The English and Scottish Popular Ballads :: :: University of Virginia Library

When out it spake him Reedisdale,
And a rash word spake he;
Says, There is not a lady fair,
In bower wherever she be,
But I could aye her favour win
Wi ae blink o my ee.

4

Then out it spake him Wise William,
And a rash word spake he;
Says, I have a sister of my own,
In bower where ever she be,
And ye will not her favour win
With three blinks of your ee.

5

‘What will ye wager, Wise William?
My lands I'll wad with thee;’
‘I'll wad my head against your land,
Till I get more monie.’

6

Then Reedisdale took Wise William,
Laid him in prison strang,
That he might neither gang nor ride,
Nor ae word to her send.

7

But he has written a braid letter,
Between the night and day,
And sent it to his own sister
By dun feather and gray.

8

When she had read Wise William's letter,
She smilëd and she leugh;
Said, Very well, my dear brother,
Of this I have eneuch.

9

She looked out at her west window
To see what she could see,
And there she spied him Reedisdale
Come riding ower the lea.

10

Says, Come to me, my maidens all,
Come hitherward to me;
For here it comes him Reedisdale,
Who comes a-courting me.

11

‘Come down, come down, my lady fair,
A sight of you give me;’
‘Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,
For me you will not see.’

12

‘Come down, come down, my lady fair,
A sight of you give me;
And bonny are the gowns of silk
That I will give to thee.’

13

‘If you have bonny gowns of silk,
O mine is bonny tee;
Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,
For me you shall not see.’

14

‘Come down, come down, my lady fair,
A sight of you I'll see;
And bonny jewels, brooches and rings
I will give unto thee.’

15

‘If you have bonny brooches and rings,
O mine are bonny tee;
Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,
For me you shall not see.’

16

‘Come down, come down, my lady fair,
One sight of you I'll see;
And bonny are the ha's and bowers
That I will give to thee.’

17

‘If you have bonny ha's and bowers,
O mine are bonny tee;
Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,
For me you shall not see.’

18

‘Come down, come down, my lady fair,
A sight of you I'll see;
And bonny are my lands so broad
That I will give to thee.’

19

‘If you have bonny lands so broad,
O mine are bonny tee;
Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,
For me ye will not see.’

20

‘Come down, come down, my lady fair,
A sight of you I'll see;
And bonny are the bags of gold
That I will give to thee.’

21

‘If you have bonny bags of gold,
I have bags of the same;
Go from my yetts now, Reedisdale,
For down I will not come.’

22

‘Come down, come down, my lady fair,
One sight of you I'll see;

385

Or else I'll set your house on fire,
If better cannot be.’

23

Then he has set the house on fire,
And all the rest it tuke;
He turned his wight horse head about,
Said, Alas, they'll ne'er get out!

24

‘Look out, look out, my maidens fair,
And see what I do see,
How Reedisdale has fired our house,
And now rides oer the lea.

25

‘Come hitherwards, my maidens fair,
Come hither unto me;
For thro this reek, and thro this smeek,
O thro it we must be!’

26

They took wet mantles them about,
Their coffers by the band,
And thro the reek, and thro the flame,
Alive they all have wan.

27

When they had got out thro the fire,
And able all to stand,
She sent a maid to Wise William,
To bruik Reedisdale's land.

28

‘Your lands is mine now, Reedisdale,
For I have won them free;’
‘If there is a gude woman in the world,
Your one sister is she.’

Roudesdales

REDESDALE AND WISE WILLIAM—B

[_]

Harris MS., fol. 14 b; from Mrs Harris.

1

Roudesdales an Clerk William
Sat birlin at the wine,
An a' the talk was them atween
Was aboot the ladies fine, fine,
Was aboot the ladies fine.

2

Says Roudesdales to Clerk William,
I'll wad my lands wi thee,
I'll wad my lands against thy head,
An that is what I'll dee,

3

‘That there's no a leddy in a' the land,
That's fair, baith ee an bree,
That I winna wed withoot courtin,
Wi ae blink o my ee.’

4

Says William, I've an ae sister,
She's fair, baith ee an bree;
An you'll no wed her withoot courtin,
Wi ae blink o your ee.’

5

He has wrote a broad letter,
Between the nicht an the day,
An sent it to his ae sister
Wi the white feather an the gray.

6

The firsten line she luekit on,
A licht lauchter gae she;
But eer she read it to the end
The tear blindit her ee.

7

‘Oh wae betide my ae brither,
Wald wad his head for me,
[OMITTED]
[OMITTED]’

8

Roudesdales to her bour has gane,
An rade it round aboot,
An there he saw that fair ladie,
At a window lookin oot.

9

‘Come doon, come doon, you fair ladie,
Ae sicht o you to see;
For the rings are o the goud sae ried
That I will gie to thee.’

10

‘If yours are o the goud sae ried,
Mine's o the silver clear;
So get you gone, you Roudesdales,
For you sall no be here.’

11

‘Come doon, come doon, you lady fair,
Ae sicht o you to see;
For the gouns are o the silk sae fine
That I will gie to thee.’

12

‘If yours are o the silk sae fine,
Mine's o the bonnie broun;

386

Sa get you gone, you Roudesdales,
For I will no come doon.’

13

‘Come doon, come doon, you ladie fair,
Ae sicht o you to see;
For the steeds are o the milk sae white
That I will gie to thee.’

14

‘If yours are o the milk sae white,
Mine's o the bonnie broun;
Sae get you gone, you Roudesdales,
For I will no come doon.’

15

‘Come doon, come doon, you ladie fair,
Ae sicht o you to see;
Or I will set your bour on fire
Atween your nurse an thee.’

16

‘You may set my bowr on fire,
As I doubt na you will dee,
But there'll come a sharp shour frae the wast
Will slocken't speedilie.’

17

He has set her bour on fire,
An quickly it did flame;
But there cam a sharp shour frae the wast
That put it oot again.

18

Oot amang the fire an smoke
That bonnie lady cam,
Wi as muckle goud aboon her bree
As wald bocht an earldom.

19

‘Oh wae betide you, ill woman,
An ill, ill died may you dee!
For ye hae won your brither's head,
An I go landless free.’

REDESDALE AND WISE WILLIAM—C

[_]

Kinloch MSS, V, 423.

1

Redesdale and Clerk William
Sat drinking at the wine;
They hae fawn a wagering them atween
At a wanhappy time.

2

‘What will ye wad,’ says Redesdale,
‘O what will ye wad wi me
That there's na a lady in a' the land
But I wad win wi ae blink o my ee?’