Bonny Peggy Irvine
THE EARL OF ABOYNE—H
[_]
Campbell MSS, II, 105.
1
The Earl of Boon's to London gone,
And all his merry men with him;
For a' the ribbonds hang at his horse's main.
He has left his lady behind him.
2
He had not been a night in town,
Nor a day into the city,
Until that the letters they came to him,
And the ladies they did invite him.
3
His lady has lookit oer her left shoulder,
To see if she saw him coming,
And then she saw her ain good lord,
Just newly come from London.
4
‘Come kiss me, my dear, come kiss me,’ he said,
‘Come kiss me for my coming,
For if I had staid another day in town
Tomorrow I would hae been married in Lunnon.’
5
She turned about wi a very saucy look,
As saucy as eer did a woman;
Says, If a' be true that I've heard of you,
You may go back and kiss your whores in Lunnon.
6
‘Go call on Jack, my waiting-man,’ he said,
‘Go saddle and make him ready;
For I maun away to the Bughts o Gight,
To speak to the Marquess of Huntly.’
7
He had not been at the Bughts of the Gight,
Nor the horses yet weel bated,
Until that the letters came ta him
That his lady was newly streeket.
8
‘Wae's me, my dear! wae's me!’ he said,
‘It waes me for my coming;
For I wad rather lost a' the Bughts o the Gight
Or I had lost my bonny Peggy Irvine.’
