University of Virginia Library

Search this document 
The English and Scottish Popular Ballads

Edited by Francis James Child.
0 occurrences of England's black tribunal
[Clear Hits]

expand sectionI. 
expand sectionII. 
expand sectionIII. 
expand sectionIV. 
expand sectionV. 
expand sectionVI. 
expand sectionVII. 
collapse sectionVIII. 
expand section226. 
expand section227. 
expand section228. 
expand section229. 
expand section230. 
expand section231. 
expand section232. 
expand section233. 
expand section234. 
expand section235. 
expand section236. 
expand section237. 
expand section238. 
expand section239. 
expand section240. 
expand section241. 
expand section242. 
expand section243. 
expand section244. 
expand section245. 
expand section246. 
expand section247. 
expand section248. 
expand section249. 
expand section250. 
expand section251. 
expand section252. 
expand section253. 
expand section254. 
expand section255. 
expand section256. 
expand section257. 
expand section258. 
expand section259. 
expand section260. 
expand section261. 
expand section262. 
expand section263. 
expand section264. 
expand section265. 
expand sectionIX. 

0 occurrences of England's black tribunal
[Clear Hits]

The Cunning Clerk

THE KEACH I THE CREEL—C

[_]

Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, I, 278.

1

As I gaed down to Collistown,
Some white-fish for to buy, buy,
The cunning clerk he followed me,
And he followed me speedily, ly,
And he followed me speedily.

2

Says, Faur ye gaun, my dearest dear?
O faur ye gaun, my dow?
There's naebody comes to my bedside,
And naebody wins to you.

3

‘Your brother is a gallant square-wright,
A gallant square-wright is he;
Ye'll gar him make a lang ladder,
Wi thirty steps and three.

4

‘And gar him big a deep, deep creel,
A deep creel and a string,
And ye'll come up to my bedside,
And come bonnily linken in.’

5

The auld gudeman and auld gudewife,
To bed they went, to sleep;
But wae mat worth the auld gudewife!
A wink she coudna get.

6

‘I dreamd a dreary dream this night,
I wish it binna true,
That the rottens had come thro the wa,
And cutted the coverin blue.’

7

Then up it raise the auld gudeman,
To see gin it was true;
And he's gane to his daughter dear,
Says, What are ye doing, my dow?

8

‘What are ye doing, my daughter dear?
What are ye doing, my dow?’
‘The prayer book's in my hand, father,
Praying for my auld minnie and you.’

9

The auld gudeman and auld gudewife,
To bed they went, to sleep;
But wae mat worth the auld gudewife!
But aye she wakend yet.

10

‘I dreamd a dreary dream this night,
I wish it binna true,
That the cunning clerk and your ae daughter
Were aneath the coverin blue.’

11

‘O rise yoursell, gudewife,’ he says,
‘The diel may had you fast!
Atween you and your ae daughter
I canno get ae night's rest.’

12

Up then raise the auld gudewife,
To see gin it was true,
And she fell arselins in the creel,
And up the string they drew.

13

‘Win up, win up, gudeman,’ she says,
‘Win up and help me now!
For he that ye gae me to last night,
I think he's catchd me now.’

14

‘Gin Auld Nick he has catchd you now,
I wish he may had you fast;
As for you and your ae daughter,
I never get kindly rest.’

15

They howded her, and they showded her,
Till the auld wife gat a fa,
And three ribs o the auld wife's side
Gaed knip-knap ower in twa.