Lord and Lady Errol; or,
Errol's Place; or, Earl of Errol
THE EARL OF ERROL—D
[_]
a. Buchan's Gleanings, p. 158. b. Maidment's North
Countrie Garland, p. 31. c. Kinloch's Ballad Book, p. 31.
1
O Errol's place is a bonny place,
It stands upon yon plain;
The flowers on it grow red and white,
The apples red and green.
The ranting o't and the danting o't,
According as ye ken,
The thing they ca the danting o't,
Lady Errol lies her lane.
2
O Errol's place is a bonny place,
It stands upon yon plain;
But what's the use of Errol's place?
He's no like other men.
3
‘As I cam in by yon canal,
And by yon bowling-green,
I might hae pleased the best Carnegy
That ever bore that name.
4
‘As sure's your name is Kate Carnegy,
And mine is Gibbie Hay,
I'll gar your father sell his land,
Your tocher for to pay.’
5
‘To gar my father sell his land,
Would it not be a sin,
To give it to a naughtless lord
That couldna get a son?’
6
Now she is on to Edinburgh,
For to try the law,
And Errol he has followed her,
His manhood for to shaw.
7
Then out it spake her sister,
Whose name was Lady Jane;
‘Had I been Lady Errol,’ she says,
‘Or come of sic a clan,
I would not in this public way
Have sham'd my own gudeman.’
8
But Errol got it in his will
To choice a maid himsel,
And he has taen a country-girl,
Came in her milk to sell.
9
He took her by the milk-white hand,
And led her up the green,
And twenty times he kissd her there,
Before his lady's een.
10
He took her by the milk-white hand,
And led her up the stair;
Says, Thrice three hundred pounds I'll gie
To you to bear an heir.
11
He kept her there into a room
Three quarters of a year,
And when the three quarters were out
A braw young son she bear.
12
‘Tak hame your daughter, Carnegy,
And put her till a man,
For Errol he cannot please her,
Nor any of his men.’
