The English and Scottish Popular Ballads :: :: University of Virginia Library

From a copy formerly in the possession of Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe, now belonging to Mr Macmath. The paper on which it is written has the water-mark 1822.

1

Rob Roy's from the Highlands come
Down to the Lowland border,

255

And there he's stole a fair lady away,
To keep his house in order.

2

As he came in by Blackhill gate,
Twenty men his arms did carry,
And he has stole a fair lady away,
On purpose hir to marry.

3

No tidings came unto the house,
Nor none went in before him,
Or else she had been run away,
For she did still abhor him.

4

But with his men he surunded the house,
Himself went in unto hir,
And when that he had found her out
He profest how much he lovt hir.

5

‘O wilt thou be my dear?’ he says,
‘O wilt thou be my hony?
O wilt thou be my wedded wife?
For I love you far better than ony.’

6

‘I will not be your dear,’ she says,
‘I will not be your honey,
I will not be your wedded wife;
You love me for my money.’

7

But he hir drew amongst his crew,
She holding by hir mother;
With doleful cries and watry eyes
The parted from each other.

8

He gave hir no time for to dress
As brides do when the marry,
But fast he hurried hir away,
And rowd hir in his plaidy.

9

He set hir on a milk-white steed,
Himself lept on behind hir,
And he has carried hir away,
Hir friends the could not find hir.

10

The lady's cries were oftimes heard,
But none durst venture to hir;
She gaurded was on every side,
Hir friends could not rescue hir.

11

As the went over hills and rocks,
The lady oftimes fainted;
Cries, Wo be to my curst mony,
These roads to me invented.

12

As the came in by Drummond town
And at Bachannan tarried,
He bought to her a cloak and gown,
Yet wad she not be married.

13

And when she came the priest before
He askd if she would marry,
But the parson's zeal it was so hot
For her will he did not tarry.

14

Four held hir up before the priest,
Tow laid hir in hir bed, O,
But still she cried, with watry eyes,
When she was by him laid O.

15

‘Now you'r to the Highlands come,
Out of your native clime, lady,
Never think of going back,
But tak it for your hame, lady.

16

‘Be content, be content,
Be content to stay, lady,
Now you are my wedded wife,
Until your dying day, lady.

17

‘Rob Roy was my father calld,
McGregor was his name, lady,
And all the country where he dwelt
None could exceed his fame, lady.

18

‘I'll be kind, I'll be kind,
I'll be kind to thee, lady,
A' thy kindred for thy sake
Shall truly favoured be, lady.

19

‘My father reignd as Highland king,
And ruled at his will, lady,
There was nether lord nor duke
Durst do him ony ill, lady.

20

‘Ay through time, ay through time,
Ay through time was he, lady,
Filled was w[ith] sweet revenge
On a' his enemys, lady.

21

‘He was a hedge about his friends,
A heckle till his foes, lady,
And every ane that did him rang,
He took them oer the nose, lady.

22

‘I'm as bold, I'm as bold,
[As bold] as forest boar, lady,
Every ane that does thee rang
Shall feell my stell claymore, lady.

23

‘Neer a man from Highlands came
That ever did him dare, lady,
But if those persons did escape
He sized upon there gear, lady.
Ay through time, etc.

24

‘My father dealt in horse and cows,
But thou in goats and sheep, lady,
Thre and twenty thousand merk
Makes me a man complete, lady.
Be content, etc.

25

‘Of all the exploits my father did
I do him now outshine, lady;
He never took a prize in's life
With sic a face as thine, lady.’