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Lord Ingram and Gil Viett

LORD INGRAM AND CHIEL WYET—B

[_]

Skene MS., p. 16; taken down in the North of Scotland, 1802-1803.

1

Lord Ingram and Gil Viett
Were baith born in ae ha;
They laid their love on ae lady,
An fate they coud na fa.

2

Lord Ingram and Gil Viett
Were baith laid in ae wame;
They laid their love on ae lady,
The greater was their shame.

3

Lord Ingram wood her Lady Masery
Frae father and frae mither;
Gill Viett wood her Lady Masery
Frae sister and frae brither.

4

Lord Ingram courted her Lady Masery
Among the company a';
Gill Viett he wood her Lady Masery
Among the sheets so sma.

5

‘Get up, my daughter dear,
Put on your bridal gown;
This day's your bridal day
Wi Lord Ingram.’

6

‘How can I get up,
An put on my bridal gown,
Or how marry the ae brither,
An the tither's babe in my womb?’
[OMITTED]

7

‘O laugh you at mysell, brither,
Or at my companie?
Or laugh ye at my bonnie bride,
She wad na laugh at thee?’

8

‘I laugh na at yoursel, brither,
Nor at your companie;
Nor laugh I at your buirlie bride,
She wad na laugh at me.

9

‘But there's a brotch on a breast-bane,
A garlan on ane's hair;
Gin ye kend what war under that,
Ye wad neer love woman mair.

10

‘There is a brotch on a breast-bane,
An roses on ane's sheen;
Gin ye kend what war under that,
Your love wad soon be deen.’

11

Whan bells were rung, and mass was sung,
And a' man boun to bed,
Lord Ingram and Lady Masery
In ae chamer were laid.

12

He put his hand out oure his bonnie bride,
The babe between her sides did quake:
[OMITTED]
[OMITTED]

13

‘O father your babe on me, Lady Masery,
O father your babe on me.’
[OMITTED]
[OMITTED]

14

‘I may father my babe on a stock,
Sae may I on a stane,
But my babe shall never hae
A father but its ain.’

15

He took out a brand,
And laid it atween them twa;
[OMITTED]
[OMITTED]
131

16

Gill Viett took out a long brand,
And stroakd it oer a stro,
An thro and thro Lord Ingram's bodie
He made it come and go.

17

‘Wae mat worth ye, Gill Viett,
An ill died mat ye die!
For I had the cup in my hand
To hae drunken her oer to thee.’

18

‘[For] ae mile [I wad gae] for Gil Viett,
For Lord Ingram I wad hae gaen three;
An a' for that in good kirk-door
Fair wedding he gave me.’

19

Gil Viett took a long brand,
An stroakd it on a stro,
An through and thro his own bodie
He made it come and go.

20

There was nae mean made for that godd lords,
In bowr whar they lay slain,
But a' was for that lady,
In bowr whar she gaed brain.

21

There was nae mean made for that lady,
In bowr whar she lay dead,
But a' was for the bonnie babe
That lay blabbering in her bleed.
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