O fee ze nat, my mirry men a'?

O fee ze nat quhat I fee? Methinks I fee a hoft of men:

I merveil quha they be.

She weend it had been hir luvely lord,

As he cam ryding hame ;

It was the traitor Edòm o' Gordon,
Quha reckt nae fin nor fhame.

She had nae fooner buskit hirfel,

And putten on hir goun,

Till Edom o' Gordon and his men

Were round about the toun.

They had nae fooner fupper fett,

Nae fooner faid the grace,

Till Edom o' Gordon and his men,

Were light about the place.

The lady ran up to hir towir head,

Sa faft as fhe could drie,

To fee if by hir fair speechès
She could wi' him agree.

15

20

25

30

But quhan he fee this lady faif,
And hir yates all locked fast,

He fell into a rage of wrath,

35.

And his hart was all aghast.
H 3

Cum

Cum doun to me, ze lady gay,

Cum doun, cum doun to me :

This night fall ye lig within mine armes,
To morrow my bride fall be.

I winnae cum doun, ze fals Gordon,

I winnae cum down to thee;

I winnae forfake my ain dear lord,
That is fae far frae me.

40

But reach my piftol, Glaud, my man,
And charge ze weil my gun:

For, but if I pierce that bluidy butcher,

55

My babes we been undone.

She ftude upon hir çaftle wa,

And let twa bullets flee:

She mift that bluidy butchers hart,

And only raz'd his knee.

60

Set fire to the houfe, quo' fals Gordòn,

All wood wi' dule and ire:

Fals lady, ze fall rue this deid,

As ze brenn in the fire.

Wae worth, wae worth ze, Jock my man,

65

I paid ze weil zour fee;

Lets in the reek to me?

Quhy pow ze out the ground-wa ftane,

And ein wae worth ze, Jock my man,

I paid ze weil zour hire;

70

Quhy pow ze out the ground-wa ftane,

Sayes, Mither dear, gi owre this house,

80

For the reek it smithers me.

I wad gie a' my gowd, my childe,

Sae wad I a' my fee,

For ane blast o' the westlin wind,

To blaw the reek frae thee.

H 4

O then

V. 98, 102. O gin, &c. a Scottish idiom to express great admiration.

Bulk

Bufk and boun, my merry men a',

For ill dooms I do guefs;

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 :

105

110

Let it neir be faid brave Edom o' Gordon

Was daunted by a dame.

But quhen the ladye fee the fire
Cum flaming owre hir head,

She wept and kift hir children twain,
Sayd, Bairns, we been but dead.

115

The Gordon then his bougill blew,

And faid, Awa', awa';

This houfe o' the Rhodes is a' in flame,

I hauld it time to ga'.

O then bespyed hir ain dear lord,

As hee cam owre the lee;

He fied his caftle all in blaze
Sa far as he could fee.

120

. 109, 110. Thame, &c. i. e. Them that look after omens of ill luck, ill luck will follow.

Then