Then up arose her seven brethren,

And hewed to her a bier ;
They hewed it from the solid oak,

Laid it o'er with silver clear.
Then up and got her seven sisters,

And sewed to her a kell;
And every steek that they put in

Sewed to a silver bell.

The first Scotch Kirk that they came to,

They gar'd the Bells be rung;
The next Scotch Kirk that they came to,

They gard the Mass be sung.

But when they came to St. Mary's kirk,

There stood spearman all in a row;
And up and started Lord William,

The chieftain among them a'.
Set down, set down the bier, he said,

Let me look her upon :
But as soon as Lord William touched her hand

Her colour began to come.

She brightened like the lily,

Till her pale colour was gone:
With rosy cheek, and ruby lip,

She smiled her love upon.
A morsel of your bread, my Lord,

And one glass of your wine;
For I have fasted three long days,

All for your sake and mine.
Go home, go home, my seven bold brothers,

Go home, and blow your horn!
I trow ye would have given me the skaith,

But I've given you the scorn.

Commend me to my gray Father,

That wished my soul good rest ;
But woe be to my cruel step-dame,

Gar'd burn me on my breast.

Ah! woe to you, you light woman!

An ill death may you die!
For we left father and sisters at home,

Breaking their hearts for thee.

Scott's Border MINSTRELSY.

LADY ELSPAT.

How brent's your brow, my Lady Elspat!

How golden yellow is your hair ! O’a' the maids o' fair Scotland,

There's nane like Lady Elspat fair.

Perform your vows, sweet William, she says,

The vows which ye have made to me; And at the back o' my mither's castle,

This night I'll surely meet with thee.

But wae be to her brother's page,

That heard the words thir twa did say; He 's told them to her lady mother,

Who wrought sweet William mickle wae. For she has taken him, sweet William,

And she's gar'd bind him with his bow-string, Till the red blood of his fair body

From ilka nail of his hand did spring

0, it fell once upon a time,

That the Lord Justice came to town; Out has she taken him, sweet William,

Brought him before the Lord-Justice boun', And what is the crime now, lady, he says,

That has by this young man been done? O, he has broken my bonny castle,

That was weel built wi' lime and stane;

And he has broken my honny coffers,

That was weel banded wi' oaken ban’;
And he has stolen my rich jewels;

I wot he has stolen them every ane.
Then out it spake her Lady Elspat,

As she sat by Lord-Justice' knee :
Now ye have told your tale, mother,

I pray, Lord-Justice, ye'll now hear me.
He hasna broken her bonny castle,

That was weel built wi' lime and stane ;
Nor has he stolen her rich jewels,

For I wot she has them every one.
But though he was my first true love,

And though I had sworn to be his bride, 'Cause he had na a great estate,

She would this way our loves divide.
Syne out and spake the Lord-Justice,

I wot the tear was in his ee :
I see no fault in this young man ;

So loose his bands, and set him free:

And take your love, now, Lady Elspat;

And my best blessing you both upon ;
For if he be your first true love,

He is my eldest sister's son.
There stands a steed in my stable,

Cost me both gold and white money ;
Ye's get as mickle of my free land

As he'll ride about in a summer's day.

JAMIESON.

SWEET WILLIE OF LIDDESDALE.

Sweet Willie, the flower of Liddesdale,

Has taken him o'er the salt-sea faem,
And he's doen him to foreign lands,

And he's wooed a wife and brought her hame.
And many a may in Liddesdale

Did sadly sigh to see that tide ;
But never a may in Liddesdale

Was half so comely as his bride.
For lovely-sweet fair Alice was,

And bonnie yellow was her hair;
And happy, happy might she been,

But his mother wrought her mickle care.
His mother wrought her mickle care,

And mickle dolour gart her dree;
For her young bairnie maun be born,

And lighter can she never be.
Sad in her bower fair Alice sits,

And sore, oh, sore! sore is her pain!
And sore and woeful is his heart,

While Willie mourns o'er her in vain.