GIL Morrice was an erlès son,

His name it waxed wide;
It was nae for his great ríchès,

Nor zet his mickle pride;
Bot it was for a lady gay,

That livd on Carron side.

Quhair sall I get a bonny boy,
That will win hose and shoen;
That will gae to lord Barnards ha',
And bid his lady cum?

And ze maun rin my errand, Willie;

And ze may rin wi' pride;

Quhen other boys gae on their foot,

On horse-back ze sall ride.

5

10

Ver. 11. something seems wanting here.

25

Gi owre sic thochts, I walde ze rede,
For fear ze should be tain.

Haste, haste, I say, gae to the ha',
Bid hir cum here wi speid:
If ze refuse my heigh command,
Ill gar zour body bleid.

Gae bid hir take this gay mantèl,
'Tis a' gowd bot the hem;

Bid hir cum to the gude grene wode,
And bring nane bot hir lain :
And there it is, a silken sarke,

Hir ain hand sewd the sleive;

And bid hir cum to Gill Morice,
Speir nae bauld barons leave,

Yes, I will gae zour black errand,

Though it be to zour cost; Sen ze by me will nae be warn'd,

In it ze sall find frost.

The baron he is a man of might,

He neir could bide to taunt,

As ze will see before its nicht,
How sma' ze hae to vaunt.

And sen I maun zour errand rin

Sae sair against my will,

Ver. 32, and 68. perhaps, 'bout the hem.

35

40

45

I'se mak a vow and keip it trow,

It sall be done for ill.

And quhen he came to broken brigue,
He bent his bow and swam ;

And quhen he came to grass growing,

}

50

Set down his feet and ran.

And quhen he came to Barnards ha',
Would neither chap nor ca':

55

Hail! hail! my gentle sire and dame !

Ver. 58. Could this be the wall of the castle?

Ze

Ze maun gae speik to Gill Moríce :
Speir nae bauld barons leave.
The lady stamped wi' hir foot,

And winked wi' hir ee;

Bot a' that she coud say or do,
Forbidden he wad nae bee.

Its surely to my bow'r-womàn;
It neir could be to me..

I brocht it to lord Barnards lady;
I trow that ze be she.

Then up and spack the wylie nurse,
(The bairn upon hir knee)
If it be cum frae Gill Morìce,

It's deir welcum to mee.

Ze leid, ze leid, ze filthy nurse,

Sae loud I heird ze lee;

I brocht it to lord Barnards lady;

I trow ze be nae shee.

Then up and spack the bauld baròn,

An angry man was hee;

He's tain the table wi' his foot,

She has he wi' his knce;

Till siller cup and 6 mazer*' dish

95

In flinders he gard flee.

Ver. 88. Perhaps, loud say I heire.

* i. e, a drinking cup of maple: other Edit. read ezar.

Gae

Gae bring a robe of zour cliding,

That hings upon the pin;

And I'll gae to the gude grene wode,

And speik wi' zour lemmàn.

O bide at hame, now lord Barnard,
I warde ze bide at hame;
Neir wyte a man for violence,
That neir wate ze wi' nane.

100

Gil Morice sate in gude grene wode,
He whistled and he sang:

105

O what mean a' the folk coming,

His brow was like the mountain snae

Gilt by the morning beam :

His cheeks like living roses glow:

His een like azure stream.

115