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The English and Scottish Popular Ballads

Edited by Francis James Child.

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389

Love Johny

JOHNIE SCOT—H

[_]

Kinloch MSS, VI, 53, in an unknown hand.

1

Where will I gett a bony boy,
That would fain win hose and shoon,
That will go on to yon palace,
And haste him back again?’

2

‘Here am I, a bony boy,
That would fain win hose and shoon,
That will go on to yon palace,
And haste me back again.’

3

‘When you come to yon palace,
You'l run it round about;
There you'l see a gay lady,
At the window looking out.

4

‘Give hir this shirt of silk,
Hir own hand sewed the slive,
And bid her come to good green woods,
Spear no hir parents' leave.

5

‘Give hir this shirt of silk, boy,
Hir own hand sewed the gare;
You'l bid her come to good green woods,
Love Johny, I'll meet hir there.’

6

When he came to yon palace,
He ran it round about,
And there he saw a gay lady,
At the window looking out.

7

‘Take here this shirt of silk, lady,
Your own hand sewed the slive;
You're biden come to good green woods,
Spire no your parents' leave.

8

‘Take here this shirt of silk, lady,
Your own hand sewed the gare;
You're biden come to good green woods,
Love Johny'll meet you there.’

9

‘The staunchens they are strong, boy,
Dear, vow but they are stout!
My feet they are in strong fetters,
And how shall I win out?

10

‘My garters is of the cold iron,
Dear, vow but they are cold!
And three splits of the sturdy steel,
Instead of beaten goold.

11

‘But I will write a braud leter,
And sign it with my hand,
And I will send it to Love Johny,
Weel may he understand.’

12

And she has wrote [a] braud leter,
And signd it with hir hand,
And sent it on to Love Jony,
Weel did he understand.

13

When he got this letter,
A light laugh did he gie;
But or he read it half down through,
The salt tears blinded's ee.

14

Says, I'll awa to fair England,
What ever may betide,
And all is for the fair lady
That lay close by my side.

15

Out it spoke Jony's mother,
And she spoke ay through pride;
Says, If ye go to fair England,
Sir, better to you bide.

16

When Jony was on his sadle set,
And seemly to behold,
Every tet o Love Jony's hair
Was like the threads of goold.

17

When Jony was on his sadle set,
And seemly for to see,
There was not a maried man
In a' Jony's company.

18

The first town that they came till,
They gard the bells be rung;
The next town that they came till,
They gard the mess bee sung.

19

When they came to the king's palace,
The drums they did beat round,
And the quien and her marys all
Amased at the sound.

20

‘Is this the Duke of Mulberry,
Or James, our Scottish king?
Or is it any noble lord
That's going a visiting?’

21

‘It's not the Duke of Mulberry,
Nor James, our Scottish king;

390

But it is Jack, the Little Scot,
And Auchney is his name.’

22

‘If Auchney bee your name,’ he said,
‘As I trust weel it be,
The fairest lady in all my court
She goes with bairn to the.’

23

‘If she be with bairn,’ he said,
‘As I doubt not nor she be,
I will make it heir oer all my land,
And hir my gay lady.’

24

The king he swore a solemn oath,
And a solemn oath swore he,
‘The morn, before I eat or drink,
High hanged he shall be!’
[OMITTED]

25

The king and his nobles all
Went out into the plain,
And the quen and hir marys all,
To see Love Johny slain.

26

They fought up, and they fought down,
With swords of temperd steel,
But not a drop of Johny's blood
In that day he did spill.

27

Out they brought the Itilian,
And a greecy ghost was he,
But by the edge o Love Johny's sword
That Itilian did die.

28

Johny's taen his neat drawn sword,
And stript it to the stran:
‘Is there any more of your English dogs
That wants for to be slain?’

29

‘A clerck, a clerck,’ now says the king,
‘To sign her tocher free;’
‘A priest, a priest,’ said Love Johny,
‘To mary my dear and me.

30

‘I fought not for your goold, your goold,
I fought not for your gear,
But I fought for my rose Mary,
And vow! I've bought hir dear.’