"Goe toe, good mattes, and say

Zonder folkis ar in a fray;

the

game,

Lat sie how we can well with them,

Into thair disaray.

Goe, goe, it is not tyme to stay,

All for my bennisoune;

Saue non this day ze may gar dye,

Quhill ze the feild haue wonne."

Then Errol haisted to the hight,
Whair he did battell byd;

And Bonnitoune by his syd:

Whos prais sould not be smored;

205

With him went Auchindoune and Gight,

220

Whair manie gentillman did with him byd,

Bot Capitane Ker, that was thair gyde,
Red ay befoir my lord.

They war not manie men of werre,

225

Bot they war wonder trewe;

With hagbutis, pistolet, bowe, and speare,
They did thair foes persewe,

Quhair bullettis, dartis, and arrowes flew,

Quhilk manie hurt, and some they slew,
Of horss and gentillmen.

Huntlie maid haist to succour him,

And charged furiouslie,

Quhair manie menis sight grew dim,
The shottis so thick did flie;
Quhilk gart right manie doghtie die,
Of some on euerie syd;
Argyll with his tald hoste did flie,
Bot Macklenne did abyd.

Macklene had one ane habershoune,
Ilk lord had one ane jack;

Togidder feirc[e]lie are they rune,
With manie a gunes crack.

235

240

The splenderis of thair spearis they break,

245

Flewe up into the air,

Quhilk boore doune maney on thair back,
Againe ros neuer mair.

"Alace, I sie ane soré sight,"

Said the Laird of Macklenne;

"Our feible folkis is tenne the flight,

249-56. Then some men said, "We will be sure And take Maclean by course;

Go to, for we are men anew

To bear him down by force."
But noble Errol had remorse,
And said, "It is not best,

For tho Argyle has got the worst,
Let him gang with the rest.

265

250

255

And left me myne allaine.
Now must I flie, or els be slaine,
Since they will not returne;"
With that he ran ouer ane dyne,
Endlongis ane lytill burne.

Then after great Argylles hoste

Some horssmen tuik the chess,

270

Quha turned their backes for all thair bost, 275
Contrair the fooles say[s].

They cried "oh," with manie "alace,"

Bot neuir for mercie sought;

Thairfoir the Gordones gaue no grace,
Becaus they craved it nought.

Then some guidman perseiued sharpe,
With Erroll and Huntlie,

And thai with [a] capitane did carpe,
Quhais name was Ogilvie.

280

He sayis, "Gentillmen, lat see

Who maniest slaine slaydis;

Save non this day ze may gar die,

For pleadis, nor ransome paynes."

257-64. "What greater honour could ye wish In deeds of chivalry,

Or brave victory than this,

Where one has chac'd thrice three?

Therefore, good fellows, let him be;
He'll die before he yield;

For he with his small company

Bade langest in the field."

281. perceiued.

286, 288. corrupted.

285

200

Lyk hartes, up howes and hillis thei ranne,
Quhair horsmen might not winn:
"Reteir againe," quoth Huntlie then,

Quhair we did first begin.
Heir lyes manie carved skinnes,

With manie ane bloodie beard,
For anie helpe, with litell dinne,
Sall rotte aboue the eard."

When they cam to the hill againe,
The sett doune one thair knees,

Syne thanked God that they had slaine

Soe manie enimies.

They ros befor Argylles eyis,

Maid Capitane Ker ane knight;
Syne bed among the dead bodies,
Whill they war out of sight.

This deid so doughtilie was done,
As I hard trewe men tell,
Upone ane Thursday afternoone,
St. Franecis ewill befell.

290

295

300

305-12. Now I have you already tauld,

Huntly and Errol's men

308. he.

Could scarce be thirteen hundred called,

The truth if ye would ken.

And yet Argyle his thousands ten

Were they that took the race,

And tho that they were nine to ane,

They caused [them] take the chace.

309. has. 324. should be eve, or vigil.

305

310

Guid Auchindoune was slaine himself,

With uther seven in battéll;
So was the Laird of Lochinzell,
Grate pitie was to tell.

325

BONNY JOHN SETON.

THIS ballad is taken from Maidment's North Countrie Garland, p. 15. There is another version in Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, ii. 136 (The Death of John Seton).

John Seton of Pitmedden, a young and brave cavalier, was shot through the middle by a cannon ball, during the skirmish at the Bridge of Dee, while engaged, under the Viscount of Aboyne, in resisting the advance of Montrose upon the town of Aberdeen, in June, 1639. It was the hard fate of Aberdeen to suffer from the arms of Montrose, first, when he was general of the Covenanters, and again while he was

313-20. Sae Argyle's boast it was in vain,

819. fled.

(He thought sure not to tyne) That if he durst cum to the plain,

He would gar every nine

Of his lay hold upon ilk man
Huntly and Errol had:

But yet for all his odds he ran
To tell how ill he sped.

315

320