University of Virginia Library

Search this document 
The English and Scottish Popular Ballads

Edited by Francis James Child.

expand sectionI. 
expand sectionII. 
expand sectionIII. 
expand sectionIV. 
expand sectionV. 
expand sectionVI. 
expand sectionVII. 
expand sectionVIII. 
collapse sectionIX. 
expand section266. 
expand section267. 
expand section268. 
expand section269. 
expand section270. 
expand section271. 
expand section272. 
expand section273. 
expand section274. 
expand section275. 
expand section276. 
expand section277. 
expand section278. 
expand section279. 
expand section280. 
expand section281. 
expand section282. 
expand section283. 
expand section284. 
expand section285. 
expand section286. 
expand section287. 
expand section288. 
expand section289. 
expand section290. 
expand section291. 
expand section292. 
expand section293. 
expand section294. 
expand section295. 
collapse section296. 
  
expand section297. 
expand section298. 
expand section299. 
expand section300. 
expand section301. 
expand section302. 
expand section303. 
expand section304. 
expand section305. 

The Baron o Leys

THE BARON O LEYS—C

[_]

Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 144.

1

The Baron o Leys to France is gane,
The fashion and tongue to learn,
But hadna been there a month or twa
Till he gat a lady wi bairn.

2

But it fell ance upon a day
The lady mournd fu sairlie;
Says, Who's the man has me betrayed?
It gars me wonder and fairlie.

3

Then to the fields to him she went,
Saying, Tell me what they ca thee;
Or else I'll mourn and rue the day,
Crying, alas that ever I saw thee!

4

‘Some ca's me this, some ca's me that,
I carena fat befa me;
For when I'm at the schools o France
An awkward fellow they ca me.’

5

‘Wae's me now, ye awkward fellow,
And alas that ever I saw thee!
Wi you I'm in love, sick, sick in love,
And I kenna well fat they ca thee.’

6

‘Some ca's me this, some ca's me that,
What name does best befa me;
For when I walk in Edinburgh streets
The Curling Buckle they ca me.’

7

‘O wae's me now, O Curling Buckle,
And alas that ever I saw thee!
For I'm in love, sick, sick in love,
And I kenna well fat they ca thee.’

8

‘Some ca's me this, some ca's me that,
Whatever name best befa's me;
But when I'm in Scotland's king's high court
Clatter the Speens they ca me.’

9

‘O wae's me now, O Clatter the Speens,
And alas that ever I saw thee!
For I'm in love, sick, sick in love,
And I kenna well fat to ca thee.’

10

‘Some ca's me this, some ca's me that,
I carena what they ca me;
But when wi the Earl o Murray I ride
It's Scour the Brass they ca me.’

11

‘O wae's me now, O Scour the Brass,
And alas that ever I saw thee!

358

For I'm in love, sick, sick in love,
And I kenna well fat to ca thee.’

12

‘Some ca's me this, some ca's me that,
Whatever name best befa's me;
But when I walk thro Saint Johnstone's town
George Burnett they ca me.’

13

‘O wae's me, O wae's me, George Burnett,
And alas that ever I saw thee!
For I'm in love, sick, sick in love,
And I kenna well fat to ca thee.’

14

‘Some ca's me this, some ca's me that,
Whatever name best befa's me;
But when I am on bonny Dee side
The Baron o Leys they ca me.’

15

‘O weal is me now, O Baron o Leys,
This day that ever I saw thee!
There's gentle blood within my sides,
And now [I] ken fat they ca thee.

16

‘But ye'll pay down ten thousand crowns,
Or marry me the morn;
Else I'll cause you be headed or hangd
For gieing me the scorn.’

17

‘My head is a thing I cannot well want;
My lady loves me sae dearly;
But I'll deal the gold right liberally
For lying ae night sae near thee.’

18

When word had gane to the Lady o Leys
The baron had gotten a bairn,
She clapped her hands, and this did say,
‘I wish he were in my arms!

19

‘O weal is me now, O Baron o Leys,
For ye hae pleased me sairly;
Frae our house is banishd the vile reproach
That disturbed us late and early.’

20

When she looked ower her castle-wa,
To view the woods sae rarely,
There she spied the Baron o Leys
Ride on his steed sae rarely.

21

Then forth she went her baron to meet,
Says, Ye're welcome to me, fairly!
Ye'se hae spice-cakes, and seed-cakes sweet,
And claret to drink sae rarely.