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Legends & Sagas
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280A: The Beggar-Laddie
280A.1 SHIPERDRR-rrBOY, what is yer trade?
Or what way do ye wine yer bread?
Or what way do ye wine yer bread,
Fan the kipeng nout gies over?
280A.2 Spindels an forls it is my trade,
An bits o sticks to them who need,
Whilk is a gentell trade indeed;
Bony lassie, cane ye lea me?
280A.3 I lea you as I supos
Rachell loved Jacob of old,
As Jason loied his flice of gould,
Sae dearly do I lea ye.
280A.4 Ye cast off yer clouty coat,
An ye pitt one my scarlett cloke,
An I will follou you just att the back,
Becass ye are a bonny laddie.
280A.5 He cust off his cloutty coat,
An he patt on her scarlet cloke,
An she folloued him just att the back,
Becaus he was a bonny laddie.
280A.6 They gaed on, an forder on,
Till they came to yon borrous-toun;
She bought a loaf an they both satt doun,
Bat she ate no we her laddie.
280A.7 They gaed on, an forder one,
Till they came to the nest borrous-toun;
I wat the lassie louked doun,
For the following of her laddie.
280A.8 O if I wer on the head of yon hill,
Ther I wad greet my fill,
For the follouing of my laddie.
280A.9 O had yer toung, my dearest dear,
I ill ha ye back as I brought ye hear,
For I canna bear yer morning.
280A.10 O had yer toung, my dearest dear,
I will gae throu the warld baith far an near,
Becaus yer a bonny ladie.
280A.11 They gad on, an forder on,
Till they came to his fathers haa,
An he knoked ther fue loudly.
280A.12 O had ye hand, my dear[est] dear,
An dou not knoke sae loudly,
For fear they sud be angry.
280A.13 Four-an-tuenty gentelmen
They conved the beager ben,
An as mony gay lad s
Conved the beagers lassie.
280A.14 His brother lead her throu the haa:
I wis, brother, we had beagged a,
For sick a bonny lassie.
280A.15 That smae night she was bedded,
An the nist morning she was wedded;
She came to gued by grait misgiding,
By the follouing of her laddie.
280B: The Beggar-Laddie
280B.1 TWAS on a day in the month o June
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . . .
When Phoebus shines sae clearly.
280B.2 . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
She says, My dear, what is your trade
When thiggin ye give over?
280B.3 Spinls and forls is my trade,
Wi bits o sticks I win my bread,
An O it is a winnin trade;
Bonnie lassie, can ye loo me?
An O it is, etc.
280B.4 O I can love ye manyfold,
As Jacob loved Rachel of old,
And as Jessie loved the cups o gold;
My dear, can ye believe me?
As Jessie, etc.
280B.5 Its yell tak aff the robes o red,
An yell pit on the beggin-weed,
An yell gang wi me an yell beg your bread,
An yell be the beggars dawtie.
280B.6 When they cam to yon borough-toon,
They bocht a loaf an they baith sat doon,
They bocht a loaf an they baith sat doon,
An the lassie ate wi her laddie.
280B.7 When they cam to yon grassy hill,
Where spotted flocks do feed their fill,
Ill sit me doon an Ill greet a while,
For the followin o my laddie.
280B.8 Its yell tak aff yer beggin-weed,
An yell pit on the goons o red,
An ye-ll gang ye back the road ye cam
For I canna bide yer greetin.
280B.9 Betide me weel, betide me woe,
Its wi the beggar an Ill go,
An Ill follow him through frost an snow,
An Ill be the beggars dawtie.
280B.10 When they cam to yonder ha,
He knockit loud an sair did ca;
She says, My dear, well be foun in fa
For knockin here sae loudly.
280B.11 Four-an-twenty gentlemen
Cam a to welcome the beggar in,
An as monie fair ladies gay
To welcome s bonnie lassie.
280B.12 When at he gied through the ha,
Tney a did laugh, they were like to fa,
Sayin, Brither, I wish we had beggit a,
For sic a bonnie lassie.
280B.13 The streen ye was the beggars bride,
An noo this nicht yell lie by my side,
Come weel, come woe, whateer betide,
An yell be aye my dawtie.
280C: The Beggar-Laddie
280C.1 DOWN in yonder garden gay,
Where many a ladie does repair,
Where many a ladie does repair,
Puing of flowers sae bonnie.
280C.2 O do you see yon shepherds son,
Feeding his flocks in yonder loan,
Feeding his flocks in yonder loan?
Vow but he feeds them bonnie!
280C.3 O laddie, laddie, what is your trade?
Or by what means do you win your bread?
Or by what means do you win your bread?
O laddie, tell unto me.
280C.4 By making spindles is my trade,
Or whorles in the time o need,
And by which ways I do win my bread:
O lady, do you love me?
280C.5 As Judas loved a piece of gold,
As Jacob loved Rachel of old,
As Jacob loved Rachel of old,
O laddie, I do love thee.
280C.6 You must put off your robes of silk,
You must put on my cloutit claes,
And follow me hard at by back,
And yell be my beggar-lassie.
280C.7 Shes put aff her robes of silk,
And shs put on his cloutit claes,
And shes followed him hard at his back,
And shes been his beggar-lassie.
280C.8 O when they cam to [the] borrowstoun,
Vow but the lassie lookit doun!
Vow but the lassie lookit doun!
Following her beggar-laddie.
280C.9 O when they cam to Stirling toun,
He coft a loaf and they baith sat doun,
He coft a loaf and they baith sat doun,
And shes eaten wi her beggar-laddie.
280C.10 O do you see yon hie, hie hill,
Where the corn grows baith rank and tall?
If I was ther, I would greet my fill,
Where naebody wuld see me.
280C.11 When they came to his brothers hall,
Vow but he chappit loud and schill!
Dont chap sea loud, the lassie said,
For we may be fund faut wi.
280C.12 r-and-twenty gentlemen,
And twice as many gay ladies,
And twice as many gay ladies,
Came to welcome in the lassie.
280C.13 His brother led her thro the hall,
With laughter he was like to fall;
He said, I think we should beg it all,
For she is a bonnie lassie.
280C.14 You must put aff your cloutit claes,
You must put on your robes of silk,
You must put on your robes of silk,
For ye are a young knichts ladye.
280D: The Beggar-Laddie
280D.1 TWAS in the pleasant month of June,
When woods and valleys a grow green,
And valiant ladies walk alane,
While Phoebus shines soe clearly.
And valiant ladies, etc.
280D.2 Out-ower yon den I spied a swain,
Wi a shepherds club into his han;
He was driving ewes out-ower yon knowes,
And said, Lassie, I could love you.
He was driving ewes, etc.
280D.3 Oh, I could love you manifold,
As Jacob lovd Rachel of old,
As Jesse lovd the fields of gold,
So dearly could I love you.
280D.4 In has and chambers yese be laid,
In silks and cambrics yese be clade,
An wi the finest yese be fed,
My dear, gin ye would believe me.
280D.5 Your has and chambers yell soon sweep clean,
Wi your flattering tongue now let me alane;
You are designd to do me wrang,
Awa, young man, and leave me.
280D.6 But tell me now what is your trade,
When youve given over sheep and club?
. . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . .
280D.7 By making besoms I win by bread,
And spindles and whorles in time o need;
Isnt that a gentle trade indeed?
Bonnie lassie, can you loe me?
280D.8 Will ye cast aff your mantle black
And put on you a clouty cloak,
And follow me close at the back,
The gaberlunyie-laddie?
280D.9 n she coost aff her mantle black,
And she put on a clouty cloak,
And she followd him close at the back,
Her gaberlunyie-laddie.
280D.10 As they gaed through youn borough-town,
For shame the lassie lookit down,
But they bought a loaf and they both sat down,
And the lassie ate wi her laddie.
280D.11 When they came to his fathers gate,
Sae loudly as he rappd thereat;
My dear, said she, yell be found in faut
For rapping there sae loudly.
280D.12 Then four-and-twenty gentlemen
Convoyd the gentle beggar ben,
And aye as mony gay ladies
Convoyd the bonny lassie.
280D.13 n they were come into the ha,
Wi laughter a were like to fa:
I wish, dear brother, we had begg d a,
For sic a bonnie lassie.
280D.14 Then as he stood amang them a,
He let his meal-pocks a down fa,
And in red gowd he shone oer them a,
And she was a young knights lady.
280D.15 Yestreen she was the beggers bride,
As his wife she now stood by his side,
And for a the lassies ill misguide,
Shes now the young knights lady.
280E: The Beggar-Laddie
280E.1 TWAS in the merry month of June,
When woods and gardens were all in bloom,
When woods and gardens were all in bloom,
And Phqbus shining clearly.
280E.2 Did you not see your shepherd-swain,
Feeding his flocks upon the plain,
Feeding his flocks all one by one,
And keeping them together?
280E.3 Did you not see yon bonny green,
Where dukes and lords and my love hath been,
Where dukes and lords and my love hath been,
And Phqbus shining clearly?
280E.4 O shepherd, shepherd, tell me indeed
Which is the way you dou win your bread,
Which is the way you dou win your bread,
When feeding you give over?
280E.5 By making spindles I win my bread,
By turning whorles in time of need,
By turning whorles in time of need,
Say, lassy, can you love me?
280E.6 I could love you manifold,
As Jacob loved Rachel of old,
As Jacob loved Rachel of old,
So dearly could I love you.
280E.7 You must cast off these robes of silk,
And put about my shepherds cloak,
And you must walk down at my back,
Like a shepherds bonny lassie.
280E.8 She has cast off her robes of silk,
And put about his shepherds cloak,
And she has walkd down at his back,
Like a shepherds bonny lassie.
280E.9 O they walked up, and they walked down,
Till this fair maiden shes wearyed grown;
Says she, My dear, well go to some town,
And there tak up our lodgings.
280E.10 O whan they cam to his fathers gate,
Sae loudly, loudly as he did rap;
Says she, My dear, well be found in fault
For rapping here sae boldly.
280E.11 But whan they cam to his fathers hall,
O loud, loud laughter they laughed all,
Saying, Brother, I wish we had herded all,
Yeve got sic an a bonny lassie.
280E.12 Now this young couple they were wed,
And all the way the flowers were spread,
For in disguise they were married;
Shes now the young squires lady.
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