Ballads of Mystery and Miracle and Fyttes of Mirth Part 25

3.

'For if I gang to the Broomfield Hill, My maidenhead is gone; And if I chance to stay at hame, My love will ca' me mansworn.'

4.

Up then spake a witch-woman, Ay from the room aboon: 'O ye may gang to the Broomfield Hill, And yet come maiden hame.

5.

'For when ye gang to the Broomfield Hill, Ye'll find your love asleep, With a silver belt about his head, And a broom-cow at his feet.

6.

'Take ye the blossom of the broom, The blossom it smells sweet, And strew it at your true-love's head, And likewise at his feet.

7.

'Take ye the rings off your fingers, Put them on his right hand, To let him know, when he doth awake, His love was at his command.'

8.

She pu'd the broom flower on Hive Hill, And strew'd on's white hals-bane, And that was to be wittering true That maiden she had gane.

9.

'O where were ye, my milk-white steed, That I hae coft sae dear, That wadna watch and waken me When there was maiden here?'

10.

'I stamped wi' my foot, master, And gard my bridle ring, But na kin thing wald waken ye, Till she was past and gane.'

11.

'And wae betide ye, my gay goss-hawk, That I did love sae dear, That wadna watch and waken me When there was maiden here.'

12.

'I clapped wi' my wings, master, And aye my bells I rang, And aye cry'd, Waken, waken, master, Before the lady gang.'

13.

'But haste and haste, my gude white steed.

To come the maiden till, Or a' the birds of gude green wood Of your flesh shall have their fill.'

14.

'Ye need na burst your gude white steed Wi' racing o'er the howm; Nae bird flies faster through the wood, Than she fled through the broom.'

[Annotations: 3.4: 'mansworn,' perjured.

5.4: 'broom-cow,' twig of broom.

8.2: 'hals-bane,' neck-bone. See _The Twa Corbies_ (p. 82), 4.1.

8.3: 'wittering,' witness.

9.2: 'coft,' bought.

10.3: 'kin,' kind of. Cp. _Lady Maisry_, 2.2 (First Series, p. 70).

14.2: 'howm' = holme, the level low ground on the banks of a river or stream. --Jamieson.]

WILLIE'S FATAL VISIT

+The Text+ is taken from Buchan's _Ballads of the North of Scotland_. It consists largely of familiar fragments. Stanzas 9-11 can be found in _The Grey c.o.c.k_.

+The Story+ is a trivial piece in Buchan's usual style; but the smiling ghost, which is female (17.1), is a delightful novelty. She a.s.sumes the position of guardian of Willie's morals, then tears him in pieces, and hangs a piece on every seat in the church, and his head over Meggie's pew!

WILLIE'S FATAL VISIT

1.

'Twas on an evening fair I went to take the air, I heard a maid making her moan; Said, 'Saw ye my father? Or saw ye my mother?

Or saw ye my brother John?

Or saw ye the lad that I love best, And his name it is Sweet William?'

2.

'I saw not your father, I saw not your mother, Nor saw I your brother John; But I saw the lad that ye love best, And his name it is Sweet William.'

3.

'O was my love riding? or was he running?

Or was he walking alone?

Or says he that he will be here this night?

O dear, but he tarries long!'

4.

'Your love was not riding, nor yet was he running, But fast was he walking alone; He says that he will be here this night to thee, And forbids you to think long.'

5.

Then Willie he has gane to his love's door, And gently tirled the pin: 'O sleep ye, wake ye, my bonny Meggie, Ye'll rise, lat your true-love in.'

6.

The la.s.sie being swack ran to the door fu' snack, And gently she lifted the pin, Then into her arms sae large and sae lang She embraced her bonny love in.

7.

'O will ye gang to the cards or the dice, Or to a table o' wine?

Or will ye gang to a well-made bed, Well cover'd wi' blankets fine?'

8.

'O I winna gang to the cards nor the dice, Nor yet to a table o' wine; But I'll rather gang to a well-made bed, Well-cover'd wi' blankets fine.'

9.

'My braw little c.o.c.k, sits on the house tap, Ye'll craw not till it be day, And your kame shall be o' the gude red gowd, And your wings o' the siller grey.'

10.

The c.o.c.k being fause untrue he was, And he crew an hour ower seen; They thought it was the gude day-light, But it was but the light of the meen.

11.

'Ohon, alas!' says bonny Meggie then, 'This night we hae sleeped ower lang!'

'O what is the matter?' then Willie replied, 'The faster then I must gang.'