Gight's Lady; or, Laird (Lord?) of Gight
GEORDIE—I
[_]
a. Buchan's MSS, II, 143. b. Kinloch MSS, VI, 1, in
the handwriting of Joseph Robertson.
1
‘I choosed my love at the bonny yates of Gight,
Where the birks an the flowers spring bony,
But pleasures I had never one,
But crosses very mony.
2
‘First I was mistress of Pitfan
And madam of Kincraigie,
And now my name is bonny Lady Anne,
And I am Gight's own lady.
3
‘He does not use me as his wife,
Nor cherish me as his lady,
But day by day he saddles the grey,
And rides off to Bignet's lady.’
4
Bignet he got word of this,
That Gight lay wi his lady;
He swore a vow, and kept it true,
To be revengd on's body.
5
‘Where will I get a bonny boy
Will run my errand shortly,
That woud run on to the bonny yates o Gight
Wi a letter to my lady?’
6
Gight has written a broad letter,
And seald it soon and ready,
And sent it on to Gight's own yates,
For to acquaint his lady.
7
The first of it she looked on,
O dear! she smiled bonny;
But as she read it till an end
The tears were thick an mony.
8
‘Come saddle to me the black,’ she says,
‘Come saddle him soon and shortly,
Ere I ride down to Edinburgh town,
Wi a lang side sark to Geordy.’
9
When she came to the boat of Leith,
I wad she did na tarry;
She gave the boatman a guinea o gold
To boat her oer the ferry.
10
As she gaed oer the pier of Leith,
Among the peerls many,
She dealt the crowns and dukedoons,
Bade them a' pray for Geordy.
11
As she gaed up the tolbooth-stair,
Among the nobles many,
Every one sat hat on head,
But hat in hand stood Geordy.
12
‘Has he brunt? or has he slain?
Or has he robbëd any?
Or has he done any other crime,
That gars you head my Geordy?’
13
‘He hasna brunt, he hasna slain,
He hasna robbed any;
But he has done another crime,
For which he will pay dearly.’
14
In it comes him First Lord Judge,
Says, George, I'm sorry for you;
You must prepare yourself for death,
For there'll be nae mercy for you.
15
In it comes him Second Lord Judge,
Says, George I'm sorry for you;
You must prepare yourself for death,
For there'll be nae mercy for you.
16
Out it speaks Gight's lady herself,
And vow, but she spake wordy!
‘Is there not a lord among you all
Can plead a word for Geordy?’
17
Out it speaks the first Lord Judge:
‘What lady's that amang you
That speaks to us so boldly here,
And bids us plead for Geordy?’
18
Out then spake a friend, her own,
And says, It's Gight's own lady,
Who is come to plead her own lord's cause,
To which she's true and steady.
19
The queen, looking oer her shott-window,
Says, Ann, I'm sorry for you;
If ye'll tell down ten thousand crowns,
Ye shall get home your Geordy.
20
She's taen the hat out of his hand,
And dear! it set her bonny;
She's beggd the red gold them among,
And a' to borrow Geordy.
21
She turnd her right and round about
Among the nobles many;
Some gave her dollars, some her crowns,
And some gave guineas many.
22
She spread her mantle on the floor,
O dear! she spread it bonny,
And she told down that noble sum;
Says, Put on your hat, my Geordy.
23
But out it speaks him gleid Argyle,
Says, Woe be to your body!
I wish that Gight had lost his head,
I should enjoyd his lady.
24
She looked oer her left shoulder,
A proud look and a saucy;
Says, Woe be to you, gleid Argyle!
Ye'll neer be like my Geordy.
25
‘You'll hae me to some writer's house,
And that baith seen and shortly,
That I may write down Gight's lament,
And how I borrowed Geordy.’
26
When she was in her saddle set,
And aye behind her Geordy,
Birds neer sang blyther in the bush
Than she behind her Geordy.
27
‘O bonny George, but I love thee well,
And O sae dear as I love thee!
The sun and moon and firmament above
Bear witness how I love thee!’
28
‘O bonny Ann, but I love thee well,
And O but sae dear as I love thee!
The birds in the air, that fly together pair and pair,
Bear witness, Ann, that I love thee!’
