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XII.

EDOM O' GORDON,

A SCOTTISH BALLAD,

was printed at Glasgow, by Robert and Andrew Foulis, MDCCLV. 80. 12 pages. We are indebted for its publication (with many other valuable things in thefe volumes) to Sir David Dalrymple, Bart. who gave it as it was preferved in the memory of a lady, that is now dead.

The reader will here find it improved, and enlarged with Several fine ftanzas, recovered from a fragment of the fame ballad, in the Editor's folio MS. It is remarkable that the latter is intitled CAPTAIN ADAM CARRE, and is in the English idiom. But whether the author was English or Scotch, the difference originally was not great. The English Ballads are generally of the North of England, the Scottish are of the South of Scotland, and of confequence the country of Ballad-fingers was fometimes fubject to one crown, and Jometimes to the other, and most frequently to neither. Moft of the finest old Scotch fongs have the fcene laid within 20 miles of England; which is indeed all poetic ground, green bills, remains of woods, clear brooks. The paftoral Scenes remain: Of the rude chivalry of former ages happily nothing remains, but the ruins of the caftles, where the more daring and fuccessful robbers refided. The Houfe, or Caftle of the RODES, ftood about a measured mile fouth from Duns in Berwickshire: fome of the ruins of it may be feen to this day. The GORDONS were anciently feated in the fame county: the two villages of East and West Gordon lie

about

about 10 miles from the castle of the Rodes*. Whether this ballad hath any foundation in fact, we have not been able to difcover. It contains however but too just a picture of the violences practifed in the feudal times all over Europe.

From the different titles of this ballad, it should seem that the old ftrolling bards or minstrels (who gained a livelihood by reciting these poems) made no fcruple of changing the names of the perfonages they introduced, to humour their bearers. For inftance, if a Gordon's conduct was blameworthy in the opinion of that age, the obfequious minstrel would, when among Gordons, change the name to Car, whofe clan or fept lay further west, and vice verfâ. In the third volume the reader will find a fimilar inftance. See the fong of GIL MORRIS, the hero of which had different names given him, perhaps from the jame caufe.

It may be proper to mention, that in the English copy, inftead of the "Caftle of the Rodes," it is the "Caftle of Bittons-borrow," (or " Diactours-borrow," for it is very obfcurely written), and " Capt. Adam Carre" is called the "Lord of Wefterton-town." Uniformity required that the additional ftanzas fupplied from that copy should be clothed in the Scottish orthography and idiom: this has therefore been attempted, though perhaps imperfectly.

IT fell about the Martinmas,

Quhen the wind blew fchril and cauld,
Said Edom o' Gordon to his men,

We maun draw to a hauld.

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*This ballad is well known in that neighbourhood, where it is intitled ADAM O'GORDON. It may be observed, that the famous freebooter, whom Edward I. fought with, hand to hand, near Farnham, was named ADAM GORDON.

And quhat a hauld fall we draw to,

My mirry men and me ?

We wul gae to the house o' the Rodes,

To fee that fair ladie.

The lady ftude on hir caftle wa',
Beheld baith dale and down:
There fhe was ware of a host of men
Cum ryding towards the toun.

O fee ze nat, my mirry men a'?
O fee ze nat quhat I fee?
Methinks I fee a host of men:
I marveil quha they be.

She weend it had been hir luvely lord,

As he cam ryding hame;

It was the traitor Edom o' Gordon,
Quha reckt nae fin nor shame.

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The lady ran up to hir towir head,

Sa faft as she could drie,
To fee if by hir fair speechès
She could wi' him agree.

But quhan he fee this lady faif,
And hir yates all locked fast,
He fell into a rage of wrath,
And his hart was all aghast.

Cum doun to me, ze lady gay,

Cum doun, cum doun to me:

This night fall ye lig within mine armes,

To-morrow my bride fall be.

I winnae cum doun, ze fals Gordon,

I winnae cum doun to thee;

I winnae forfake my

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ain dear lord,

That is fae far frae me.

Give owre zour house, ze lady fair,
Give owre zour house to me,

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But reach my piftol, Glaud, my man,

And charge ze weil my gun:

For, but if I pierce that bluidy butcher,

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Set fire to the house, quo' fals Gordòn,

All wood wi' dule and ire :

Fals lady, ze fall rue this deid,

As ze brenn in the fire.

Wae worth, wae worth ze, Jock my man,

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I paid ze weil zour fee ;

Quhy pow ze out the ground-wa ftane,

Lets in the reek to me?

And ein wae worth ze, Jock my man,

I paid ze weil zour hire;

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Quhy pow ze out the ground-wa ftane,

To me lets in the fire?

Ze

* The two foregoing fanzas have been apparently modernized.

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