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36

Lord Maxwell's Last Goodnight

LORD MAXWELL'S LAST GOODNIGHT—A

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Communicated to Percy by G. Paton, Edinburgh, December 4, 1778.

1

‘Good lord of the land, will you stay thane
About my faither's house,
And walk into these gardines green,
In my arms I'll the embraice.

2

‘Ten thousand times I'll kiss thy face;
Make sport, and let's be mery:’
‘I thank you, lady, fore your kindness;
Trust me, I may not stay with the.

3

‘For I have kil'd the laird Johnston;
I vallow not the feed;
My wiked heart did still incline;
He was my faither's dead.

4

‘Both night and day I did proced,
And a' on him revainged to be;
But now have I gotten what I long sowght,
Trust me, I may not stay with the.

5

‘Adue, Dumfriese, that proper place!
Fair well, Carlaurike faire!
37

Adue the castle of the Trive,
And all my buldings there!

6

‘Adue, Lochmaben gaits so faire,
And the Langhm shank, where birks bobs bony!
Adue, my leady and only joy!
Trust me, I may not stay with the.

7

‘Adue, fair Eskdale, up and doun,
Wher my poor frends do duell!
The bangisters will beat them doun,
And will them sore compell.

8

‘I'll reveinge the cause mysell,
Again when I come over the sea;
Adue, my leady and only joy!
Fore, trust me, I may not stay with the.

9

‘Adue, Dumlanark! fals was ay,
And Closburn! in a band;
The laird of the Lag from my faither fled
When the Jhohnstones struek of his hand.

10

‘They wer three brethren in a band;
I pray they may never be merry;
Adue, my leady and only joy!
Trust me, I may not stay with the.

11

‘Adue, madam my mother dear,
But and my sister[s] two!
Fair well, Robin in the Orchet!
Fore the my heart is wo.

12

‘Adue, the lillie, and fair well, rose,
And the primros, spreads fair and bony!
Adue, my leady and only joy!
Fore, trust me, I may not stay with the.’

13

He took out a good gold ring,
Where at hang sygnets three:
‘Take thou that, my own kind thing,
And ay have mind of me.

14

‘Do not mary another lord
Agan or I come over the sea;
Adue, my leady and only joy!
For, trust me, I may not stay with the.’

15

The wind was fair, and the ship was clare,
And the good lord went away;
The most part of his frends was there,
Giving him a fair convoy.

16

They drank the wine, they did not spare,
Presentting in that good lord's sight;
Now he is over the floods so gray;
Lord Maxwell has te'n his last good-night.
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