{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch290.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch290.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch290.htm","text":"290A.1 IT fell about the Martinmas,\nWhen the gentlemen were drinking there wine,\nAnd a\u2019 the discourse that they had\nWas about the ladies they gude fine.\n290A.2 It\u2019s up an spake a tall young man,\nThe tallest o the companie;\n\u2018The bonniest lass that I ken off\nShe lives into the hee town hee.\n290A.3 \u2018O I would give a guinea of gold,\nA guinea and a pint of wine,\nI would give it to the hostler\u2019s wife,\nFor to wile that bonny lassie in.\u2019\n290A.4 The hostler\u2019s wife gaed down the stair,\nAnd she\u2019s looked hersell round near by,\nAnd there she spied the bonny handsom girl,\nComing walking down the hee town high.\n290A.5 \u2018Come in, come in, my bonny handsom girl,\nCome speak one word with me;\nCome taste a little of our wine,\nFor it\u2019s new come out of Italie.\u2019\n290A.6 So willillie she wil\u2019d her up,\nAnd so willillie she wil\u2019d her in,\nAnd so cunningly she\u2019s locked the door,\nAnd she\u2019s comd down the stair again.\n290A.7 One of them took her by the milk-white hand,\nAnd he\u2019s laid her body on the ground,\nAnd aye she sightd, and said, Alass,\n\u2019Tis a sin to do me wrong!\n290A.8 \u2018But since ye hae done sae muckle to me,\nAnd brought me to so muckle shame,\nO wad ye be so kind to me\nAs to tell to me your name.\u2019\n290A.9 \u2018Of if I tell to you my name,\nIt\u2019s a thing I never did to none;\nBut I will tell to the, my dear;\nI am the Earl of Beaton\u2019s son.\u2019\n290A.10 When two years were past and gone,\nThis gentleman came walking by,\nAnd there he spied the bonny handsome girl,\nComing walking down the hie town high.\n290A.11 \u2018To whom belongs that pretty child,\nThat blinks with its pretty eye?\u2019\n\u2018His father\u2019s from home and has left me alone,\nAnd I have been at the fold milking my ky.\u2019\n290A.12 \u2018You lie, you lie, my bonny handsome girl,\nSo loudlie I hear you lie;\nO do not you mind that happie day\nWhen ye was drinking the wine wi me?\u2019\n290A.13 He\u2019s lighted off his milk-white steed,\nHe\u2019s kissd her both cheeck and chin;\nHe\u2019s made a\u2019 the servants in Beaton castle\nTo welcome this fair lady in.\n290B: The Wylie Wife of the Hie Toun Hie\n290B.1 IT fell about the Martinmas time,\nWhen the nobles were drinking wine,\nAnd the matter of their discourse it was,\n\u2018O the ladies they go fine:\u2019\n290B.2 Up then spake a brave gentleman,\nThe best in the companie;\n\u2018The bonniest lass that eer I saw,\nShe dwells in the hie town hie.\n290B.3 \u2018I wad give a guinea of red gold,\nSae wad I a pint of wine,\nTo onie of the hostler-wives\nThat wad wyle to me the bonnie lassie in.\u2019\n290B.4 Up then spake the hoslter\u2019s wife,\nAnd an ill death may she die!\n\u2018An ye\u2019ll gie me a guinea of gold,\nI will wyle the bonnie lassie in to thee.\u2019\n290B.5 The hostler\u2019s wife stood on the stair-head,\nTo see what she could see,\nAnd there she saw this fair creature,\nComing down frae the hie town hie.\n290B.6 \u2018Come in, come in, my bonnie, bonnie lass,\nCome in and speak with me;\nCome in and drink a glass of wine,\nThat\u2019s new come aff the raging sea.\u2019\n290B.7 \u2018My father\u2019s out upon the plain,\nAnd I am waiting his incoming;\nAnd I\u2019m a girl so neat and trim\nThat I\u2019m afraid of your merry men.\u2019\n290B.8 \u2018My merry men are all gone out,\nAnd they will not be in till nine,\nAnd, if ye would my favour win,\nCome in and drink a glass of wine.\u2019\n290B.9 Sae cunningly she wyld her in,\nAnd sae cunningly she led her round,\nTill she wyld her to the room where he was,\nAnd she locked the door the bonnie lass behind.\n290B.10 First he kissd her cherry cheeks,\nAnd than he kissd her cherry chin,\nAnd than he kissd her ruby lips,\nSaying, Indeed ye\u2019re a weel-faurd thing.\n* * * * * * * *\n290B.11 \u2018O since ye\u2019ve got your will o me,\nAnd brought me unto public shame,\nI pray, kind sir, ye\u2019ll marry me,\nOr that ye\u2019ll tell me what\u2019s your name.\u2019\n290B.12 \u2018If I tell my name to you, bonnie lassie,\nIt\u2019s mair than ever I telld ane;\nBut I will tell to you, bonnie lassie;\nI am an earl\u2019s second son.\n290B.13 \u2018I am an earl\u2019s second son,\nMy father has more children than me;\nMy eldest brother he heirs the land,\nAnd my father he sent me to the sea.\u2019\n290B.14 He put his hand into his pocket,\nAnd he gave her sixty guineas and three,\nSaying, Fare thee well, my lovely young creature,\nYe\u2019ll never get mair of me.\n290B.15 As she went down through Edinburgh streets,\nThe bonnie bells as they did ring,\n\u2018Farewell, fareweel, my bonnie, bonnie lassie,\nYe\u2019ve got the clod that winna cling.\u2019\n* * * * * * * *\n290B.16 He hadna been ae week at the sea,\nNot a week but only five,\nTill the king made him a captain sae brave,\nAnd he made the bonnie lassie his wife.\n290C: The Wylie Wife of the Hie Toun Hie\n290C.1 IN Edinburgh, on a summer evening,\nOur gentlemen sat drinking wine,\nAnd every one to the window went,\nTo view the ladies, they went so fine.\n290C.2 They drank the wine, and they spilt the beer,\nSo merrily as the reel went round,\nAnd a\u2019 the healths that was drucken there\nWas to the bonnie lass o the hie toun end.\n290C.3 Up then spoke a young squire\u2019s son,\nAnd as he spoke it all alone;\n\u2018Oh, I would give a guinea of gold,\nAnd so would I a pint of wine,\nAnd I would make them their licence free\nThat would welcome this bonnie lassie in.\u2019\n290C.4 The ostler\u2019s wife, on hearin this,\nSo nimbly down the stairs she ran,\nAnd the first toun\u2019s-body that she met\nWas the bonnie lass o the hie toun end.\n290C.5 \u2018Mistress, ye maun gang wi me\nAnd get a cup o oor claret wine;\nIt\u2019s new come oer the ragin sea,\nAwat it is baith gude and fine.\u2019\n290C.6 \u2018To gang wi you I daurna stay,\nMy mither\u2019s wearyin for me in;\nI am so beautiful and fine\nI am a prey to all young men.\u2019\n290C.7 Wi sattin slippers on her feet,\nSo nimbly up the stair she ran,\nAnd wha so ready as this young squire\nTo welcome the bonny lassie in.\n290C.8 He[\u2019s] taen her by the milk-white hand,\nHe\u2019s gently led her through the room,\nAnd aye she sighed, and aye she said,\nIt would be a pity to do me wrong.\n290C.9 \u2018Now, since you\u2019ve taken your will o me,\nI pray, kind sir, tell me your name;\u2019\n\u2018Oh yes, my dear, indeed,\u2019 he said\n\u2018But it\u2019s more than I ever did to one.\n290C.10 \u2018I am a squire and a squire\u2019s son,\nMy faither has fifty ploughs o land,\nAnd I\u2019m a man in the militrie,\nAnd I must away and rank up my men.\n290C.11 \u2018And Jamie Lumsdaine is my name,\nFrom the North Countrie, love, I really came.\u2019\n290C.12 About a twelvemonth after that,\nHe sent a letter owre the main,\nAnd muckle writin was therein,\nTo the bonnie lass o the hie toun end.\n290C.13 About a twelvemonth after that,\nHe himsel cam owre the main;\nHe made her Duchess o Douglas Dale,\nAnd to him she\u2019s had a fine young son.\n290D: The Wylie Wife of the Hie Toun Hie\n290D.1 ALL the soldiers in Edinburgh town\nWere sitting drinking at the wine,\nAn all the toasts that were among them\nWas a health to the lassie that goes sae fine.\n290D.2 Up then spake an officier,\nThe bravest in the company;\n\u2018To every one I will give a guinea,\nA guinea and a pint of wine,\nTo the ostler\u2019s wife I wald double it a\u2019,\nIf she\u2019d entice that young lassie in.\u2019\n290D.3 The old wife tripped down the stair,\nAnd aye she said, \u2018A good morrow, dame!\u2019\nAnd aye she said, an the maid replied,\n\u2018What is your will wi me, madam?\u2019\n290D.4 \u2018It\u2019s not to do you any harm,\nOr yet your body any ill,\nBut, if you would my favour gain,\nCome up an taste one glass of wine.\u2019\n290D.5 \u2018My father stands on the stair-head,\nJust lookin for me to come in;\nI am so proper and so tall\nI\u2019m much afraid of your merry men.\u2019\n290D.6 \u2018My merry men, they are all gone out,\nAn they will not be in till dine;\nSo, if you would my favour gain,\nCome up an taste a glass of wine.\u2019\n290D.7 The fair maid tripped up the stair,\nThe old wife bolted the door behind;\nHe\u2019s tane her in his arms twa,\nSays, O but ye are a bonny thing!\n290D.8 Twenty times he kissed her cheek,\nAn twenty times her bonny chin,\nAn twenty times her ruby lips!\n\u2018O but ye are a bonny thing!\u2019\n* * * * * * *\n290D.9 \u2018Noo, since ye\u2019ve got your wills o me,\nWhat is your name, I pray you tell;\n. . . . . . . .\n. . . . where you dwell.\u2019\n290D.10 . . . . . . . .\n\u2018My eldest brother, he heirs the land;\nI was forced to be a highwayman,\nOr else a soldier, as I am.\u2019\n290D.11 An aye the lassie she sat an grat,\nAn aye thae words spak them atween,\nAn aye the lassie she sat an grat,\nAnd cursed the auld wife that brocht her in.\n290D.12 They had na been in Edinburgh\nA month, a month but only nine,\nWhen they have got the royal commission\nFor to march to Aberdeen.\n290D.13 An aye the lassie she sat an grat,\nAn aye thae words spak them atween,\nAn aye the lassie she sat an grat,\nAnd cursed the auld wife that brocht her in.\n290D.14 They had na been in Aberdeen\nA month, a month but only one,\nWhen he got on the captain\u2019s coat,\nAn made her lady o his land.\n290D.15 An aye the lassie she sat an sang,\nAn aye thae words spak them atween,\nAn aye the lassie she sat an sang,\nAn hersed the auld wife that brocht her in.","title":"The Child Ballads: 290. The Wylie Wife of the Hie Toun Hie","type":"page"}