',
They fand their tree three ells o'er laigh,
They fand their stick baith short and sma'.

Then up and spake the Laird's ain Jock,
"There's naething for't, the gates we maun force;" 50
But when they cam the gates unto,
A proud porter withstood baith men and horse.

His neck in twa I wat they hae wrung,
Wi' hand or foot he ne'er play'd paw;
His life and his keys at anes they hae tane, 55
And cast his body ahind the wa'.

Now soon they reach Newcastle jail,
And to the pris'ner thus they call;
"Sleips thou, wakes thou, Jock o' the Side,
Or is thou wearied o' thy thrall?" 60

Jock answers thus, wi' dolefu' tone--
"Aft, aft I wake--I seldom sleip:
But wha's this kens my name sae weel,
And thus to hear my waes do[es] seek?"

Then up and spake the good Laird's Jock, 65
"Ne'er fear ye now, my billie," quo' he;
"For here's the Laird's Jock, the Laird's Wat,
And Hobie Noble, come to set thee free."

"O had thy tongue, and speak nae mair,
And o' thy tawk now let me be; 70
For if a' Liddisdale were here the night,
The morn's the day that I maun die.

"Full fifteen stane o' Spanish iron,
They hae laid a' right sair on me;
Wi' locks and keys I am fast bound 75
Into this dungeon mirk and drearie."

"Fear ye no that," quo' the Laird's Jock;
"A faint heart ne'er wan a fair ladie;
Work thou within, we'll work without,
And I'll be bound we set thee free." 80

The first strong dore that they came at,
They loosed it without a key;
The next chain'd dore that they cam at,
They gar'd it a' in flinders flee.

The pris'ner now, upo' his back, 85
The Laird's Jock's gotten up fu' hie;
And down the stair, him, irons and a',
Wi' nae sma' speed and joy brings he.

"Now, Jock, I wat," quo' Hobie Noble,
"Part o' the weight ye may lay on me;" 90
"I wat weel no!" quo' the Laird's Jock,
"I count him lighter than a flee."

Sae out at the gates they a' are gane,
The pris'ner's set on horseback hie;
And now wi' speed they've tane the gate, 95
While ilk ane jokes fu' wantonlie.

"O Jock, sae winsomely's ye ride,
Wi' baith your feet upo' ae side!
Sae weel's ye're harness'd, and sae trig,
In troth ye sit like ony bride!" 100

The night, tho' wat, they didna mind,
But hied them on fu' mirrilie,
Until they cam to Cholerford brae,
Where the water ran like mountains hie.

But when they came to Cholerford, 105
There they met with an auld man;
Says--"Honest man, will the water ride?
Tell us in haste, if that ye can."

"I wat weel no," quo' the good auld man;
"Here I hae liv'd this threty yeirs and three, 110
And I ne'er yet saw the Tyne sae big,
Nor rinning ance sae like a sea."

Then up and spake the Laird's saft Wat,
The greatest coward in the company--
"Now halt, now halt, we needna try't; 115
The day is com'd we a' maun die!"

"Poor faint-hearted thief!" quo' the Laird's ain Jock,
"There'll nae man die but he that's fie;
I'll lead ye a' right safely through;
Lift ye the pris'ner on ahint me." 120

Sae now the water they a' hae tane,
By anes and twas they a' swam through;
"Here are we a' safe," says the Laird's Jock,
"And, poor faint Wat, what think ye now?"

They scarce the ither side had won, 125
When twenty men they saw pursue;
Frae Newcastle town they had been sent,
A' English lads, right good and true.

But when the land-sergeant the water saw,[L129]
"It winna ride, my lads," quo' he; 130
Then out he cries--"Ye the pris'ner may take,
But leave the irons, I pray, to me."

"I wat weel no," cry'd the Laird's Jock,
"I'll keep them a'; shoon to my mare they'll be:
My good grey mare--for I am sure, 135
She's bought them a' fu' dear frae thee."

Sae now they're away for Liddisdale,
E'en as fast as they cou'd them hie;
The pris'ner 's brought to his ain fire-side,
And there o's aims they make him free. 140

"Now, Jock, my billie," quo' a' the three,
"The day was com'd thou was to die;
But thou's as weel at thy ain fire-side,
Now sitting, I think, 'tween thee and me."

They hae gard fill up ae punch-bowl, 145
And after it they maun hae anither,
And thus the night they a' hae spent,
Just as they had been brither and brither.

41. Cholerford is a ford on the Tyne, above Hexham.--S.

129. The land-sergeant (mentioned also in _Hobbie Noble_) was an officer under the warden, to whom was committed the apprehending of delinquents, and the care of the public peace.--S.

ARCHIE OF CA'FIELD.

_Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border_, ii. 116.

This is substantially the same story as _Jock o' the Side_. Another version from Motherwell's collection, is subjoined.

"Ca'field, or Calfield," says Scott, "is a place in Wauchopdale, belonging of old to the Armstrongs. In the account betwixt the English and Scottish Marches, Jock and Geordie of Ca'field, then called Calf-hill, are repeatedly marked as delinquents. _History of Westmoreland and Cumberland_, vol. i. Introduction, p. 33."

As I was a-walking mine alane,
It was by the dawning of the day,
I heard twa brithers make their mane,
And I listen'd weel to what they did say.

The youngest to the eldest said, 5
"Blythe and merrie how can we be?
There were three brithren of us born,
And ane of us is condemn'd to die."

"And ye wad be merrie, and ye wad be sad,
What the better wad billy Archie be? 10
Unless I had thirty men to mysell,
And a' to ride in my cumpanie.

"Ten to hald the horses' heads,
And other ten the watch to be,
And ten to break up the strong prison, 15
Where billy Archie he does lie."

Then up and spak him mettled John Hall,[L17]
(The luve of Teviotdale aye was he,)
"An I had eleven men to mysell,
It's aye the twalt man I wad be." 20

Then up bespak him coarse Ca'field,
(I wot and little gude worth was he,)
"Thirty men is few anew,
And a' to ride in our companie."

There was horsing, horsing in haste, 25
And there was marching on the lee,
Until they cam to Murraywhate,
And they lighted there right speedilie.

"A smith! a smith!" Dickie he cries,
"A smith, a smith, right speedilie, 30
To turn back the caukers of our horses' shoon;
For it's unkensome we wad be."

"There lives a smith on the water-side,
Will shoe my little black mare for me;
And I've a crown in my pocket, 35
And every groat of it I wad gie."

"The night is mirk, and it's very mirk,
And by candle-light I canna weel see;
The night is mirk, and it's very pit mirk,
And there will never a nail ca' right for me." 40

"Shame fa' you and your trade baith,
Canna beet a good fellow by your mystery;
But leeze me on thee, my little black mare,
Thou's worth thy weight in gold to me."

There was horsing, horsing in haste, 45
And there was marching upon the lee,
Until they cam to Dumfries port,
And they lighted there right speedilie.

"There's five of us will hold the horse,
And other five will watchmen be:" 50
"But wha's the man among ye a',
Will gae to the Tolbooth door wi' me?"

O up then spak him mettled John Hall,
(Frae the Laigh Teviotdale was he,)
"If it should cost my life this very night, 55
I'll gae to the Tolbooth door wi' thee."

"Be of gude cheir, now, Archie, lad,
Be of gude cheir, now, dear billie!
Work thou within, and we without,
And the morn thou'se dine at Ca'field wi' me." 60

O Jockie Hall stepp'd to the door,
And he bended low back his knee,
And he made the bolts, the door hang on,
Loup frae the wa' right wantonlie.

He took the prisoner on his back, 65
And down the Tolbooth stair cam he:
The black mare stood ready at the door,
I wot a foot ne'er stirred she.

They laid the links out owre her neck,
And that was her gold twist to be;[L70] 70
And they cam doun thro' Dumfries toun,
And wow but they cam speedilie!

The live-lang night these twelve men rade,
And aye till they were right wearie,
Until they cam to the Murraywhate, 75
And they lighted there right speedilie.

"A smith! a smith!" then Dickie he cries,
"A smith, a smith, right speedilie,
To file the irons frae my dear brither,
For forward, forward we wad be." 80

They hadna filed a shackle of iron,
A shackle of iron but barely thrie,
When out and spak young Simon brave,
"O dinna you see what I do see?

"Lo! yonder comes Lieutenant Gordon, 85
Wi' a hundred men in his companie;
This night will be our lyke-wake night,
The morn the day we a' maun die."

O there was mounting, mounting in haste,
And there was marching upon the lee; 90
Until they cam to Annan water,
And it was flowing like the sea.

"My mare is young and very skeigh,
And in o' the weil she will drown me;
But ye'll take mine, and I'll take thine, 95
And sune through the water we sall be."

Then up and spak him, coarse Ca'field,
(I wot and little gude worth was he,)
"We had better lose ane than lose a' the lave;
We'll lose the prisoner, we'll gae free." 100

"Shame fa' you and your lands baith!
Wad ye e'en your lands to your born billy?
But hey! bear up, my bonnie black mare,
And yet thro' the water we sall be."

Now they did swim that wan water, 105
And wow but they swam bonnilie!
Until they cam to the other side,
And they wrang their cloathes right drunkily.

"Come thro', come thro', Lieutenant Gordon!
Come thro' and drink some wine wi' me! 110
For there is an ale-house here hard by,
And it shall not cost thee ae penny."

"Throw me my irons," quo' Lieutenant Gordon;
"I wot they cost me dear eneugh;"
"The shame a ma," quo' mettled John Ha', 115
"They'll be gude shackles to my pleugh."

"Come thro', come thro', Lieutenant Gordon!
Come thro', and drink some wine wi' me!
Yestreen I was your prisoner,
But now this morning am I free." 120

17. Mettled John Hall, from the laigh Teviotdale, is perhaps John Hall of Newbigging, mentioned in the list of Border clans as one of the chief men of name residing on the Middle Marches in 1597.--S.

70. The _gold twist_ means the small gilded chains drawn across the chest of a war-horse, as a part of his caparison.--S.

BILLIE ARCHIE.

Motherwell's _Minstrelsy_, p. 335.

A North-Country version of the preceding ballad. There is another copy in Buchan's larger collection, i. 111, _The Three Brothers_.

"Seven years have I loved my love,
And seven years my love's loved me,
But now to-morrow is the day
That Billie Archie, my love, must die."

Out then spoke him Little Dickie, 5
And still the best fellow was he;
"Had I but five men and mysell,
Then we would borrow Billie Archie."

Out it spoke him Caff o' Lin,
And still the worst fellow was he; 10
"Ye shall have five men and yoursell,
And I will bear you companie.

"We will not go like to dragoons,
Nor yet will we like grenadiers;
But we will go like corn-dealers, 15
And lay our brechams on our meares.

"And twa of us will watch the road,
And other twa between will gang,
And I will go to jail-house door,
And hold the prisoner unthought lang." 20

"Wha is this at the jail-house door,
Sa weel as they do ken the gin?"
"It's I mysell," said him Little Dickie,
"And O sae fain's I would be in!"

"Awa, awa, now, Little Dickie, 25
Awa, let all your folly be;
If the Lord Lieutenant come on you,
Like unto dogs he'll cause you die."

"Hold you, hold you, Billy Archie,
And now let all your folly be; 30
Though I die without, you'll not die within,
For borrowed shall your body be."

"Awa, awa, now, Little Dickie,
Awa, let all this folly be;
An hundred pounds of Spanish irons 35
Is all bound on my fair bodie."

Wi' plough coulters and gavelocks
They made the jail-house door to flee;
"And in God's name," said Little Dickie,
"Cast you the prisoner behind me." 40

They had not rade a great way off,
With all the haste that ever could be,
Till they espied the Lord Lieutenant,
With a hundred men in companie.

But when they cam to wan water, 45
It now was rumbling like the sea;
Then were they got into a strait,
As great a strait as well could be.

Then out did speak him Caff o' Lin,
And aye the warst fellow was he: 50
"Now God be with my wife and bairns,
For fatherless my babes will be.

"My horse is young, he cannot swim;
The water's deep, and will not wade;
My children must be fatherless, 55
My wife a widow, whate'er betide."

O then cried out him Little Dickie,
And still the best fellow was he:
"Take you my mare, I'll take your horse,
And Devil drown my mare and thee!" 60

Now they have taken the wan water,
Though it was roaring like the sea;
And when they gat to the other side,
I wat they bragged right crousilie.

"Come thro', come thro', now, Lord Lieutenant, 65
O do come thro', I pray of thee;
There is an alehouse not far off,
We'll dine you and your companie."

"Awa, awa, now, Little Dickie,
O now let all your taunting be; 70
There's not a man in the king's army
That would have tried what's done by thee.

"Cast back, cast back my fetters again,
Cast back my fetters, I say to thee;
And get you gane the way you came, 75
I wish no prisoners like to thee."

"I have a mare, she's called Meg,
The best in all our low countrie;
If she gang barefoot till they're done,
An ill death may your Lordship die." 80

HOBIE NOBLE.

From Caw's _Poetical Museum_, p. 193.

"We have seen the hero of this ballad act a distinguished part in the deliverance of Jock o' the Side, and are now to learn the ungrateful return which the Armstrongs made him for his faithful services. Halbert, or Hobbie, Noble appears to have been one of those numerous English outlaws, who, being forced to fly their own country, had established themselves on the Scottish Borders. As Hobbie continued his depredations upon the English, they bribed some of his hosts, the Armstrongs, to decoy him into England under pretence of a predatory expedition. He was there delivered, by his treacherous companions, into the hands of the officers of justice, by whom he was conducted to Carlisle, and executed next morning. The Laird of Mangertoun, with whom Hobbie was in high favour, is said to have taken a severe revenge upon the traitors who betrayed him. The principal contriver of the scheme, called here Sim o' the Maynes, fled into England from the resentment of his chief; but experienced there the common fate of a traitor, being himself executed at Carlisle, about two months after Hobbie's death. Such is, at least, the tradition of Liddesdale. Sim o' the Maynes appears among the Armstrongs of Whitauch, in Liddesdale, in the list of Clans so often alluded to."--_Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border_, ii. 90.

Foul fa' the breast first treason bred in!
That Liddisdale may safely say;
For in it there was baith meat and drink,
And corn unto our geldings gay.

We were stout-hearted men and true, 5
As England it did often say;
But now we may turn our backs and fly,
Since brave Noble is seld away.

Now Hobie he was an English man,
And born into Bewcastle dale; 10
But his misdeeds they were sae great,
They banish'd him to Liddisdale.

At Kershope foot the tryst was set,[L13]
Kershope of the lily lee;
And there was traitour Sim o' the Mains,[L15] 15
With him a private companie.