XIII.

GILDER OY

was a famous robber, who lived about the middle of the last century, if we may credit the hiftories and ftorybooks of highwaymen, which relate many improbable feats of him, as his robbing Cardinal Richlieu, Oliver Cromwell, &c. But thefe ftories have probably no other authority, than the records of Grub-freet: At least the GILDEROY, who is the hero of Scottish Song fters, seems to have lived in an earlier age; for in Thompson's Orpheus Caledonius, vol. 2. 1733. 8vo. is a copy of this ballad, which, tho' corrupt and interpolated, contains fome lines that appear to be of genuine antiquity: in these he is reprefented as contemporary with Mary 2 of Scots: ex. gr.

"The Queen of Scots poffeffed nought,
"That my love let me want:
"For cow and ew he brought to me,
"And ein whan they were feant.”

Thofe lines perhaps might fafely have been inferted among the following stanzas, which are given from a written copy, that feems to have received f me modern corrections. Indeed the common popular ballad contained fome indecent luxuriances that required the pruning-hook.

VOL. I.

Y

GILDEROY

G

ILDEROY was a bonnie boy,
I Had rofes tull his fhoone,
His ftockings were of filken foy,
Wi' garters hanging doune:

It was, I weene, a comelie fight,
To fee fae trim a boy;

He was my jo and hearts delight,
My handsome Gilderoy.

5

Ah! wae is mee! I mourn the day,

But, ah his manfu' heart was bent,

To ftir in feates of ftrife:

And he in many a venturous deed,

His courage bauld wad try,

And now

this gars mine heart to bleed,

For my dear Gilderoy.

45

And when of me his leave he tuik,

The tears they wat mine ee,

I gave tull him a parting luik,

"My benifon gang wi' thee!

God speed the weil, mine ain dear heart,

For gane is all my joy ;'

My heart is rent fith we maun part,

My handsome Gilderoy."

My Gilderoy baith far and near,

Was fear'd in every toun,

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55

And bauldly bare away the gear,

Wae worth the loun that made the laws,

To hang a man for gear,

To 'reave of life for ox or afs,

Giff Gilderoy had done amiffe,

He mought hae banisht been,

Ah! what fair cruelty is this,

To hang fike handsome men :

To hang the flower o' Scottish land,
Sae fweet and fair a boy;

Nae lady had fae white a hand,

As thee, my Gilderoy.

Of Gilderoy fae fraid they were,
They bound him mickle strong,
Tull Edenburrow they led him thair,
And on a gallows hung:

They hung him high aboon the rest,

He was fae trim a boy;

Thair dyed the youth whom I lued beft,

My handfome Gilderoy.

Thus having yielded up his breath,

I bare his corpfe away,

Wi' tears, that trickled for his death,

I washt his comelye clay;

And fiker in a grave fae deep,

I laid the dear-lued boy,

And now for evir maun I weep,

95

My winfome Gilderoy.

Y 3

XIV. W. INL