{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch251.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch251.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch251.htm","text":"Sacred Texts\u00a0\n Legends & Sagas\u00a0\n England\u00a0\n Index\u00a0\n Previous\u00a0\n Next\u00a0\n \n \n \n 251A: Lang Johnny More\n \n \n 251A.1 THERE lives a man in Rynie\u2019s land,\n Anither in Auchindore,\n The bravest lad amo them a\u2019\n Was lang Johnny Moir.\n 251A.2 Young Johnny was an airy blade,\n Fu sturdy, stout, and strang;\n The sword that hang by Johnny\u2019s side\n Was just full ten feet lang.\n 251A.3 Young Johnny was a clever youth,\n Fu sturdy, stout, and wight,\n Just full three yards around the waist,\n And fourteen feet in hight.\n 251A.4 But if a\u2019 be true they tell me now,\n And a\u2019 be true I hear,\n Young Johnny\u2019s on to Lundan gane,\n The king\u2019s banner to bear.\n 251A.5 He hadna been in fair Lundan\n But twalmonths twa or three\n Till the fairest lady in a\u2019 Lundan\n Fell in love wi young Johnny.\n 251A.6 This news did sound thro Lundan town,\n Till it came to the king\n That the muckle Scot had fa\u2019in in love\n Wi his daughter, Lady Jean.\n 251A.7 Whan the king got word o that,\n A solemn oath sware he,\n This weighty Scot sall strait a rope,\n And hanged he shall be.\n 251A.8 When Johnny heard the sentence past,\n A light laugh then gae he:\n \u2018While I hae strength to wield my blade,\n Ye darena a\u2019 hang me.\u2019\n 251A.9 The English dogs were cunning rogues;\n About him they did creep,\n And gae him draps o lodomy\n That laid him fast asleep.\n 251A.10 pwhan Johnny wakend frae his sleep\n A sorry heart had he;\n His jaws and hands in iron bands,\n His feet in fetters three.\n 251A.11 \u2018O whar will I get a little wee boy\n Will work for meat and fee,\n That will rin on to my uncle,\n At the foot of Benachie?\u2019\n 251A.12 \u2018Here am I, a little wee boy\n Will work for meat and fee,\n That will rin on to your uncle,\n At the foot of Benachie.\u2019\n 251A.13 \u2018Whan ye come whar grass grows green,\n Slack your shoes and rin;\n And whan ye come whar water\u2019s strong,\n Ye\u2019ll bend your bow and swim.\n 251A.14 \u2018And whan ye come to Benachie\n Ye\u2019ll neither chap nor ca;\n Sae well \u2019s ye\u2019ll ken auld Johnny there,\n Three feet abeen them a\u2019.\n 251A.15 \u2018Ye\u2019ll gie to him this braid letter,\n Seald wi my faith and troth,\n And ye\u2019ll bid him bring alang wi him\n The body Jock o Noth.\u2019\n 251A.16 Whan he came whar grass grew green,\n He slackt his shoes and ran;\n And whan he came whar water\u2019s strong\n He bent his bow and swam.\n 251A.17 And whan he came to Benachie\n Did neither chap nor ca;\n Sae well \u2019s he kent auld Johnny there,\n Three feet abeen them a\u2019.\n 251A.18 \u2018What news, what news, my little wee boy?\n Ye never were here before;\u2019\n \u2018Nae news, nae news, but a letter from\n Your nephew, Johnny Moir.\n 251A.19 \u2018Ye\u2019ll take here this braid letter,\n Seald wi his faith and troth,\n And ye\u2019re bidden bring along wi you\n The body Jock o Noth.\u2019\n 251A.20 Benachie lyes very low,\n The tap o Noth lyes high;\n For a\u2019 the distance that\u2019s between,\n He heard auld Johnny cry.\n 251A.21 Whan on the plain these champions met,\n Twa grizly ghosts to see,\n There were three feet between their brows,\n And shoulders were yards three.\n 251A.22 These men they ran ower hills and dales,\n And ower mountains high,\n Till they came on to Lundan town,\n At the dawn o the third day.\n 251A.23 And whan they came to Lundan town\n The yetts were lockit wi bands,\n And wha were there but a trumpeter,\n Wi trumpet in his hands?\n 251A.24 \u2018What is the matter, ye keepers all?\n Or what\u2019s the matter within\n That the drums do beat and bells do ring,\n And make sic dolefu din?\u2019\n 251A.25 \u2018There\u2019s naething the matter,\u2019 the keeper said,\n \u2018There\u2019s naething the matter to thee,\n But a weighty Scot to strait the rope,\n And the morn he maun die.\u2019\n 251A.26 \u2018O open the yetts, ye proud keepers,\n Ye\u2019ll open without delay;\u2019\n The trembling keeper, smiling, said,\n \u2018O I hae not the key.\u2019\n 251A.27 \u2018Ye\u2019ll open the yetts, ye proud keepers,\n Ye\u2019ll open without dealy,\n Or here is a body at my back\n Frae Scotland has brought the key.\u2019\n 251A.28 \u2018Ye\u2019ll open the yetts,\u2019 says Jock o Noth,\n \u2018Ye\u2019ll open them at my call;\u2019\n Then wi his foot he has drove in\n Three yards braid o the wall.\n 251A.29 As they gaed in by Drury Lane,\n And down by the town\u2019s hall,\n And there they saw young Johnny Moir\n Stand on their English wall\n 251A.30 \u2018Ye\u2019re welcome here, my uncle dear,\n Ye\u2019re welcome unto me;\n Ye\u2019ll loose the knot, and slack the rope,\n And set me frae the tree.\u2019\n 251A.31 \u2018Is it for murder, or for theft?\n Or is it for rooberie?\n If it is for ony heinous crime,\n There\u2019s nae remeid for thee.\u2019\n 251A.32 \u2018It\u2019s nae for murder, nor for theft,\n Nor yet for robberie;\n A\u2019 is for loving a gay lady\n They\u2019re gaun to gar me die.\u2019\n 251A.33 \u2018O whar\u2019s thy sword,\u2019 says Jock o Noth,\n Ye brought frae Scotland wi thee?\n I never saw a scotsman yet\n But coud wield a sword or tree.\u2019\n 251A.34 \u2018A pox upo their lodomy,\n On me had sic a sway\n Four o their men, the bravest four,\n They bore my blade away.\u2019\n 251A.35 \u2018Bring back his blade,\u2019 says Jock o Noth,\n \u2018And freely to him it gie,\n Or I hae sworn a black Scot\u2019s oath\n I\u2019ll gar five million die.\n 251A.36 \u2018Now whar\u2019s the lady?\u2019 says Jock o Noth,\n \u2018Sae fain I woud her see;\u2019\n \u2018She\u2019s lockd up in her ain chamber,\n The king he keeps the key.\u2019\n 251A.37 So they hae gane before the king,\n With courage bauld and free;\n Their armour bright cast sic a light\n That almost dim\u2019d his ee.\n 251A.38 \u2018O whar\u2019s the lady?\u2019 says Jock o Noth,\n \u2018Sae fain as I woud her see;\n For we are come to her wedding,\n Frae the foot o benachie.\u2019\n 251A.39 \u2018O take the lady,\u2019 said the king,\n \u2018Ye welcome are for me;\n I never thought to see sic men,\n Frae the foot o Benachie.\u2019\n 251A.40 \u2018If I had kend,\u2019 said Jock o Noth,\n \u2018Ye\u2019d wonderd sae muckle at me,\n I woud hae brought ane larger far\n By sizes three times three.\n 251A.41 \u2018Likewise if I had thought I\u2019d been\n Sic a great fright to thee,\n I\u2019d brought Sir John o Erskine Park;\n He\u2019s thretty feet and three.\u2019\n 251A.42 \u2018Wae to the little boy,\u2019 said the king,\n \u2018Brought tidings unto thee!\n Let all England say what they will,\n High hang d shall he be.\u2019\n 251A.43 \u2018O if you hang the little wee boy\n Brought tidings unto me,\n We shall attend his burial,\n And rewarded ye shall be.\u2019\n 251A.44 \u2018O take the lady,\u2019 said the king,\n \u2018And the boy shall be free;\u2019\n \u2018A priest, a priest,\u2019 then Johnny cried,\n \u2018To join my love and me.\u2019\n 251A.45 \u2018A clerk, a clerk,\u2019 the king replied,\n \u2018To seal her tocher wi thee;\u2019\n Out it speaks auld Johnny then,\n These words pronounced he:\n 251A.46 \u2018I want nae lands and rents at hame,\n I\u2019ll ask nae gows frae thee;\n I am possessd o riches great,\n Hae fifty ploughs and three;\n Likewise fa\u2019s heir to ane estate\n At the foot o Benachie.\n 251A.47 \u2018Hae ye ony masons in this place,\n Or ony at your call,\n That ye may now send some o them\n To build your broken wall?\u2019\n 251A.48 \u2018Yes, there are masons in this place,\n And plenty at my call;\n But ye may gang frae whence ye came,\n Never mind my broken wall.\u2019\n 251A.49 They\u2019ve taen the lady by the hand\n And set her prison-free;\n Wi drums beating, and fifes playing,\n They spent the night wi glee.\n 251A.50 Now auld Johnny Moir, and young Johnny Moir,\n And Jock o Noth, a\u2019 three,\n The English lady, and little wee boy,\n Went a\u2019 to Benachie.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Next: 252. The Kitchie-Boy","title":"The Child Ballads: 251. Lang Johnny More","type":"page"}