| |
| INVEREY cam doun Deeside, whistlin and playin, | |
| He was at brave Braikley’s yett 1 ere it was dawin. 2 | |
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| He rappit fu loudly an wi a great roar, | |
| Cried, ‘Cum doun, cum doun, Braikley, and open the door. | |
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| ‘Are ye sleepin, Baronne, or are ye wakin? | 5 |
| Ther’s sharpe swords at your yett, will gar 3 your blood spin. | |
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| ‘Open the yett, Braikley, and lat us within, | |
| Till we on the green turf gar your bluid rin.’ | |
| |
| Up spak his ladie, at his bak where she lay, | |
| ‘Get up, get up, Braikley, an be not afraid; | 10 |
| The’r but young hir’d widifus 4 wi belted plaids.’ | |
| |
| ‘Cum kiss me, mi Peggy, I’le nae langer stay, | |
| For I will go out and meet Inverey. | |
| |
| ‘But haud your tongue, Peggy, and mak nae sic din, | |
| For yon same hir’d widifus will prove themselves men.’ | 15 |
| |
| She called on her marys, 5 they cam to her hand; | |
| Cries, ‘Bring me your rocks, 6 lassies, we will them command. | |
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| ‘Get up, get up, Braikley, and turn bak your ky. 7 | |
| Or me an mi women will them defy. | |
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| ‘Cum forth then, mi maidens, and show them some play; | 20 |
| We’ll ficht them, and shortly the cowards will fly. | |
| |
| ‘Gin I had a husband, whereas I hae nane, | |
| He woud nae ly i his bed and see his ky taen. 8 | |
| |
| ‘Ther’s four-and-twenty milk-whit calves, twal o them ky, 9 | |
| In the woods o Glentanner, it’s ther thei a’ ly. | 25 |
| |
| ‘Ther’s goat i the Etnach, and sheep o the brae, | |
| An a’ will be plundered by young Inverey.’ | |
| |
| ‘Now haud your tongue, Peggy, and gie me a gun, | |
| Ye’ll see me gae furth, but I’ll never cum in. | |
| |
| ‘Call mi brother William, mi unkl also, | 30 |
| Mi cousin James Gordon; we’ll mount and we’ll go.’ | |
| |
| When Braikley was ready and stood i the closs, | |
| He was the bravest baronne that eer mounted horse. | |
| |
| Whan all wer assembled o the castell green, | |
| No man like brave Braikley was ther to be seen. | 35 |
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. . . . . . .
‘Turn bak, brother William, ye are a bridegroom; | |
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| ‘Wi bonnie Jean Gordon, the maid o the mill; | |
| O sichin and sobbin she’ll soon get her fill.’ | |
| |
| ‘I’m no coward, brother, ’tis kend I’m a man; | |
| ‘I’ll ficht, my dear brother, wi heart and gudewill, | 40 |
| |
| ‘I’ll ficht i your quarral as lang’s I can stand. | |
| And so will young Harry that lives at the mill. | |
| |
| ‘But turn, mi dear brother, and nae langer stay: | |
| What’ll cum o your ladie, gin Braikley thei slay? | |
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| ‘What’ll cum o your ladie and bonnie young son? | 45 |
| O what’ll cum o them when Braikley is gone?’ | |
| |
| ‘I never will turn: do you think I will fly? | |
| But here I will ficht, and here I will die.’ | |
| |
| ‘Strik dogs,’ crys Inverey, ‘and ficht till ye’re slayn, | |
| For we are four hundred, ye are but four men. | 50 |
| |
| ‘Strik, strik, ye proud boaster, your honour is gone, | |
| Your lands we will plunder, your castell we’ll burn.’ | |
| |
| At the head o the Etnach the battel began, | |
| At Little Auchoilzie thei killd the first man. | |
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| First thei killd ane, and soon they killd twa, | 55 |
| Thei killd gallant Braikley, the flour o them a’, | |
| |
| Thei killd William Gordon, and James o the Knox, | |
| And brave Alexander, the flour o Glenmuick. | |
| |
| What sichin and moaning was heard i the glen, | |
| For the Baronne o Braikley, who basely was slayn! | 60 |
| |
| ‘Cam ye bi the castell, and was ye in there? | |
| Saw ye pretty Peggy tearing her hair?’ | |
| |
| ‘Yes, I cam by Braikley, and I gaed in there, | |
| And there saw his ladie braiding her hair. | |
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| ‘She was rantin, and dancin, and singin for joy, | 65 |
| And vowin that nicht she woud feest Inverey. | |
| |
| ‘She eat wi him, drank wi him, welcomd him in, | |
| Was kind to the man that had slain her baronne.’ | |
| |
| Up spake the son on the nourice’s knee, | |
| ‘Gin I live to be a man, revenged I’ll be.’ | 70 |
| |
| Ther’s dool 10 i the kitchin, and mirth i the ha, | |
| The Baronne o Braikley is dead and awa. | |
