The English and Scottish Popular Ballads Edited by Francis James Child. |
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 | The English and Scottish Popular Ballads |  |
John the little Scot
JOHNIE SCOT—T
[_]
in the youthful handwriting of Sir Walter Scott, inserted, as No 4, at the beginning of a MS. volume, in small folio, containing a number of prose pieces, etc., Abbotsford Library, L. 2.
1
Johnny's gane up to fair EnglandThree quarters of a year,
And Johny's gane up to fair England,
The king's broad banner to bear.
2
He had not been in fair England,Even but a little while,
When that the king's ae dochter
To Johnny gaes wi child.
3
And word is gane to the kitchen,And word's gane to the ha,
And word's gane to the high, high court,
Amang the nobles a'.
4
And word is gane unto the king,In the chair where he sat,
That his ae dochter's wi bairn
To John the little Scott.
5
‘If that I thought she is wi bairn,As I true weell she be,
I'll put her up in high prison,
And hunger her till she die.’
6
‘There is a silken sark, Johnny,My ain sell sewed the gare,
And if ye come to tak me hence
Ye need nae taken mare.
7
‘For I am up in high prison,And O but it is cold!
My garters are o the cold, cold iron,
In place o the beaten gold.’
8
‘Is this the Duke o York?’ they said,‘Or James the Scottish king?
Or is it John the little Scott,
Frae Scotland new come hame?’
9
‘I have an Italian in my bower,This day he has eaten three;
Before I either eat or sleep
The fourth man ye shall be.’
10
[OMITTED][OMITTED]
Between his een there was two spans,
His shoulders ells were three.
11
Johnny drew forth his good braid glaiveAnd slate it on the plain:
‘Is there any more of your Italian dogs
That wanteth to be slain?’
12
‘A clerk, a clerk!’ her father cry'd‘To register this deed;’
‘A priest, a priest!’ her mother cry'd,
‘To marry them wi speed.’
| The English and Scottish Popular Ballads | |