The Laird of Gigh, or Gae
GEORDIE—D
[_]
“Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy,” No
64, MS. of Thomas Wilkie, 1813-15, p. 50, Abbotsford. “I
took this down from the recitation of Janet Scott, Bowden,
who sung it to a beautiful plaintive old air.”
1
There was a battle i the north
Among the nobles many,
The Laird of Gigh he's killd a man,
The brother of his lady.
2
‘Where will I get a man or boy,
That will win both goud and money,
That will run into the north,
And fetch to me my lady?’
3
Up then spake a bonny boy,
He was both blythe and merry;
‘O I will run into the north,
And fetch to you your lady.’
4
‘You may tell her to sew me a gude side shirt,
She'll no need to sew me mony;
Tell her to bring me a gude side shirt,
It will be the last of any.’
5
He has written a broad letter,
And he's seald it sad and sorry;
He's gaen it to that bonny boy,
To take to his fair lady.
6
Away the bonny boy he's gaen,
He was both blythe and merrie;
He's to that fair lady gane,
And taen her word frae Geordie.
7
When she looked the letter on,
She was both sad and sorrie:
‘O I'll away to fair Edinburgh town
Myself and see my Geordie.
8
‘Gar saddle to me the black,’ she says,
‘The brown was neer sae bonny;
And I'll straight to Edinburgh
Myself and see my Geordie.’
9
When she came to that wan water,
The boats was not yet ready;
She wheeld her horse's head around,
And swimd at the Queen's Ferry.
10
When she came to the Parliament Close,
Amang the poor folks many,
She dealt the crowns with duckatoons,
And bade them pray for Geordy.
11
When she came to the Parliament House,
Among the nobles many,
The rest sat all wi hat on head,
But hat in hand sat Geordie.
12
Up bespake an English lord,
And he spake blythe and merrie;
‘Was Geordie's head upon the block,
I am sure I would have his lady.’
13
Up bespake that lady fair,
And O but she was sorrie!
‘If Geordie's head were on the block,
There's never a man gain his lady.
14
‘I have land into the north,
And I have white rigs many,
And I could gie them a' to you
To save the life of Geordie.
15
‘I have seven children in the north,
And they seem very bonnie,
And I could bear them a' over again
For to win the life o Geordie.’
16
Up bespake the gude Argyle;
He has befriended many;
‘If ye'll tell down ten hundred crowns,
Ye's win the life o Geordie.’
17
Some gaed her shillings, and some her crowns,
And some gaed her guineas many,
And she's telld down ten hundred crowns,
And she's wone the life o Geordie.
18
When she came down through Edinborough,
And Geordie in her hand, O,
‘Where will I get a writer's [house],
A writer's house so ready,
That I may write into the north
I have wone the life o Geordie'?
