O he's shot up, an' he's shot down, The bird upo' the briar, An' he's sent it hame to his lady, Bade her be of good cheer.

8.

O he's shot up, an' he's shot down, The bird upo' the thorn, And sent it hame to his lady, And hee'd be hame the morn.

9.

Whan he came till his lady's bow'r-door He stood a little forbye, And there he heard a fu' fa'se knight Temptin' his gay lady.

10.

O he's ta'en out a gay gold ring, Had cost him mony a poun': 'O grant me love for love, lady, An' this sal be your own.'

11.

'I loo Brown Adam well,' she says, 'I wot sae does he me; An' I woud na gi' Brown Adam's love For nae fa'se knight I see.'

12.

Out he has ta'en a purse of gold, Was a' fu' to the string: 'Grant me but love for love, lady, An' a' this sal be thine.'

13.

'I loo Brown Adam well,' she says, 'An' I ken sae does he me; An' I woudna be your light leman For mair nor ye coud gie.'

14.

Then out has he drawn his lang, lang bran', An' he's flash'd it in her een: 'Now grant me love for love, lady, Or thro' you this sal gang!'

15.

'O,' sighing said that gay lady, 'Brown Adam tarrys lang!'

Then up it starts Brown Adam, Says, 'I'm just at your han'.'

16.

He's gard him leave his bow, his bow, He's gard him leave his bran'; He's gard him leave a better pledge-- Four fingers o' his right han'.

[Annotations: 1.3: 'leeler,' more loyal.

2.2: 'study,' stithy, anvil.

4.3: 'biggit,' built.

5.2: 'thought lang,' thought (it) tedious; _i.e._ was bored. Cp.

_Young Bekie_, 16.4, etc.; _Johney Scot_, 6.2, and elsewhere.

9.2: 'forbye,' apart.

10.1: 'he' is of course the false knight.

11.1: 'loo,' love.

12.2: 'string': _i.e._ the top; purses were bags with a running string to draw the top together.

15.2: 'lang': the MS. reads long.

16.1: etc., 'gard,' made.]

WILLIE O' WINSBURY

+The Text+ is from the Campbell MSS.

+The Story+ was imagined by Kinloch to possess a quasi-historical foundation: James V. of Scotland, who eventually married Madeleine, elder daughter of Francis I., having been previously betrothed 'by treaty' to Marie de Bourbon, daughter of the Duke of Vendome, returned to Scotland in 1537. The theory is neither probable nor plausible.

WILLIE O' WINSBURY

1.

The king he hath been a prisoner, A prisoner lang in Spain, O, And Willie o' the Winsbury Has lain lang wi' his daughter at hame, O.

2.

'What aileth thee, my daughter Janet, Ye look so pale and wan?

Have ye had any sore sickness, Or have ye been lying wi' a man?

Or is it for me, your father dear, And biding sae lang in Spain?'

3.

'I have not had any sore sickness, Nor yet been lying wi' a man; But it is for you, my father dear, In biding sae lang in Spain.'

4.

'Cast ye off your berry-brown gown, Stand straight upon the stone, That I may ken ye by yere shape, Whether ye be a maiden or none.'

5.

She's coosten off her berry-brown gown, Stooden straight upo' yon stone; Her apron was short, her haunches were round, Her face it was pale and wan.

6.

'Is it to a man o' might, Janet?

Or is it to a man of fame?

Or is it to any of the rank robbers That's lately come out o' Spain?'

7.

'It is not to a man of might,' she said, 'Nor is it to a man of fame; But it is to William of Winsbury; I could lye nae langer my lane.'

8.

The king's called on his merry men all, By thirty and by three: 'Go fetch me William of Winsbury, For hanged he shall be.'

9.

But when he cam' the king before, He was clad o' the red silk; His hair was like to threeds o' gold, And his skin was as white as milk.

10.

'It is nae wonder,' said the king, 'That my daughter's love ye did win; Had I been a woman, as I am a man, My bedfellow ye should hae been.

11.

'Will ye marry my daughter Janet, By the truth of thy right hand?

I'll gi'e ye gold, I'll gi'e ye money, And I'll gi'e ye an earldom o' land.'

12.

'Yes, I'll marry yere daughter Janet, By the truth of my right hand; But I'll hae nane o' yer gold, I'll hae nane o' yer money, Nor I winna hae an earldom o' land.

13.

'For I hae eighteen corn-mills Runs all in water clear, And there's as much corn in each o' them As they can grind in a year.'