The first line he looked on, A grieved man was he; The next line he looked on, A tear blinded his ee: Says, 'I wonder what ails my one brother, He'll not let my love be!

15.

'But I'll send to my brother's bridal-- The bacon shall be mine-- Full four and twenty buck and roe, And ten tun of the wine; And bid my love be blythe and glad, And I will follow syne.'

16.

There was not a groom about that castle, But got a gown of green, And all was blythe, and all was glad, But Lady Maisery she was neen.

17.

There was no cook about that kitchen, But got a gown of gray; And all was blythe, and all was glad, But Lady Maisery was wae.

18.

Between Mary Kirk and that castle Was all spread ower with garl, To keep Lady Maisery and her maidens From tramping on the marl.

19.

From Mary Kirk to that castle Was spread a cloth of gold, To keep Lady Maisery and her maidens From treading on the mold.

20.

When mass was sung, and bells was rung, And all men bound for bed; Then Lord Ingram and Lady Maisery In one bed they were laid.

21.

When they were laid into their bed, It was baith saft and warm, He laid his hand over her side, Says, 'I think you are with bairn.'

22.

'I told you once, so did I twice, When ye came me to woo, That Chiel Wyet, your only brother, One night lay in my bower.

23.

'I told you twice, I told you thrice, Ere ye came me to wed, That Chiel Wyet, your one brother, One night lay in my bed.'

24.

'O will you father your bairn on me, And on no other man?

And I'll give him to his dowry Full fifty ploughs of land.'

25.

'I will not father my bairn on you, Nor on no wrongeous man, Though ye would give him to his dowry Five thousand ploughs of land.'

26.

Then up did start him Chiel Wyet, Shed by his yellow hair, And gave Lord Ingram to the heart A deep wound and a sair.

27.

Then up did start him Lord Ingram, Shed by his yellow hair, And gave Chiel Wyet to the heart, A deep wound and a sair.

28.

There was no pity for that two lords, Where they were lying slain; But all was for her Lady Maisery, In that bower she gaed brain.

29.

There was no pity for that two lords, When they were lying dead; But all was for her Lady Maisery, In that bower she went mad.

30.

Said, 'Get to me a cloak of cloth, A staff of good hard tree; If I have been an evil woman, I shall beg till I dee.

31.

'For a bit I'll beg for Chiel Wyet, For Lord Ingram I'll beg three; All for the good and honourable marriage, At Mary Kirk he gave me.'

[Annotations: 1.4: 'honour': Motherwell printed _bonheur_.

6.3: 'ben,' in.

8.2: 'sell': Motherwell gave _kill_.

12: Cp. _Lady Maisry_, 21.

16.4: 'neen,' none, not.

18.2: 'garl,' gravel.

26.1: Motherwell gives _did stand_.

28.4: 'brain,' mad.

30.2: 'tree,' wood.

31.1: 'a' = ae, each.]

THE TWA SISTERS O' BINNORIE

+Texts.+--The version here given is compounded from two different sources, almost of necessity. Stanzas 1-19 were given by Scott, compounded from W. Tytler's Brown MS. and the recitation of an old woman. But at stanza 20 Scott's version becomes eccentric, and he prints such verses as:--

'A famous harper passing by The sweet pale face he chanced to spy ...

The strings he framed of her yellow hair, Whose notes made sad the listening air.'

Stanzas 20-25, therefore, have been supplied from the Jamieson-Brown MS., which after this point does not descend from the high level of ballad-poetry.

+The Story.+--This is a very old and a very popular story. An early broadside exists, dated 1656, and the same version is printed in _Wit Restor'd_, 1658. Of Scandinavian ballads on the same subject, nine are Danish, two Icelandic, twelve Norwegian, four Faroe, and eight or nine Swedish.

THE TWA SISTERS O' BINNORIE

1.

There were twa sisters sat in a bour, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ There came a knight to be their wooer, _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

2.

He courted the eldest wi' glove and ring, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ But he lo'ed the youngest aboon a' thing, _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

3.

He courted the eldest with broach and knife, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ But he lo'ed the youngest aboon his life, _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

4.

The eldest she was vexed sair, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ And sair enved her sister fair, _By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._

5.

The eldest said to the youngest ane, _Binnorie, O Binnorie!_ 'Will ye go and see our father's ships come in?'

_By the bonny mill-dams o' Binnorie._