I grant the fame, O Lord, quoth fhe; But yet the loving father did So I forgive thy foul, he fayd, XIII. THE AULD GOOD-MA N. A SCOTTISH SONG, We have not been able to meet with a more ancient copy of this humorous old Jong, than that printed in the Tea-Table mifcellany, &c. which feems to have admitted fome corruptions. L ATE in an evening forth I went A little before the fun gade down, A man and his wife wer fawn in a frife, 5 But aye fhe wail'd her wretched life, And cryed evir, alake, mine auld goodman! HE. HE. Thy auld goodman, that thou tells of, And ilka ane leugh him to fcorn : SUE. My heart, alake! is liken to break, Whan I think on my winfome John, His blinkan ee, and gait fae free, 19 Was naithing like thee, thou dofend drone; 20 Wi' his rofie face, and flaxen hair, And a fkin as white as ony fwan, He was large and tall, and comely withall, HE. Why doft thou plein? I thee maintein, fcant. Now whan our gear gins to grow Of ficklike ware he left thee bare, Sae tell nae mair of thy auld goodman. 25 30 SHE. SHE. Yes I may tell, and fret my fell, In armes into a well-made bed: Thy courage is cauld, thy colour wan, 35 Thou falds thy feet and fa's afleep: Thou'lt nevir be like mine auld goodman. 40 Then coming was the night fae dark, And gat, aye the owreword of the fray 45 66 XV. THE LADY ISABELLA's TRAGEDY. This ballad is given from an old black-letter copy in the Pepy's collection, collated with another in the British Museum, H. 263. folio. It is there entitled, "The Lady Isabella's Tragedy, or The Step-Mother's Cruelty: being a rela"tion of a lamentable and cruel murther, committed on the "body of the Lady Ifabella, the only daughter of a noble • duke, Sc. ——— To the tune of the Lady's Fall." THERE THE HERE was a lord of worthy fame, Attended by a noble traine Of gentrye by his fide. And while he did in chase remaine, To fee both sport and playe; His ladye went, as she did feigne, Unto the church to praye. This lord he had a daughter faire, She was belov'd, both far and neare, Fair Ifabella was fhe call'd, A creature faire was fhee; She was her fathers only joye; Therefore her cruel step-mothèr That daye by daye fhe fought her life, She bargain'd with the master-cook, To take her life awaye : And taking of her daughters book, She thus to her did saye. 5 10 15 20 Go Go home, fweet daughter, I thee praye, And tell unto the master-cook, These wordes that I tell thee. And bid him dreffe to dinner freight, That faire and milk-white doe ; That in the parke doth shine so bright, There's none fo faire to fhowe. This ladye fearing of no harme, Obey'd her mothers will; 25 30 And presentlye fhe hafted home, 35 She freight into the kitchen went, And there fhe fpied the mafter-cook, Who did with malice fwell. 40 Nowe, mafter-cook, it must be foe, Do that which I thee tell : You needes muft dreffe the milk-white doe, |