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No. LVI.

WILLY'S LADY.

WILLY'S

gone over the salt sea foam,

He has married a wife, and brought her home;

He wooed her for her yellow hair,

But his mither wrought her mickle care;

And mickle dolour suffers she,

For lighter she can never be ;

But in her bour she sits wi' pain,
And Willy mourns over her in vain,

Then to his mither he speaks his mind, That vile rank witch of foulest kind; He says" my ladye has a cup, "With gold, and silver all set up, "The handles are of the ivory bones, “And all set round wi' sparkling stones; "This gudely gift, she'll give to thee, "If of her young bairn, she may lighter be.".

i. e. Brought to bed.

Gg

... Of her young bairn shall she never be lighter, "Nor in her bour to shine the brighter, "But she shall die, and turn to clay, "And you shall wed another may. -"Another may I'll never wed, "Another may, I'll never bed!"Then sorely did that lady sigh,

-"I wish

my hour of death were nigh!

"Yet speak ye again to your mither

"That foul rank witch of cruel kind,

"And say your lady has a steed,

your mind,

"The like of him 's not in the land of Leed;

"Of that horse's main at every tress,

"There's a silver bell and a golden jess; "This gudely gift I'll give her with glee,

"If of my young

bairn I may lighter be.”—

-"Of her young bairn shall she never be lighter,

"Nor in her bour to shine the brighter;

"But she shall die and turn to clay,

"And you shall wed another may."

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"Another may I'll never bed!".

Then evermore sigh'd that ladye bright,

—" I wish my day had reach'd its night.”—

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With that arose the Billy Blynde, *
And in good tyme spake he his mind,
-"Yet gae ye to the market place,
"And there buy ye a loaf of wace, +

46

Shape it bairnly-like, to view,

"Stick in't twa glassy een of blue,

"Then bid the witch the christening to, "And notice well what she shall do.".

Then Willy has bought a loaf of wace,
And framed it to a bairn-like face,

And says to his mither, with seeming joy,
My lady is lighter of a young boy;

“And he'll in St. Mary's be christen'd to-night, "And you to the christ'ning I come to invite.". Syne has he stopped a little to see,

When this she heard, what say might she.

"O who has the nine witch knots unty'd,

"That were among

the locks of bride;
your

"Or who has ta'en out the comb of care,

"Which fasten'd that ladye's yellow hair?

"And who has ta'en down the bush of woodbine, "That hung between her bour and mine?

* A familiar spirit, or good genius.

+ Wax.

Ggz

"And who has kill'd the master-kid,

"That ran below that ladye's bed?
"And who has her left shoe-string undone,
"And let that lady be light of her son ?".

Then Willy the nine witch knots unty'd,

That were among

the locks of his bride;

And he has ta'en out the comb of care,

Which fasten'd his ladye's yellow hair,

And he has ta'en down the woodbine flowers,
Which the witch had hung between the bowers;
And he has slain the master-kid,

Which ran below that ladye's bed ;
And he has the left shoe-string undone,
And letten his ladye be light of her son;
But when she heard that his ladye was light,
That foul rank witch, she burst for spite!

No. LVII.

COURTEOUS KING JAMIE.

COURTEOUS King Jamie is gone

The fattest buck to find;

to the wood,

X

He chased the deer, and he chased the roe,

Till his friends were left behind.

He hunted over moss and moor,

And over hill and down,

Till he came to a ruined hunting hall

Was seven miles from a town.

He entered up the hunting hall,

To make him goodly cheer,

For of all the herds in the good green wood,
He had slain the fairest deer.

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