24.

Whan they came to the king's palace They rade it roun' about, An' there they saw the king himsel', At the window looking out.

25.

'Is this the Duke o' Albany, Or James, the Scottish king?

Or are ye some great foreign lord, That's come a visiting?'

26.

'I'm nae the Duke of Albany, Nor James, the Scottish king; But I'm a valiant Scottish knight, Pitnachton is my name.'

27.

'O if Pitnachton be your name, As I trust well it be, The morn, or I tast meat or drink, You shall be hanged hi'.'

28.

Then out it spake the valiant knight That came brave Johney wi'; 'Behold five hunder bowmen bold, Will die to set him free.'

29.

Then out it spake the king again, An' a scornfu' laugh laugh he; 'I have an Italian in my house Will fight you three by three.'

30.

'O grant me a boon,' brave Johney cried; 'Bring your Italian here; Then if he fall beneath my sword, I've won your daughter dear.'

31.

Then out it came that Italian, An' a gurious ghost was he; Upo' the point o' Johney's sword This Italian did die.

32.

Out has he drawn his lang, lang bran', Struck it across the plain: 'Is there any more o' your English dogs That you want to be slain?'

33.

'A clark, a clark,' the king then cried, 'To write her tocher free'; 'A priest, a priest,' says Love Johney, 'To marry my love and me.

34.

'I'm seeking nane o' your gold,' he says, 'Nor of your silver clear; I only seek your daughter fair, Whose love has cost her dear.'

[Annotations: 5.2,4: 'A wot' = I wis.

6.2: See _Young Bekie_, 16.4; _Brown Adam_, 5.2.

10: See _Lady Maisry_, 21; _Lord Ingram and Chiel Wyet_, 12, etc.: a stock ballad-phrase.

12.1: 'sark,' shift.

12.4: 'Speer' (speir), ask.

13.2: 'gare,' gore: see _Brown Robin_, 10.4.

18.4: 'loote,' let.

22.4: 'mess,' mass.

27.3: 'or,' ere.

29.2: The second 'laugh' is the past tense of the verb.

31.2: 'gurious,' grim, ugly.

33.2: 'tocher,' dowry.]

LORD INGRAM AND CHIEL WYET

+The Text+ is taken from Motherwell's _Minstrelsy_, a similar version being given in Maidment's _North Countrie Garland_. A few alterations from the latter version are incorporated.

+The Story+ bears tokens of confusion with _Lady Maisry_ in some of the variants of either, but here the tragedy is that the bridegroom is brother to the lover. The end of this ballad in all its forms is highly unnatural in its style: why should Maisery's remorse at having been such an expense to Lord Ingram be three times as great as her grief for the loss of her lover? It is by no means romantic.

LORD INGRAM AND CHIEL WYET

1.

Lord Ingram and Chiel Wyet Was baith born in one bower; Laid baith their hearts on one lady, The less was their honour.

2.

Chiel Wyet and Lord Ingram Was baith born in one hall; Laid baith their hearts on one lady, The worse did them befall.

3.

Lord Ingram woo'd her Lady Maisery From father and from mother; Lord Ingram woo'd her Lady Maisery From sister and from brother.

4.

Lord Ingram woo'd her Lady Maisery With leave of a' her kin; And every one gave full consent, But she said no to him.

5.

Lord Ingram woo'd her Lady Maisery Into her father's ha'; Chiel Wyet woo'd her Lady Maisery Amang the sheets so sma'.

6.

Now it fell out upon a day She was dressing her head, That ben did come her father dear, Wearing the gold so red.

7.

He said, 'Get up now, Lady Maisery, Put on your wedding gown; For Lord Ingram he will be here, Your wedding must be done.'

8.

'I'd rather be Chiel Wyet's wife, The white fish for to sell, Before I were Lord Ingram's wife, To wear the silk so well.

9.

'I'd rather be Chiel Wyet's wife, With him to beg my bread, Before I were Lord Ingram's wife, To wear the gold so red.

10.

'Where will I get a bonny boy, Will win gold to his fee, And will run unto Chiel Wyet's, With this letter from me?'

11.

'O here I am, the boy,' says one, 'Will win gold to my fee, And carry away any letter To Chiel Wyet from thee.'

12.

And when he found the bridges broke He bent his bow and swam; And when he found the grass growing, He hastened and he ran.

13.

And when he came to Chiel Wyet's castle, He did not knock nor call, But set his bent bow to his breast, And lightly leaped the wall; And ere the porter open'd the gate, The boy was in the hall.

14.