The Sang of the Outlaw Murray; or,
The Outlaw Murray; or,
The Song of the Outlaw Murray
THE OUTLAW MURRAY—A
[_]
a. Herd's MSS, II, fol. 76, I, 255, 1795. b. Minstrelsy
of the Scottish Border, 1803, I, 1; principally from a copy
found among the papers of the late Mrs Cockburn, of
Edinburgh. c. Aytoun's Ballads of Scotland, 1859, II,
131; “from an old manuscript in the Philiphaugh charterchest,”
now not accessible. d. A copy among the Philiphaugh
papers, transcribed not earlier than 1848.
1
Etrick forest is a fair foreste,
In it grows manie a semelie trie;
The hart, the hynd, the dae, the rae,
And of a' [wylde] beastis grete plentie.
2
There's a castell biggit with lime and stane,
O gin it stands not pleasantlie!
In the fore front o that castell fair
Twa unicorns are bra to see.
3
There's the picture of a knight and a ladye bright,
And the grene hollin aboon their brie;
There an Outlaw keepis five hundred men,
He keepis a royalle companie.
4
His merrie men are in [ae] liverie clad,
Of the Lincoln grene so fair to see;
He and his ladie in purple clad,
O if they live not royallie!
5
Word is gane to our nobell king,
In Edinburgh where that he lay,
That there was an Outlaw in Etterick forest
Counted him nought and all his courtrie gay.
6
‘I mak a vowe,’ then the goode king said,
‘Unto the man that dear bought me,
I'se either be king of Etrick forest,
Or king of Scotland that Outlaw's bee.’
7
Then spak the erle hight Hamilton,
And to the noble king said he;
My sovereign prince, sum counsell tak,
First of your nobles, syne of me.
8
‘I redd you send yon bra Outlaw till
And see gif your man cum will he;
Desire him cum and be your man,
And hald of you yon forest frie.
9
‘And gif he refuses to do that,
We'll conquess both his lands and he,
Or else we'll throw his castell down,
And mak a widowe of his gaye ladie.’
10
The king called on a gentleman,
James Boyd, Erle of Arran, his brother was he;
When James he came before the king
He fell before him on his knie.
11
‘Welcum, James Boyd,’ said our nobil king,
‘A message ye maun gang for me;
Ye maun hie to Etrick forrest,
To yon Outlaw, where dwelleth he.
12
‘Ask hym of quhom he haldis his lands,
Or, man, wha may his master be;
Desyre him come and be my man,
And hald of me yon forrest frie.
13
‘To Edinburgh to cum and gang
His safe-warrand I sall be;
And, gif he refuses to do that,
We'll conquess baith his lands and he.
14
‘Thou mayst vow I'll cast his castell doun,
And mak a widow of his gay ladie;
I'll hang his merrie men pair by pair
In ony frith where I may them see.’
15
James Boyd took his leave of the nobill king,
To Etrick forrest fair came he;
Down Birkendale brae when that he cam,
He saw the fair forest with his ee.
16
Baith dae and rae and hart and hynd,
And of all wylde beastis grete plentie;
He heard the bows that bauldly ring,
And arrows whidderand near him by.
17
Of the fair castell he got a sight,
The like he nere saw with his ee;
On the fore front of that castell
Twa unicorns were bra to see.
18
The picture of a knight and a ladie bright,
And the grene hollin aboon their brie;
Thereat he spy'd five hundred men,
Shuting with bows upon the lee.
19
They a' were in ae liverie clad,
Of the Lincoln grene, sae fair to see;
The knight and his ladye in purple clad;
O gif they lived right royallie!
Therefore he kend he was master-man,
And served him in his ain degree.
20
‘God mot thee save, brave Outlaw Murray,
Thy ladie and a' thy chivalrie!’
‘Marry, thou's wellcum, gentleman,
Sum king's-messenger thou seems to be.’
21
‘The King of Scotland sent me hier,
And, gude Outlaw, I'm sent to thee;
I wad wat of whom ye hald your lands,
Or, man, wha may thy master be.’
22
‘Thir landis are mine,’ the Outlaw said,
‘I own na king in Christentie;
Frae Soudron I this forest wan,
When the king nor's knights were not to see.’
23
‘He desires you'l come to Edinburgh,
And hald of him this forest frie;
And gif you refuse to do this,
He'll conquess both thy landis and thee;
He has vowd to cast thy castell down,
And make a widow of thy gaye ladie.
24
‘He'll hang thy merrie men pair by pair,
In ony frith where he may them finde;’
‘Aye, by my troth,’ the Outlaw said,
‘Then wad I think me far behinde.
25
‘Eere the king my fair countrie get,
This land that's nativest to me,
Mony of his nobils sall be cauld,
Their ladies sall be right wearie.’
26
Then spak his ladye fair of face,
She said, Without consent of me
That an outlaw shuld come before the king:
I am right rad of treasonrie.
27
‘Bid him be gude to his lordis at hame,
For Edinburgh my lord sall never see:’
James tuke his leave of the Outlaw keene,
To Edinburgh boun is he.
28
And when he came before the king,
He fell before him on his knie:
‘Wellcum, James Boyd,’ said the nobil king,
‘What foreste is Etrick forest frie?’
29
‘Etrick forest is the fairest forest
That ever man saw with his ee;
There's the dae, the rae, the hart, the hynde,
And of all wild beastis great plentie.
30
‘There's a prittie castell of lime and stone,
O gif it stands not pleasauntlie!
There's on the fore side of that castell
Twa unicorns sae bra to see.
31
‘There's the picture of a knight and [a] ladie bright,
And the grene hollin aboon their brie;
There the Outlaw keepis five hundred men,
O gif they live not royallie!
32
‘His merry men in [ae] liverie clad,
O the Lincoln grene, so fair to see;
He and his ladye in purple clad,
O gif they live not royallie!
33
‘He says yon forest is his ain,
He wan it from the Soudronie;
Sae as he won it, sae will he keep it,
Contrair all kings in Christentie.’
34
‘Gar ray my horse,’ said the nobil king,
‘To Etrick [forest] hie will I me;’
Then he gard graith five thousand men,
And sent them on for the forest frie.
35
Then word is gane the Outlaw till,
In Etrick forest where dwelleth he,
That the king was cumand to his cuntrie,
To conquess baith his lands and he.
36
‘I mak a vow,’ the Outlaw said,
‘I mak a vow, and that trulie,
Were there but three men to tak my part,
Yon king's cuming full deir suld be.’
37
Then messengers he called forth,
And bade them haste them speedilie:
‘Ane of you go to Halliday,
The laird of the Corehead is he.
38
‘He certain is my sister's son,
Bid him cum quick and succour me;
Tell Halliday with thee to cum,
And shaw him a' the veritie.’
39
‘What news? what news,’ said Halliday,
‘Man, frae thy master unto me?’
‘Not as ye wad; seeking your aid;
The king's his mortal enemie.’
40
‘Aye, by my troth,’ quoth Halliday,
‘Even for that it repenteth me;
For, gif he lose fair Ettrick forest,
He'll take fair Moffatdale frae me.
41
‘I'll meet him wi five hundred men,
And surely mae, if mae may be:’
[The Outlaw calld a messenger,
And bid him hie him speedily.]
42
‘To Andrew Murray of Cockpool,
That man's a deir cousin to me;
Desire him cum and make me aid,
With all the power that he may be.
43
‘The king has vowd to cast my castell down,
And mak a widow of my gay ladye;
He'll hang my merry men pair by pair
I[n] ony place where he may them see.’
44
‘It stands me hard,’ quoth Andrew Murray,
‘Judge if it stands not hard with me,
To enter against a king with crown,
And put my lands in jeopardie.
45
‘Yet, gif I cum not on the daye,
Surelie at night he sall me see:’
To Sir James Murray, laird of Traquair,
A message came right speedilie.
46
‘What news? what news,’ James Murray said,
‘Man, frae thy master unto me?’
‘What needs I tell? for well ye ken
The king's his mortal enemie.
47
‘He desires ye'll cum and make him aid,
With all the powers that ye may be:’
‘And, by my troth,’ James Murray said,
‘With that Outlaw I'll live and die.
48
‘The king has gifted my lands lang syne,
It can not be nae war with me;’
[OMITTED]
[OMITTED]
49
The king was cumand thro Cadden ford,
And fiftene thousand men was he;
They saw the forest them before,
They thought it awsom for to see.
50
Then spak the erle hight Hamilton,
And to the nobil king said he,
My sovereign prince, sum counsell take,
First at your nobles, syne at me.
51
‘Desyre him meet you at Penman's Core,
And bring four in his cumpanie;
Fyve erles sall gang yoursell before,
Gude cause that you suld honord be.
52
‘And, if he refuses to do that,
Wi fire and sword we'll follow thee;
There sall never a Murray after him
Have land in Etrick forest frie.’
53
The king then called a gentleman,
Royal-banner-bearer then was he,
James Hope Pringle of Torsonse by name;
He came and knelit upon his knie.
54
‘Welcum, James Pringle of Torsonse;
Ye man a message gae for me;
Ye man gae to yon Outlaw Murray,
Surely where bauldly bideth he.
55
‘Bid him meet me at Penman's Core,
And bring four of his companie;
Five erles sall cum wi mysell,
Gude reason I suld honord be.
56
‘And if he refuses to do that,
Bid him look for nae gude o me;
There sall never a Murray after him
Have land in Etric forest frie.’
57
James came before the Outlaw keene,
And served him in his ain degree:
‘Wellcum, James Pringle of Torsonse,
What tidings frae the king to me?’
58
‘He bids you meet him at Penman's Core,
And bring four of your companie;
Five erles will cum with the king,
Nae more in number will he be.
59
‘And gif you refuse to do that,
I freely here upgive with thee,
There will never a Murray after thee
Have land in Etrick forest frie.
60
‘He'll cast your bonny castell down,
And make a widow of your gay ladie,
He'll hang your merry men pair by pair
In ony place where he may them see.’
61
‘It stands me hard,’ the Outlaw said,
‘Judge if it stands not hard with me;
I reck not of losing of mysell,
But all my offspring after me.
62
‘Auld Haliday, young Haliday,
Ye sall be twa to gang wi me;
Andrew Murray and Sir James Murray,
We'll be nae mae in cumpanie.’
63
When that they came before the king,
They fell before him on their knee:
‘Grant mercy, mercy, royal king,
Een for his sake who died on tre!’
64
‘Sicken-like mercy sall ye have,
On gallows ye sall hangit be;’
‘God forbid!’ quo the Outlaw then,
‘I hope your Grace will better be.
65
‘These lands of Etrick forest fair,
I wan them frae the enemie;
Like as I wan them, sae will I keep them,
Contrair all kings in Christentie.’
66
All the nobilis said, the king about,
Pitye it were to see him die:
‘Yet graunt me mercye, sovereign prince,
Extend your favour unto me!
67
‘I'll give you the keys of my castell,
With the blessing of my fair ladie;
Mak me the sheriff of the forest,
And all my offspring after me.’
68
‘Wilt thou give me the keys of thy castell,
With the blessing of thy fair ladye?
I'll mak the[e] shiryff of the forest,
Surely while upwards grows the trie;
If you be not traytour to the king,
Forfaulted sall ye never be.’
69
‘But, prince, what sall cum o my men?
When I go back, traitour they'll ca me;
I had rather lose my life and land,
Eer my merry men rebukëd me.’
70
‘Will your merry men amend their lives
And all their pardouns I grant thee:
Now name thy landes whe'ere they be,
And here I render them to thee.’
71
‘Fair Philiphaugh, prince, is my awin,
I biggit it wi lime and stane;
The Tinnies and the Hangingshaw,
My leige, are native steeds of mine.
72
‘[OMITTED]
[OMITTED]
I have mony steeds in the forest shaw,
But them by name I dinna knaw.’
73
The keys of the castell he gave the king,
With the blessing of his fair ladye;
He was made sheryff of Etrick forest,
Surely while upward grows the trie;
And, if he was not traytour to the king,
Forfaulted he suld never be.
74
Wha ever heard, in ony tymes,
Sicken an outlaw in his degree
Sic favour get before a king
As did the Outlaw Murray of the forest frie?
