GUDE WALLACE—I
[_]
From C. K. Sharpe's “first collection,”
p. 18.
1
‘I wish I had a king,’ brave Wallace he said,
‘That every brave Scotsman might leave by his oun,
For between me and my sovreign leige
I think I see some ill [seed] sowen.’
2
Brave Wallace out-oer yon river he lap,
And he lighted low down on the plain,
And he came to a gay lady,
As she was at the well washing.
3
‘Some tidings, some tidings,’ brave Wallace he said,
‘Some tidings ye most tell unto me;
Now since we are met here togither on the plain,
Some tidings ye most tell unto me.’
4
‘O go ye down to yon wee ale-house,
And there is fifeteen Englishmen,
And they are seeking for good Wallace,
And him to take and him for to hang.’
5
‘I wish I had a penny in my pocket,’ he says,
‘Or although it were but a bare baubee,
And I wad away to the wee ale-house,
The fifeteen Englishmen to see.’
6
She's put hir hand in hir left pocket,
And fifeteen shillings to him she told down:
‘If ever I live to come back this way,
The money's be well paid agein.’
7
He louted twafauld oer a stick,
And he louted threefauld oer a tree,
And he'es gane awa to the wee ale-house,
The fifeteen Englishmen to see.
8
When he came to the wee ale-house,
He walked ben, says, Decencey be there!
The Engilish proud captain he awnsered him,
And he awnsered him with a graid domineer.
9
‘Why, where wast thou born, thou old crooked carle?
Where and of what country?’
‘I am a true Scotsman bred and born,
And an auld crooked carle, just sic as ye may see.’
10
‘I wad gee fifeteen shillings,’ the captain he said,
‘To an auld crooked carle, just sic a ane as thee,
If ye wad tell me of Willie Wallace,
For he's the man I wad fain see.’
11
‘O hold your hand,’ brave Wallace he said,
‘And let me see if yeer coin be good;
If ye wad give fifeteen shillings more,
Ye never bade a better boad.’
12
He's tean the captain out-oer the chaft-blade,
Till a bitt of meat he never did eat mair;
He stickit a' the reste as the sat aroun the table,
And he left them all a spraulling there.
13
‘Get up, get up, goodwife,’ he says,
‘Get up and get me some denner in haste,
For it is now three days and nights
Since a bit of meat my mouth did taste.’
14
The denner was not well made ready,
Nor was it on the table sett,
Till other fifeteen English men
Were a' perading about the yett.
15
‘Come out, come out now, Wallace,’ they crys,
‘For this is the place ye'es sure for [to] die;’
‘I lippen not sae little to good,’ he says,
‘Although I be but ill-wordie.’
16
The goodman ran butt, the goodwife ran ben,
They put the house in such a fever!
Five of them he sticket where they stood,
And other five he smoddered in the gitter.
17
Five of them he folowd to the merry green-wood,
And these five he hangt on a grain,
And gin the morn at ten o'clock
He was wi his mirry men at Lochmaben.
