And there the Laird gar'd leave our steeds, For fear that they should stamp and neigh. And when we left the Staneshaw bank, We crept on knees, and held our breath, He has taken the watchman by the throat, Now sound our trumpet, quo' Buccleuch, Then speedily to work we gaed, And raised the slogan ane and a', And cut a hole through a sheet of lead; And so we won to the castle ha'. They thought King James and all his men, Had won the house with bow and spear: It was but twenty Scots and ten That put a thousand in such a stear!* With coulters and with fore-hammers Until we came to the inner prison, * Stir. And when we came to the lower prison, OI sleep saft, and I wake aft, It's lang since sleeping was fleyed * from me ; Give my service back to my wife and bairns, And a' good fellows that spier + for me. Then Red Rowan has hente him up, The starkest man in TeviotdaleAbide! abide! now Red Rowan, Till of my Lord Scroop I take farewell. Farewell! farewell! my gude Lord Scroop- When first we meet on the Border side. Then shoulder high, with shout and cry, I wot the Kinmont's irons played clang. O mony a time, quoth Kinmont Willie, I have ridden horse, baith wild and wood; And mony a time, quoth Kinmont Willie, We scarce had won the Staneshaw bank, • Driven. + Ask. Rent. Furrows. And a thousand men, in horse and foot, Even where it flowed frae bank to brim, And at Lord Scroop his glaive flung he: "If ye like na my visit in merry England, In fair Scotland come visit me." All sore astonished stood Lord Scroop, He scarcely dared to turn his eyes, When through the water they had gone. "He is either himself a devil frae hell, SCOTT'S BORDER MINSTRELSY. * White. THE DOUGLAS TRAGEDY. RISE up, rise up now, Lord Douglas, she says, Let it never be said, that a daughter of thine Rise up, rise up, my seven bold sons, And put on your armour so bright; And take better care of your youngest sister, He's mounted her on a milk-white steed, With a buglet horn hung down by his side, Lord William looked over his left shoulder, To see what he could see, And there he 'spied her seven brethren bold, Come riding over the lee. Light down, light down, Lady Margaret, he said, And hold my steed in your hand, Until that against your seven brethren bold, And your father, I make a stand. She held his steed in her milk-white hand, And never shed one tear, Until that she saw her seven brethren fall, And her father hard fighting, that she loved so dear. O hold your hand, Lord William, she said, For your strokes they are wondrous sore; True lovers I can get many a one, But a Father I can never get more. O she 's taken out her handkerchief, And aye she dighted her father's bloody wounds, O choose, O choose, Lady Margaret, he said, I'll gang, I'll gang, Lord William, she said, For ye have left me no other guide. He has lifted her on a milk-white steed, With a buglet horn hung down by his side, O they rode on, and on they rode, They lighted down to take a drink Of the spring that ran so clear, And down the stream ran his good heart's blood, Hold up, hold up, Lord William, she says, For I fear that you are slain! "T is nothing but the shadow of my scarlet cloak, That shines in the water so plain. |