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THE BONNY EARL OF MURRAY
The Bonny Earl of Murray
THE BONNY EARL OF MURRAY—A
[_]
Ramsay's Tea-Table Miscellany, 1763, p. 356.
1
Ye Highlands, and ye Lawlands,
Oh where have you been?
They have slain the Earl of Murray,
And they layd him on the green.
2
‘Now wae be to thee, Huntly!
And wherefore did you sae?
I bade you bring him wi you,
But forbade you him to slay.’
3
He was a braw gallant,
And he rid at the ring;
And the bonny Earl of Murray,
Oh he might have been a king!
4
He was a braw gallant,
And he playd at the ba;
And the bonny Earl of Murray
Was the flower amang them a'.
5
He was a braw gallant,
And he playd at the glove;
And the bonny Earl of Murray,
Oh he was the Queen's love!
6
Oh lang will his lady
Look oer the castle Down,
Eer she see the Earl of Murray
Come sounding thro the town!
Eer she, etc.
The Bonnie Earl o Murray
THE BONNY EARL OF MURRAY—B
[_]
Finlay's Scottish Ballads, II, 11; from recitation.
1
‘Open the gates,
and let him come in;
He is my brother Huntly,
he'll do him nae harm.’
2
The gates they were opent,
they let him come in,
But fause traitor Huntly,
he did him great harm.
3
He's ben and ben,
and ben to his bed,
And with a sharp rapier
he stabbed him dead.
4
The lady came down the stair,
wringing her hands:
‘He has slain the Earl o Murray,
the flower o Scotland.’
5
But Huntly lap on his horse,
rade to the king:
‘Ye're welcome hame, Huntly,
and whare hae ye been?
6
‘Whare hae ye been?
and how hae ye sped?’
‘I've killed the Earl o Murray,
dead in his bed.’
7
‘Foul fa you, Huntly!
and why did ye so?
You might have taen the Earl o Murray,
and saved his life too.’
8
‘Her bread it's to bake,
her yill is to brew;
My sister's a widow,
and sair do I rue.
9
‘Her corn grows ripe,
her meadows grow green,
But in bonny Dinnibristle
I darena be seen.’
