University of Virginia Library

previous section The English and Scottish Popular Ballads
next section

MARY HAMILTON—V

[_]

“Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy,” No 9, Abbotsford; in the handwriting of William Laidlaw.

1

‘My father was the Duke of York,
My mother the gay ladie,
An I myself a maiden bright,
An the queen desired me.’

2

But there word gane to the kitchen,
There's word gane to the ha,
That Mary mild she gangs wi child
To the uppermost stewart of a'.

3

Than they sought but, and they sou[ght] ben,
They sought aneath the bed,
An there the fand the bonnie lad-bairn,
Lyin lappin in his blood.

4

‘Gae buss ye, Marie Hamilton,
Gae buss ye, buss ye bra,
For ye maun away to Edin[brough] town,
The queen's birthday [OMITTED]’

5

She wadna put on her black, bla[ck] silk,
Nor wad she put on the brown,
But she pat on the glisterin stufs,
To glister in Edinbrough town.

6

An whan she cam to the water-gate
Loud laughters gae she three,
But whan she cam to the Netherbow Port
The tear blinded Marie's ee.

7

'Twas up than spak Queen Marie's nurse,
An a sorry woman was she:
‘Whae sae clever o fit and ready o wit
Has telld sic news o thee!’

8

‘Oft have I [OMITTED] Queen Marie's head
Oft have I caimd her hair,
An a' the thanks I've gotten for that
Is the gallows to be my heir!

9

‘Oft have I dressd Queen Marie's head,
An laid her in her bed,
An a' the thanks I've gotten for that
Is the green gallows-tree to tread!

10

‘O spare, O spare, O judge,’ she cried,
‘O spair a day for me!’
‘There is nae law in our land, ladie,
To let a murderer be.’

11

‘Yestreen the queen had four Maries,
The night she'll hae but three;
There was Marie Seaton, and Ma[rie] Bea[ton],
An Marie Carmichael, an me.

12

‘O if my father now but kend
The death that I'm to die,
O muckle, muckle wad be the red gowd
That he wad gie for me.

13

‘An if my brothers kend the death
That I am now to die,
O muckle, muckle wad be the red blood
That wad be shed for me.’
previous section The English and Scottish Popular Ballads
next section