He layd a bright browne fword by his fide,
And another att his feete:

And twentye good knights he placed at hand,
To watch him in his fleepe.

And about the middle time of the night,

Came twentye-four traitours inn:

Sir Giles he was the foremost man,

The leader of that ginn.

The old knight with his bright brownc fword,

Sir Gyles head foon did winn:

And fcant of all thofe twenty-foure,
Went out one quick agenn.

None fave only a litle foot page,

Crept forth at a window of stone:

And he had two armes when he came in,

And he went back with one.

With torches burning bright:

She thought to have brought fir Gyles a drinke,
Butt she found her owne wedd knight.

The firft thinge that she stumbled on

It was fir Gyles his foote:

Sayes, Ever, alacke, and woe is mee!

Here lyes my fweete hart-roote.

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90

95

100

The

And fayd henceforth my worldlye goodes
And countrye I forfweare,

115

He fhope the croffe on his right fhoulder,
Of the white 'clothe' and the redde*,
And went him into the holy land,

Whereas Chrift was quicke and deade.

Ver. 118. flee. MS.

120

Every perfon, who went on a CROISADE to the Holy Land, ufually wore a cross on his upper garment, on the right shoulder, as a badge of his profeffion. Different nations were diftinguished by croffes of different colours: The English wore white; the French red; &c. This circumfrance feems to be confounded in the ballad. [Vide Spelmanni Glojar. Chambers Di&t. &c.]

IX.

THE GABERLUNZIE MAN.

A SCOTTISH SONG.

Tradition affures us that the author of this fong was K. James V. of Scotland; and the fubject of it, an adventure he bad with a country girl in difguife. It has humour: the old woman's furprise on difcovering her lofs has been particularly admired. Hiftory informs us that James was both amorous and poetical: many of his verfes were extant when Drummond of Hawthornden wrote his history. James V. died Dec. 13, 1542, aged 33.

HE pauky auld Carle came ovir the lee

TH

Wi' mony good-eens and days to mee

Saying, Goodwife, for zour courtefie,

Will ze lodge a filly poor man.

The night was cauld, the carle was wat,

5

And down azont the ingle he fat;

My dochters shoulders he gan to clap,

And cadgily ranted and fang.

O wow! quo he, were I as free,
As first when I faw this countrie,

19

How blyth and merry wad I bee!

And I wad nevir think lang.

He

fain;

He grew canty, and she grew
But little did her auld minny ken

What thir flee twa togither were fay'n,
When wooing they were fa thrang.

And O! quo he, ann ze were as black,
As evir the crown of your dadyes hat,
Tis I wad lay thee by my back,

And awa wi' me thou fould gang.
And O! quoth fhe, ann I were as white,
As evir the fnaw lay on the dike,
Ild clead me braw, and lady-like,
And awa with thee Ild gang.

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20

She gaed to the bed, whair the beggar lay,
The ftrae was cauld, he was away,
She clapt her hands, cryd, wal-a-day,
For fome of our geir will be gane.
E 4

35

Some

Some ran to coffers, and fome to kists,
But nought was ftown that could be mist,
She dancid her lane, cryd, praise be bleft,
I have lodgd a leal poor man.

Since naithings awa, as we can learn,

The kirns to kirn, and milk to earn,

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Gae butt the house, lafs, and waken my bairn,

And bid her come quickly ben.

The fervant gaed where the dochter lay,

45

The sheets was cauld, fhe was away,

And faft to her goodwife can say,
Shes aff with the gaberlunzie-man.

O fy gar ride, and fy gar rin,
And haft ze find these traitors agen;

50

For fhees be burnt, and hees be flein,

The wearyfou gaberlunzie man.

Some rade upo horse, some ran a ft,

The wife was wood, and out o' her wit;

She could na gang, nor yet could she fit,

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But ay did curfe and did ban.

Mean time far hind out owre the lee,

Fou fnug in a glen, where nane could fee,

The twa, with kindlie sport and glee,

Cut frae a new cheese a whang.

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