199
THE BONNIE HOUSE O AIRLIE
The Bonnie House o Airly; or, The Bonny House of Airly; or, The Bonny
House of Airly; or, The Bonny House o Airly
THE BONNIE HOUSE O AIRLIE—A
[_]
a. Sharpe's Ballad Book, p. 59, No 20, 1823. b. Finlay's
Ballads, II, 25, 1808, from two recited copies and “one
printed about twenty years ago on a single sheet.” c. Skene
MS., pp. 28, 54, from recitation in the north of Scotland,
1802-3. d. Campbell MSS, II, 113, probably from a stallcopy.
e, f. Aberdeen stall copies, “printed for the booksellers.”
g. Hogg's Jacobite Relics, II, 152, No 76, “Cromek
and a street ballad collated, 1821.” h. Kinloch MSS, VI, 5,
one stanza, taken down from an old woman's recitation by
J. Robertson.
1
It fell on a day, and a bonny simmer day,
When green grew aits and barley,
That there fell out a great dispute
Between Argyll and Airlie.
2
Argyll has raised an hunder men,
An hunder harnessd rarely,
And he's awa by the back of Dunkell,
To plunder the castle of Airlie.
3
Lady Ogilvie looks oer her bower-window.
And oh, but she looks weary!
And there she spy'd the great Argyll,
Come to plunder the bonny house of Airlie.
4
‘Come down, come down, my Lady Ogilvie,
Come down, and kiss me fairly:’
‘O I winna kiss the fause Argyll,
If he should na leave a standing stane in Airlie.’
5
He hath taken her by the left shoulder,
Says, Dame where lies thy dowry?
‘O it's east and west yon wan water side,
And it's down by the banks of the Airlie.’
6
They hae sought it up, they hae sought it down,
They hae sought it maist severely,
Till they fand it in the fair plumb-tree
That shines on the bowling-green of Airlie.
7
He hath taken her by the middle sae small,
And O but she grat sairly!
And laid her down by the bonny burn-side,
Till they plundered the castle of Airlie.
8
‘Gif my gude lord war here this night.
As he is with King Charlie,
Neither you, nor ony ither Scottish lord,
Durst avow to the plundering of Airlie.
9
‘Gif my gude lord war now at hame,
As he is with his king,
There durst nae a Campbell in a' Argyll
Set fit on Airlie green.
10
‘Ten bonny sons I have born unto him,
The eleventh neer saw his daddy;
But though I had an hundred mair,
I'd gie them a' to King Charlie.’
THE BONNIE HOUSE O AIRLIE—B
1
It fell on a day, a clear summer day,
When the corn grew green and bonny,
That there was a combat did fall out
'Tween Argyle and the bonny house of Airly.
2
Argyle he did raise five hundred men,
Five hundred men, so many,
And he did place them by Dunkeld,
Bade them shoot at the bonny house of Airly.
3
The lady looked over her own castle-wa,
And oh, but she looked weary!
And there she espied the gleyed Argyle,
Come to plunder the bonny house of Airly.
4
‘Come down the stair now, Madam Ogilvie,
And let me kiss thee kindly;
Or I vow and I swear, by the sword that I wear,
That I winna leave a standing stone at Airly.’
5
‘O how can I come down the stair,
And how can I kiss thee kindly,
Since you vow and you swear, by the sword that you wear,
That you winna leave a standing stone on Airly?’
6
‘Come down the stair then, Madam Ogilvie,
And let me see thy dowry;’
‘O't is east and it is west, and't is down by yon burn-side,
And it stands at the planting sae bonny.
7
‘But if my brave lord had been at hame this day,
As he is wi Prince Charlie,
There durst na a Campbell in all Scotland
Set a foot on the bowling-green of Airly
8
‘O I hae born him seven, seven sons,
And an eighth neer saw his daddy,
And tho I were to bear him as many more,
They should a' carry arms for Prince Charlie.’
The Bonny House of Airley; or,
Young Airly; or, The Bonny House o Airlie; or,
The Bonny House o Airlie
THE BONNIE HOUSE O AIRLIE—C
[_]
a. Kinloch MSS, V, 205, recited by John Rae. b. Cromek's
Remains of Nithsdale and Galloway Song, p. 226,
1810. c. Smith's Scottish Minstrel, II, 2. d. Christie's
Traditional Ballad Airs, II, 276, “from the recitation of a
relative.”
1
It fell on a day, on a bonny summer day,
When the corn grew green and yellow,
That there fell out a great dispute
Between Argyle and Airley.
2
The great Argyle raised five hundred men,
Five hundred men and many,
And he has led them down by the bonny Dunkeld,
Bade them shoot at the bonny house of Airley.
3
The lady was looking oer her castle-wa,
And O but she looked weary!
And there she spied the great Argyle,
Came to plunder the bonny house of Airley.
4
‘Come down stairs now, Madam,’ he says,
‘Now come down and kiss me fairly;’
‘I'll neither come down nor kiss you,’ she says,
‘Tho you should na leave a standing stane in Airley.’
5
‘I ask but one favour of you, Argyle,
And I hope you'll grant me fairly
To tak me to some dark dowey glen,
That I may na see the plundering of Airley.’
6
He has taen her by the left shoulder,
And O but she looked weary!
And he has led her down to the top of the town,
Bade her look at the plundering of Airley.
7
‘Fire on, fire on, my merry men all,
And see that ye fire clearly;
For I vow and I swear by the broad sword I wear
That I winna leave a standing stane in Airley.
8
‘You may tell it to your lord,’ he says,
‘You may tell it to Lord Airley,
That one kiss o his gay lady
Wad hae sav'd all the plundering of Airley.’
9
‘If the great Sir John had been but at hame,
As he is this night wi Prince Charlie,
Neither Argyle nor no Scottish lord
Durst hae plundered the bonny house of Airley.
10
‘Seven, seven sons hae I born unto him,
And the eight neer saw his dady,
And altho I were to have a hundred more,
The should a' draw their sword for Prince Charlie.’
THE BONNIE HOUSE O AIRLIE—D
[_]
Kinloch MSS, V, 106, in the handwriting of James Beattie,
and from the recitation of Elizabeth Beattie.
1
O gleyd Argyll has written to Montrose
To see gin the fields they were fairly,
And to see whether he should stay at hame,
'Or come to plunder bonnie Airly.
2
Then great Montrose has written to Argyll
And that the fields they were fairly,
And not to keep his men at hame,
But to come and plunder bonnie Airly.
3
The lady was looking oer her castle-wa,
She was carrying her courage sae rarely,
And there she spied him gleyd Arguill,
Was coming for to plunder bonnie Airly.
4
‘Wae be to ye, gleyd Argyll!
And are ye there sae rarely?
Ye might hae kept your men at hame,
And not come to plunder bonnie Airly.’
5
‘And wae be to ye, Lady Ogilvie!
And are ye there sae rarely?
Gin ye had bowed when first I bade,
I never wad hae plunderd bonnie Airly.’
6
‘But gin my guid lord had been at hame,
As he is wi Prince Charlie,
There durst not a rebel on a' Scotch ground
Set a foot on the bonnie green of Airly.
7
‘But ye'll tak me by the milk-white hand,
And ye'll lift me up sae rarely,
And ye'll throw me outoure my [ain] castlewa,
Let me neuer see the plundering of Airly.’
8
He's taen her by the milk-white hand,
And he's lifted her up sae rarely,
And he's thrown her outoure her ain castle-wa,
And she neuer saw the plundering of Airly.
9
Now gleyd Argyll he has gane hame,
Awa frae the plundering of Airly,
And there he has met him Captain Ogilvie,
Coming over the mountains sae rarely.
10
‘O wae be to ye, gleyd Argyll!
And are you there sae rarely?
Ye might hae kept your men at hame,
And no gane to plunder bonnie Airly.’
11
‘O wae be to ye, Captain Ogilvie!
And are you there sae rarely?
Gin ye wad hae bowed when first I bade,
I neer wad hae plunderd bonnie Airly.’
12
‘But gin I had my lady gay,
Bot and my sister Mary,
One fig I wad na gie for ye a',
Nor yet for the plundering of Airly.’
