T fell about the Martinmas,

Quhen the wind blew shril and cauld,
Said Edom o' Gordon to his men,
We maun draw till a hauld.1

And quhat a hauld sall we draw till,
My mirry men and me?

We wul gae to the house o' the Rodes,
To see that fair ladìe.

The lady stude on hir castle wa',
Beheld baith dale and down:

There she was ware of a host of men
Cum ryding towards the toun.2

O see ye nat, my mirry men a'?
O see ye nat quhat I see?
Methinks I see a host of men:
I marveil quha they be.

3

She weend it had been hir luvely lord,
As he cam ryding hame;

It was the traitor Edom o' Gordon,
Quha reckt nae sin nor shame.

She had nae sooner buskit* hirsel,
And putten on hir goun,
But Edom o' Gordon and his men
Were round about the toun.

They had nae sooner supper sett,
Nae sooner said the grace,
But Edom o' Gordon and his men,
Were light about the place.

[1 to a hold.

2 dwelling-house.

Q

3 thought. 4 dressed.]

5

10

15

20

25

The lady ran up to hir towir head,
Sa fast as she could hie,
To see if by hir fair speechès
She could wi' him agree.

But quhan he see this lady saif,
And hir yates' all locked fast,
He fell into a rage of wrath,
And his look was all aghast.

Cum doun to me, ye lady gay,

Cum doun, cum doun to me:

This night sall ye lig2 within mine armes,
To-morrow my bride sall be.

I winnae cum doun, ye fals Gordon,
I winnae cum doun to thee;

I winnae forsake my ain dear lord,
That is sae far frae me.

Give owre your house, ye lady fair,
Give owre your house to me,
Or I sall brenn' yoursel therein,

Bot and your babies three.

I winnae give owre, ye false Gordon,
To nae sik traitor as yee;

And if ye brenn my ain dear babes,
My lord sall make ye drie.

But reach my pistoll, Glaud, my man,*
And charge ye weil my gun:*

For, but an I pierce that bluidy butcher, 55
My babes we been undone.

She stude upon hir castle wa',

And let twa bullets flee : *

* These three lines are restored from Foulis's edition, and the fol. MS., which last reads the bullets, in ver.

58.

She mist that bluidy butchers hart,
And only raz'd his knee.

Set fire to the house, quo' fals Gordòn,

All wood wi' dule1 and ire :

Fals lady, ye sall rue this deid,

As ye bren in the fire.

60

Wae worth,2 wae worth ye, Jock my man, 65

I paid ye weil your fee;

Quhy pu' ye out the ground-wa' stane.3

4

Lets in the reek to me?

And ein wae worth ye, Jock my man,

I paid ye weil your hire;

Quhy pu' ye out the ground-wa stane,
To me lets in the fire?

70

Sayes, Mither deare, gi' owre this house,
For the reek it smithers me.

80

I wad gie a' my gowd," my childe,
Sae wald I a' my fee,

For ane blast o' the western wind,

To blaw the reek frae thee.

O then bespaik hir dochter dear,
She was baith jimp' and sma:
O row me in a pair o' sheits,
And tow me owre the wa.

85

They rowd hir in a pair o' sheits,
And towd hir owre the wa:
But on the point of Gordons spear,
She gat a deadly fa.

O bonnie bonnie was hir mouth,
And cherry were hir cheiks,
And clear clear was hir yellow hair,
Whereon the reid bluid dreips.

Then wi' his spear he turnd hir owre,
O gin hir face was wan!
He sayd, ye are the first that eir
I wisht alive again.

He turnd hir owre and owre againe,
O gin hir skin was whyte!
I might ha spared that bonnie face
To hae been sum mans delyte.

Busk and boun,' my merry men a',
For ill dooms I doe guess;

I cannae luik in that bonnie face,
As it lyes on the grass.

Thame, luiks to freits, my master deir,

Then freits wil follow thame:

Let it neir be said brave Edom o' Gordon

Was daunted by a dame.

But quhen the ladye see the fire

Cum flaming owre hir head,

She wept and kist her children twain,
Sayd, Bairns, we been but dead.

90

95

100

105

110

115

Ver. 98, 102. O gin, &c. a Scottish idiom to express great admiration. V. 109, 110. Thame, &c. i.e. Them that look after omens of ill luck, ill luck will follow.

['make ready to go.]

The Gordon then his bougill1 blew,
And said, Awa', awa';

This house o' the Rodes is a' in flame,
I hauld it time to ga'.

O then bespyed hir ain dear lord,

As hee cam owr the lee;

He sied2 his castle all in blaze

Sa far as he could see.

Then sair, O sair his mind misgave,

And all his hart was wae;

Put on, put on, my wighty men,

So fast as ye can gae.

Put on, put on, my wighty3 men,
Sa fast as ye can drie ;*

For he that is hindmost of the thrang,
Sall neir get guid o' me.

Than sum they rade, and sum they rin,
Fou fast out-owr the bent; 5
But eir the foremost could get up,

Baith lady and babes were brent.

He wrang his hands, he rent his hair,
And wept in teenefu' muid:"

O traitors, for this cruel deid
Ye sall weep teirs o'bluid.

And after the Gordon he is gane,
Sa fast as he might drie;

And soon i' the Gordon's foul hartis bluid,
He's wroken his dear ladie.

8

120

125

130

135

140