{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch241.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch241.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch241.htm","text":"241A.1 THE Laird of Leys is on to Edinbrugh,\nTo shaw a fit o his follie;\nHe drest himsel in the crimson-brown,\nAn he provd a rantin laddie.\n241A.2 Ben came a weel-faird lass,\nSays, Laddie, how do they ca ye?\n\u2018They ca me this, an they ca me that,\nYe wudna ken fat they ca me;\nBut whan I\u2019m at home on bonnie Deeside\nThey ca me The Rantin Laddie.\u2019\n241A.3 They sought her up, they sought her down,\nThey sought her in the parlour;\nShe couldna be got but whar she was,\nIn the bed wi The Rantin Laddie.\n241A.4 \u2018Tell me, tell me, Baron of Leys,\nYe tell me how they ca ye!\nYour gentle blood moves in my side,\nAn I dinna ken how they ca ye.\u2019\n241A.5 \u2018They ca me this, an they ca me that,\nYe couldna ken how they ca me;\nBut whan I\u2019m at home on bonnie Deeside\nThey ca me The Rantin Laddie.\u2019\n241A.6 \u2018Tell me, tell me, Baron of Leys,\nYe tell mo how they ca ye!\nYour gentle blood moves in my side,\nAn I dinna ken how to ca ye.\u2019\n241A.7 \u2018Baron of Leys, it is my stile,\nAlexander Burnett they ca me;\nWhan I\u2019m at hame on bonnie Deeside\nMy name is The Rantin Laddie.\u2019\n241A.8 \u2018Gin your name be Alexander Burnett,\nAlas that ever I saw ye!\nFor ye hae a wife and bairns at hame,\nAn alas for lyin sae near ye!\n241A.9 \u2018But I\u2019se gar ye be headit or hangt,\nOr marry me the morn,\nOr else pay down ten thousand crowns\nFor giein o me the scorn.\u2019\n241A.10 \u2018For my head, I canna want;\nI love my lady dearly;\nBut some o my lands I maun lose in the case,\nAlas for lyin sae near ye!\u2019\n241A.11 Word has gane to the Lady of Leys\nThat the laird he had a bairn;\nThe warst word she said to that was,\n\u2018I wish I had it in my arms.\n241A.12 \u2018For I will sell my jointure-lands-+--+-\nI am broken an I\u2019m sorry-+--+-\nAn I\u2019ll sell a\u2019, to my silk gowns,\nAn get hame my rantin laddie.\u2019\n241B: The Baron o Leys\n241B.1 THE Laird o Leys is to London gane;\nHe was baith full and gawdie;\nFor he shod his steed wi siller guid,\nAnd he\u2019s playd the ranting laddie.\n241B.2 He hadna been in fair London\nA twalmonth and a quarter,\nTill he met wi a weel-faurd may,\nWha wishd to know how they ca\u2019d him.\n241B.3 \u2018They ca me this, and they ca me that,\nAnd they\u2019re easy how they\u2019ve ca\u2019d me;\nBut whan I\u2019m at hame on bonnie Deeside\nThey ca me The Ranting Laddie.\u2019\n241B.4 \u2018Awa wi your jesting, sir,\u2019 she said,\n\u2018I trow you\u2019re a ranting laddie;\nBut something swells atween my sides,\nAnd I maun ken how they ca thee.\u2019\n241B.5 \u2018They ca me this, and they ca me that,\nAnd they\u2019re easy how they ca me;\nThe Baron o Leys my title is,\nAnd Sandy Burnet they ca me.\u2019\n241B.6 \u2018Tell down, tell down ten thousand crowns,\nOr ye maun marry me the morn;\nOr headit of hangit ye sall be,\nFor ye sanna gie me the scorn.\u2019\n241B.7 \u2018My head\u2019s the thing I canna weel want;\nMy lady she loves me dearlie;\nNor yet hae I means ye to maintain;\nAlas for the lying sae near thee!\u2019\n241B.8 But word\u2019s gane doun to the Lady o Leys\nThat the Baron had got a babie:\n\u2018The waurst o news!\u2019 my lady she said,\n\u2018I wish I had hame my laddie.\n241B.9 \u2018But I\u2019ll sell aff my jointure-house,\nTho na mair I sud be a ladie;\nI\u2019ll sell a\u2019 to my silken goun,\nAnd bring hame my rantin laddie.\u2019\n241B.10 So she is on to London gane,\nAnd she paid the money on the morn;\nShe paid it doun and brought him hame,\nAnd gien them a\u2019 the scorn.\n241C: The Baron o Leys\n241C.1 THE Baron o Leys to France is gane,\nThe fashion and tongue to learn,\nBut hadna been there a month or twa\nTill he gat a lady wi bairn.\n241C.2 But it fell ance upon a day\nThe lady mournd fu sairlie;\nSays, Who\u2019s the man has me betrayed?\nIt gars me wonder and fairlie.\n241C.3 Then to the fields to him she went,\nSaying, Tell me what they ca thee;\nOr else I\u2019ll mourn and rue the day,\nCrying, alas that ever I saw thee!\n241C.4 \u2018Some ca\u2019s me this, some ca\u2019s me that,\nI carena fat befa me;\nFor when I\u2019m at the schools o France\nAn awkward fellow they ca me.\u2019\n241C.5 \u2018Wae\u2019s me now, ye awkward fellow,\nAnd alas that ever I saw thee!\nWi you I\u2019m in love, sick, sick in love,\nAnd I kenna well fat they ca thee.\u2019\n241C.6 \u2018Some ca\u2019s me this, some ca\u2019s me that,\nWhat name does best befa me;\nFor when I walk in Edinburgh streets\nThe Curling Buckle they ca me.\u2019\n241C.7 \u2018O wae\u2019s me now, O Curling Buckle,\nAnd alas that ever I saw thee!\nFor I\u2019m in love, sick, sick in love,\nAnd I kenna well fat they ca thee.\u2019\n241C.8 \u2018Some ca\u2019s me this, some ca\u2019s me that,\nWhatever name best befa\u2019s me;\nBut when I\u2019m in Scotland\u2019s king\u2019s high court\nClatter the Speens they ca me.\u2019\n241C.9 \u2018O wae\u2019s me now, O Clatter the Speens,\nAnd alas that ever I saw thee!\nFor I\u2019m in love, sick, sick in love,\nAnd I kenna well fat to ca thee.\u2019\n241C.10 \u2018Some ca\u2019s me this, some ca\u2019s me that,\nI carena what they ca me;\nBut when wi the Earl o Murray I ride\nIt\u2019s Scour the Brass they ca me.\u2019\n241C.11 \u2018O wae\u2019s me now, O Scour the Brass,\nAnd alas that ever I saw thee!\nFor I\u2019m in love, sick, sick in love,\nAmd I kenna well fat to ca thee.\u2019\n241C.12 \u2018Some ca\u2019s me this, some ca\u2019s me that,\nWhatever name best befa\u2019s me;\nBut when I walk thro Saint Johnstone\u2019s town\nGeorge Burnett they ca me.\u2019\n241C.13 \u2018O wae\u2019s me, O wae\u2019s me, George Burnett,\nAnd alas that ever I saw thee!\nFor I\u2019m in love, sick, sick in love,\nAnd I kenna well fat to ca thee.\u2019\n241C.14 \u2018Some ca\u2019s me this, some ca\u2019s me that,\nWhatever name best befa\u2019s me;\nBut when I am on bonny Dee side\nThe Baron o Leys they ca me.\u2019\n241C.15 \u2018O weal is me now, O Baron o Leys,\nThis day that ever I saw thee!\nThere\u2019s gentle blood within my sides,\nAnd now [I] ken fat they ca thee.\n241C.16 \u2018But ye\u2019ll pay down ten thousand crowns,\nOr marry me the morn;\nElse I\u2019ll cause you be headed or hangd\nFor gieing me the scorn.\u2019\n241C.17 \u2018My head is a thing I cannot well want;\nMy lady loves me sae dearly;\nBut I\u2019ll deal the gold right liberally\nFor lying ae night sae near thee.\u2019\n241C.18 When word had gane to the Lady o Leys\nThe baron had gotten a bairn,\nShe clapped her hands, and this did say,\n\u2018I wish he were in my arms!\n241C.19 \u2018O weal is me now, O Baron o Leys,\nFor ye hae pleased me sairly;\nFrae our house is banishd the vile reproach\nThat disturbed us late and early.\u2019\n241C.20 When she looked ower her castle-wa,\nTo view the woods sae rarely,\nThere she spied the Baron o Leys\nRide on his steed sae rarely.\n241C.21 Then forth she went her baron to meet,\nSays, Ye\u2019re welcome to me, fairly!\nYe\u2019se hae spice-cakes, and seed-cakes sweet,\nAnd claret to drink sae rarely.","title":"The Child Ballads: 241. The Baron o Leys","type":"page"}