Lord William
LORD WILLIAM, OR, LORD LUNDY—C
[_]
Buchan's MSS, II, 126.
1
Lord William has gane oer the sea
For to seek after lear;
Lord Lundie had but ae daughter,
And he'd wed nane but her.
2
Upon a book they both did read,
And in ae bed did ly:
‘But if my father get word of this,
I'll soon be taen away.’
3
‘Your father's gotten word of this,
Soon married then ye'll be;
Set trysts, set trysts wi me, Janet,
Set trysts, set trysts wi me.
4
‘Set trysts, set trysts wi me, Janet,
When your wedding-day's to be;
‘On Saturday, the first that comes,
Must be my wedding-day.’
5
‘Bad news, bad news is come, Janet,
Bad news is come to me;
Your father's gotten word of this,
Soon married then ye'll be.’
6
‘O will ye marry the young prince, daughter,
The queen of England to be?
Or will ye marry Lord William,
And die immediately?’
7
‘O I will marry the young prince, father,
Because it is your will;
But I wish it was my burial-day,
For my grave I could gang till.’
8
When they gaed in into the kirk,
And ae seat they sat in,
The minister took up the book,
The marriage to begin.
9
‘Lay down the book, O dear, kind sir,
And wait a little wee;
I have a lady to welcome yet,
She's been a good friend to me.’
10
Out then spake the minister,
An angry man was he;
‘You might have had your ladies welcomd
Before ye came to me.’
11
She looked oer her left shoulder,
And tears did blind her ee;
But she looked oer her right shoulder,
And a blythe sight saw she,
For in there came him Lord William,
And his valiant company.
12
And in there came him Lord William,
His armour shining clear,
And in it came him Lord William,
And many glittering spear.
13
‘Stand by, stand by, ye bonny bridegroom,
Stand by, stand by,’ said he;
‘Stand by, stand by, ye bonny bridegroom,
Bride, ye maun join wi me.
14
‘Let the young prince clap his coffer of gold
When he gangs to his bed;
Let the young prince clap his coffer of gold,
But I'll clap my bonny bride.’
15
Out it spake him Lord Lundie,
And an angry man was he;
‘My daughter will marry him Lord William,
It seems, in spite of me.’
