Bothwell
GIL BRENTON—G
[_]
Herd's Ancient and Modern Scots Songs, 1769, p. 244; ed.
1776, I, 83.
1
As Bothwell was walking in the lowlands alane,
Hey down and a down
He met six ladies sae gallant and fine.
Hey down and a down
2
He cast his lot amang them a',
And on the youngest his lot did fa.
3
He's brought her frae her mother's bower,
Unto his strongest castle and tower.
4
But ay she cried and made great moan,
And ay the tear came trickling down.
5
‘Come up, come up,’ said the foremost man,
‘I think our bride comes slowly on.’
6
‘O lady, sits your saddle awry,
Or is your steed for you owre high?’
7
‘My saddle is not set awry,
Nor carries me my steed owre high;
8
‘But I am weary of my life,
Since I maun be Lord Bothwell's wife.’
9
He's blawn his horn sae sharp and shrill,
Up start the deer on evry hill.
10
He's blawn his horn sae lang and loud,
Up start the deer in gude green-wood.
11
His lady mother lookit owre the castle wa,
And she saw them riding ane and a'.
12
She's calld upon her maids by seven,
To mak his bed baith saft and even.
13
She's calld upon her cooks by nine,
To make their dinner fair and fine.
14
When day was gane, and night was come,
‘What ails my love on me to frown?
15
‘Or does the wind blow in your glove?
Or runs your mind on another love?’
16
‘Nor blows the wind within my glove,
Nor runs my mind on another love;
17
‘But I nor maid nor maiden am,
For I'm wi bairn to another man.’
18
‘I thought I'd a maiden sae meek and sae mild,
But I've nought but a woman wi child.’
19
His mother's taen her up to a tower,
And lockit her in her secret bower.
20
‘Now, doughter mine, come tell to me,
Wha's bairn this is that you are wi.’
21
‘O mother dear, I canna learn
Wha is the faither of my bairn.
22
‘But as I walkd in the lowlands my lane,
I met a gentleman gallant and fine.
23
‘He keepit me there sae late and sae lang,
Frae the evning late till the morning dawn.
24
‘And a' that he gied me to my propine
Was a pair of green gloves and a gay gold ring;
25
‘Three lauchters of his yellow hair,
In case that we shoud meet nae mair.’
26
His lady mother went down the stair:
[OMITTED]
27
‘Now son, now son, come tell to me,
Where's the green gloves I gave to thee?’
28
‘I gied to a lady sae fair and so fine
The green gloves and a gay gold ring.
29
‘But I wad gie my castles and towers,
I had that lady within my bowers.
30
‘But I wad gie my very life,
I had that lady to be my wife.’
31
‘Now keep, now keep your castles and towers,
You have that lady within your bowers.
32
‘Now keep, now keep your very life,
You have that lady to be your wife.’
33
‘O row my lady in sattin and silk,
And wash my son in the morning milk.’
