| |
| AS I came in by Achendown, | |
| A little wee bit frae the town, | |
| When to the Highlands I was bown, | |
| To view the haws of Cromdale, | |
| |
| I met a man in tartan trews, | 5 |
| I spier’d at him what was the news; | |
| Quoth he, “The Highland army rues | |
| That e’er we came to Cromdale.” | |
| |
| “We were in bed, sir, every man, | |
| When the English host upon us came; | 10 |
| A bloody battle then began | |
| Upon the haws of Cromdale. | |
| |
| “The English horse they were so rude, | |
| They bath’d their hoofs in Highland blood, | |
| But our brave clans they boldly stood, | 15 |
| Upon the haws of Cromdale. | |
| |
| “But alas! we could no longer stay, | |
| For o’er the hills we came away, | |
| And sore we do lament the day | |
| That e’er we came to Cromdale.” * * * * * | 20 |
| Thus the great Montrose did say, | |
| “Can you direct the nearest way? | |
| For I will o’er the hills this day, | |
| And view the haws of Cromdale.” | |
| |
| “Alas, my lord, you ’re not so strong; | 25 |
| You scarcely have two thousand men, | |
| And there ’s twenty thousand on the plain, | |
| Stand rank and file on Cromdale.” | |
| |
| Thus the great Montrose did say, | |
| “I say, direct the nearest way, | 30 |
| For I will o’er the hills this day, | |
| And see the haws of Cromdale.” | |
| |
| They were at dinner, every man, | |
| When great Montrose upon them came; | |
| A second battle then began | 35 |
| Upon the haws of Cromdale. | |
| |
| The Grants, Mackenzies, and M’Kys, | |
| Soon as Montrose they did espy, | |
| O then they fought most vehemently, | |
| Upon the haws of Cromdale. | 40 |
| |
| The M’Donalds, they return’d again, | |
| The Camerons did their standard join, | |
| M’Intosh play’d a bonny game, | |
| Upon the haws of Cromdale. | |
| |
| The M’Gregors fought like lyons bold, | 45 |
| M’Phersons, none could them controul, | |
| M’Lauchlins fought like loyal souls, | |
| Upon the haws of Cromdale. | |
| |
| (M’Leans, M’Dougals, and M’Neals, | |
| So boldly as they took the field, | 50 |
| And made their enemies to yield, | |
| Upon the haws of Cromdale.) | |
| |
| The Gordons boldly did advance, | |
| The Fraziers (fought) with sword and lance, | |
| The Grahams they made their heads to dance, | 55 |
| Upon the haws of Cromdale. | |
| |
| The loyal Stewarts, with Montrose, | |
| So boldly set upon their foes, | |
| And brought them down with highland blows, | |
| Upon the haws of Cromdale. | 60 |
| |
| Of twenty thousand Cromwells men, | |
| Five hundred went to Aberdeen, | |
| The rest of them lyes on the plain, | |
| Upon the haws of Cromdale. | |
| |
