Chapter XI: Appendix (3)

Cunningham’s Songs of Scotland, II, 186, 188; “from the recitation
of Mrs Cunningham.”

1
And soon she came to the water broad,
Nor boat nor barge was ready;
She turned her horse’s head to the flood,
And swam through at Queensferry.

2
But when she to the presence came,
‘Mang earls high and lordlie,
There hat on head sat every man,
While hat in hand stood Geordie.

* * * * *

M

Motherwell’s Note-Book, pp. 2, 1; from Miss Brown, sister of Dr
James Brown, of Glasgow.

When he came out at the tolbooth-stair,
He was baith red and rosy;
But gin he cam to the gallows-fit,
He was wallourt like the lily.

* * * * *

N

Motherwell’s Note-Book, p. 20.

I have nine children in the west,
The tenth ane’s in my bodie;
The eldest o them she never knew a man,
And she knows not wha’s her daddy.

* * * * *

#A.#

4^2, 5^2. menzie.

#B. a.#

8^3, 9^3, 19^2, 21^3. & _for_ an.

13^2. for _struck out before_ Your.

14^3. O _has been altered from_ If, _and is not very distinct._

25^2. wi her?

25^3. Tell down, tell tell down.

26. _Or_,

She’s put her hand to her pocket,
She’s pulld out ducats many,
An she’s telld down, etc.

27^1. _Var._ she blessd.

28^{3,4}. _No indication that this is an imperfect stanza. The
last line is nearly bound in, and not easy to read._

30^3. Gar print, etc.

#b.#

_Variations written on the margin of #a#._

1^3. The Laird of Gigh has killd a man.

2^3. That will gae rin to the yates of Gigh.

7^1. Burntisland sands _for_ the water-side.

8^1. the water-yate.

8^3. dealt the red gold them amang.

14.
’Twas up than spak a gentleman,
Was ca’d the Laird of Logie,
War Gighie’s head but on the blo[ck],
If I had his fair ladie!’

21^1. the gude Argyle _for_ a Scottish lord.

21^2. He’s been a friend to many.

#C. a.#

“This song was taken down from a Miss Christy Robertson, Dunse,
who sung it to a very pretty old tune. Being an old maid
herself, she did not let it want any of the original plainture
which I suppose the original air would have.”

_The MS. of Thomas Wilkie is inscribed, at the beginning,_
Gattonside, 4th Sept., 1813; _at the end,_ Bowden, 2d Sept.,
1815.

6^3. goud _written over_ guineas.

8^{1,2}. _Var._ six _for_ ten, seventh _for_ eleventh.

10^1. a kind-hearted man, _wanting in #b#, has evidently been
supplied._

12^{1,2}. _Supplied: originally only_ A man spoke loud.

12^3. Geordie’s _written over_ his; were _over_ had been.

#b.#

2^3. shirt.

4^2. And they saddled to her.

6^3. red goud.

7^1. When she.

9^1. Geight.

10^1. a kind-hearted man _wanting_.

12^{1,2}. A man spoke loud.

13^4. my _wanting_.

14^2 And herself.

#D.#

2^2. goud and money _substituted for_ hose and shoon _struck out_.

9^2. they _struck out before_ was.

18^{3–6}. _Written in two lines._

#E. b.#

_No account is given of the variations of the printed copy from
the manuscript, but it is presumed that the larger ones were
traditional._

1^3. And monie ane got broken heads.

2^1. she gaed.

2^4. To pray.

3^1. into.

3^3. And ilka ane.

_After 3:_

Up bespak a Norlan lord,
I wat he spak na bonnie;
‘If ye’ll stay here a little while,
Ye’ll see Geordie hangit shortly.’

4^1. Then up bespak.

4^{3,4}.
If ye’ll pay doun five hundred crowns,
Ye ‘se get your true-love Geordie.

_After 4:_

Some lent her guineas, some lent her crowns,
Some lent her shillings monie,
And she’s paid doun five hundred crowns,
And she’s gotten her bonnie love Geordie.

5^1. hie steed.

5^2. ahint.

_Burden, first line_: My Geordie O, my Geordie O.

#F.#

“Sung to a tune something similar to ‘My Nannie O.’”

10^3. 10000.

12^3. 5000.

#G.#

8^3, 9^3. 500.

10^3. breeks _is a corruption, for_ bouks, _#A# 14^3._

#I. a.#

10^3. crowns like duke o Downs: _cf._ #b# 21^3, #G# 31^3.

12^4. gars your.

#b.#

1^1. I was courted a wife in the bonny woods of Fife.

1^2. and flowers.

1^3. And pleasures I’ve had never nane.

1^4. I’ve had mony.

2^1. was lady of bonny Pitfauns.

2^2. Then.

2^3. is Lady.

2^4. I’m even.

3^1. He never owns me.

3^2. Nor loves me.

3^3. But every day.

3^4. rides to Pilbagnet’s.

4^1. Pilbagnet he’s.

4^2. has lien wi.

4^3. And he’s put him in prison strang.

4^4. _Wanting._

5^3. That will rin on to Ythan side.

5^4. Wi letters.

6.
Now here am I, a bonny boy,
Will rin your errand shortly,
That will rin on to Ythan side
Wi letters to your ladye.

7^1. But when she looked the letter on.

7^3. But ere: to an.

7^4. tears fell.

8^1. Ye’ll saddle: said.

8^2. Tho the brown should ride never so bonny.

8^3. I’ll go on to.

8^4. To see how they’re using my.

9.
As she rode down by the pier of Leith,
The poor met her never so mony,
And she dealt the red gold right liberally,
And bade them pray well for her Geordie.

10.
As she rode down by Edinbro town,
The poor met her never so mony,
And she dealt the red gold right liberallie,
And bade them pray weel for her Geordie.

_After 10:_

The king looked ower his castle-wa,
And he spak seen and shortly;
‘Now who is this,’ said our liege the king,
‘Deals the red gold sae largely?’

Then up bespak a bonny boy,
Was richt nigh to her Geordie;
‘I’ll wager my life and a’ my lan
That it is Gicht’s own ladye.’

11^1. Then she went down the toolbooth-stair.

11^2. all the nobles so.

11^3. And every one had his hat on.

12–20. _Wanting._

21.
Then she went down the toolbooth-stair,
Among all the nobles so many;
Some gave her guineas, some gave her crowns,
Some gave her dukedoons many,
And she has paid down the jailor’s fee,
And now she enjoys her Geordie.

22–26. _Wanting._

27.
‘O bonnie George, I love you weel!
O dear George, as I love you!
The sun and the moon, go together roun and roun,
Bear witness, dear George, how I love you!’

28.
‘O bonnie Anne, I love you weel!
Oh dear Anne, how I love you!
The birds of the air, fly together pair and pair,
Bear witness, dear Anne, how I love you!’

#J.#

13^4. the queen’s berry.

26^2. crimes. _I suppose_ crimes is _to be meant_.

#K.#

“Of the preceding ballad [#F#], Agnes Lile says she has heard her
father sing a different set, all of which she forgets except
this, that there was nothing said of ‘a bold bluidy wretch,’ and
in place of what is given to him in this version [#F# 10, 11],
there were the two following stanzas.” _Motherwell’s MS., p. 370
f._

2^3. 5000.

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