Gight's Lady
GEORDIE—J
[_]
Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, I, 133.
1
‘First I was lady o Black Riggs,
And then into Kincraigie;
Now I am the Lady o Gight,
And my love he's ca'd Geordie.
2
‘I was the mistress o Pitfan,
And madam o Kincraigie;
But now my name is Lady Anne,
And I am Gight's own lady.
3
‘We courted in the woods o Gight,
Where birks and flowrs spring bonny;
But pleasures I had never one,
But sorrows thick and mony.
4
‘He never ownd me as his wife,
Nor honourd me as his lady,
But day by day he saddles the grey,
And rides to Bignet's lady.’
5
When Bignet he got word of that,
That Gight lay wi his lady,
He's casten him in prison strong,
To ly till lords were ready.
6
‘Where will I get a little wee boy,
That is baith true and steady,
That will run on to bonny Gight,
And bring to me my lady?’
7
‘O here am I, a little wee boy,
That is baith true and steady,
That will run to the yates o Gight,
And bring to you your lady.’
8
‘Ye'll bid her saddle the grey, the grey,
The brown rode neer so smartly;
Ye'll bid her come to Edinbro town,
A' for the life of Geordie.’
9
The night was fair, the moon was clear,
And he rode by Bevany,
And stopped at the yates o Gight,
Where leaves were thick and mony.
10
The lady lookd oer castle-wa,
And dear, but she was sorry!
‘Here comes a page frae Edinbro town;
A' is nae well wi Geordie.
11
‘What news, what news, my little boy?
Come tell me soon and shortly;’
‘Bad news, bad news, my lady,’ he said,
‘They're going to hang your Geordie.’
12
‘Ye'll saddle to me the grey, the grey,
The brown rade neer so smartly;
And I'll awa to Edinbro town,
Borrow the life o Geordie.’
13
When she came near to Edinbro town,
I wyte she didna tarry,
But she has mounted her grey steed,
And ridden the Queen's Ferry.
14
When she came to the boat of Leith,
I wat she didna tarry;
She gae the boatman a guinea o gowd
To boat her ower the ferry.
15
When she came to the pier o Leith,
The poor they were sae many;
She dealt the gowd right liberallie,
And bade them pray for Geordie.
16
When she gaed up the tolbooth-stair,
The nobles there were many:
And ilka ane stood hat on head,
But hat in hand stood Geordie.
17
She gae a blink out-ower them a',
And three blinks to her Geordie;
But when she saw his een fast bound,
A swoon fell in this lady.
18
‘Whom has he robbd? What has he stole?
Or has he killed ony?
Or what's the crime that he has done,
His foes they are sae mony?’
19
‘He hasna brunt, he hasna slain,
He hasna robbed ony;
But he has done another crime,
For which he will pay dearly.’
20
Then out it speaks Lord Montague,
O wae be to his body!
‘The day we hangd young Charles Hay,
The morn we'll head your Geordie.’
21
Then out it speaks the king himsell,
Vow, but he spake bonny!
‘Come here, young Gight, confess your sins,
Let's hear if they be mony.
22
‘Come here, young Gight, confess your sins,
See ye be true and steady;
And if your sins they be but sma,
Then ye'se win wi your lady.’
23
‘Nane have I robbd, nought have I stown,
Nor have I killed ony;
But ane o the king's best brave steeds,
I sold him in Bevany.’
24
Then out it speaks the king again,
Dear, but he spake bonny!
‘That crime's nae great; for your lady's sake,
Put on your hat now, Geordie.’
25
Then out it speaks Lord Montague,
O wae be to his body!
‘There's guilt appears in Gight's ain face,
Ye'll cross-examine Geordie.’
26
‘Now since it all I must confess,
My crimes' baith great and mony:
A woman abused, five orphan babes,
I killd them for their money.’
27
Out it speaks the king again,
And dear, but he was sorry!
‘Your confession brings confusion,
Take aff your hat now, Geordie.’
28
Then out it speaks the lady hersell,
Vow, but she was sorry!
‘Now all my life I'll wear the black,
Mourn for the death o Geordie.’
29
Lord Huntly then he did speak out,
O fair mot fa his body!
‘I there will fight doublet alane
Or ony thing ails Geordie.’
30
Then out it speaks the king again,
Vow, but he spake bonny!
‘If ye'll tell down ten thousand crowns,
Ye'll buy the life o Geordie.’
31
She spread her mantle on the ground,
Dear, but she spread it bonny!
Some gae her crowns, some ducadoons,
And some gae dollars mony:
Then she tauld down ten thousand crowns,
‘Put on your hat, my Geordie.’
32
Then out it speaks Lord Montague,
Wae be to his body!
‘I wisht that Gight wanted the head;
I might enjoyd his lady.’
33
Out it speaks the lady hersell,
‘Ye need neer wish my body;
O ill befa your wizzend snout!
Woud ye compare wi Geordie?’
34
When she was in her saddle set,
Riding the leys sae bonny,
The fiddle and fleet playd neer sae sweet
As she behind her Geordie.
35
‘O Geordie, Geordie, I love you well,
Nae jealousie coud move me;
The birds in air, that fly in pairs,
Can witness how I love you.
36
‘Ye'll call for one, the best o clerks,
Ye'll call him soon and shortly,
As he may write what I indite,
A' this I've done for Geordie.’
37
He turned him right and round about,
And high, high looked Geordie:
‘A finger o Bignet's lady's hand
Is worth a' your fair body.’
38
‘My lands may a' be masterless,
My babes may want their mother;
But I've made a vow, will keep it true,
I'll be bound to no other.’
39
These words they causd a great dispute,
And proud and fierce grew Geordie;
A sharp dagger he pulled out,
And pierced the heart o's lady.
40
The lady's dead, and Gight he's fled,
And left his lands behind him;
Altho they searched south and north,
There were nane there coud find him.
41
Now a' that lived into Black Riggs,
And likewise in Kincraigie,
For seven years were clad in black,
To mourn for Gight's own lady.
