| |
| ’TWAS in the seventeen hunder year | |
| O’ grace, and ninety-five, | |
| That year I was the wae’est man | |
| Of ony man alive. | |
| |
| In March the three-an’-twentieth morn, | 5 |
| The sun raise clear an’ bright; | |
| But oh! I was a waefu’ man, | |
| Ere to-fa’ o’ the night. | |
| |
| Yerl Galloway lang did rule this land, | |
| Wi’ equal right and fame, | 10 |
| And thereto was his kinsmen join’d, | |
| The Murray’s noble name. | |
| |
| Yerl Galloway’s man o’ men was I, | |
| And chief o’ Broughton’s host; | |
| So twa blind beggars, on a string, | 15 |
| The faithfu’ tyke will trust. | |
| |
| But now Yerl Galloway’s sceptre’s broke, | |
| And Broughton’s wi’ the slain, | |
| And I my ancient craft may try, | |
| Sin’ honesty is gane. | 20 |
| |
| ’Twas by the banks o’ bonie Dee, | |
| Beside Kirkcudbright’s towers, | |
| The Stewart and the Murray there, | |
| Did muster a’ their powers. | |
| |
| Then Murray on the auld grey yaud, | 25 |
| Wi’ winged spurs did ride, | |
| That auld grey yaud a’ Nidsdale rade, | |
| He staw upon Nidside. | |
| |
| And there had na been the Yerl himsel, | |
| O there had been nae play; | 30 |
| But Garlies was to London gane, | |
| And sae the kye might stray. | |
| |
| And there was Balmaghie, I ween, | |
| In front rank he wad shine; | |
| But Balmaghie had better been | 35 |
| Drinkin’ Madeira wine. | |
| |
| And frae Glenkens cam to our aid | |
| A chief o’ doughty deed; | |
| In case that worth should wanted be, | |
| O’ Kenmure we had need. | 40 |
| |
| And by our banners march’d Muirhead, | |
| And Buittle was na slack; | |
| Whase haly priesthood nane could stain, | |
| For wha could dye the black? | |
| |
| And there was grave squire Cardoness, | 45 |
| Look’d on till a’ was done; | |
| Sae in the tower o’ Cardoness | |
| A howlet sits at noon. | |
| |
| And there led I the Bushby clan, | |
| My gamesome billie, Will, | 50 |
| And my son Maitland, wise as brave, | |
| My footsteps follow’d still. | |
| |
| The Douglas and the Heron’s name, | |
| We set nought to their score; | |
| The Douglas and the Heron’s name, | 55 |
| Had felt our weight before. | |
| |
| But Douglasses o’ weight had we, | |
| The pair o’ lusty lairds, | |
| For building cot-houses sae fam’d, | |
| And christenin’ kail-yards. | 60 |
| |
| And there Redcastle drew his sword, | |
| That ne’er was stain’d wi’ gore, | |
| Save on a wand’rer lame and blind, | |
| To drive him frae his door. | |
| |
| And last cam creepin’ Collieston, | 65 |
| Was mair in fear than wrath; | |
| Ae knave was constant in his mind— | |
To keep that knave frae scaith.
· · · · | |
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