'The cock doth craw, the day doth daw, The channerin' worm doth chide; 'Fare ye weel, my mother dear! A LYKE-WAKE DIRGE. [Contains popular beliefs common to Asiatic and European races, as to the trials of the Dead.] This ae nighte, this ae nighte, Every night and alle, Fire and sleet, and candle lighte, When thou from hence away are paste, To Whinny-muir thou comest at laste; If ever thou gavest hosen and shoon, Sit thee down, and put them on; And Christe receive thye saule. If hosen and shoon thou ne'er gavest nane, The whinnes shall pricke thee to the bare bane; From Whinny-muir when thou mayst passe, To Brigg o' Dread thou comest at laste; From Brigg o' Dread when thou mayst passe, Every night and alle; To Purgatory fire thou comest at laste; If ever thou gavest meat or drink, Every night and alle; The fire shall never make thee shrinke; If meate or drinke thou never gavest nane, The fire will burn thee to the bare bane; This ae nighte, this ae nighte, Fire and sleet, and candle lighte, And Christe receive thye saule. A SONG OF THE SCOTCH MARCHES. KINMONT WILLIE [The events here reported occurred in 1596. The ballad is the best example of those which treat of rescues, and lawless exploits in the debateable land.] O have ye na heard o' the fause Sakelde? O have ye na heard o' the keen Lord Scroop? How they hae ta'en bauld Kinmont Willie, On Hairibee to hang him up? Had Willie had but twenty men, But twenty men as stout as he, Fause Sakelde had never the Kinmont ta'en, Wi' eight score in his cumpanie. They band his legs beneath the steed, They led him thro' the Liddel-rack, And also thro' the Carlisle sands 'My hands are tied, but my tongue is free, Or answer by the border law? Or answer to the bauld Buccleuch!' 'Now haud thy tongue, thou rank reiver! There's never a Scot shall set ye free: Before ye cross my castle yate, I trow ye shall take farewell o' me.' 'Fear na ye that, my lord,' quo' Willie: 'By the faith o' my body, Lord Scroop,' he said, 'I never yet lodged in a hostelrie, But I paid my lawing before I gaed.' Now word is gane to the bauld Keeper, In Branksome Ha', where that he lay, He has ta'en the table wi' his hand, 'O is my basnet1 a widow's curch?? Or my lance a wand of the willow tree? 'And have they ta'en him, Kinmont Willie, Is Keeper here on the Scottish side? 'And have they e'en ta'en him, Kinmont Willie, Withouten either dread or fear? And forgotten that the bauld Buccleuch O were there war between the lands, 'I would set that castell in a low1, And sloken it with English blood! There's nevir a man in Cumberland, Should ken where Carlisle castell stood. 'But since nae war's between the lands, He has call'd him forty marchmen bauld, The laird of Stobs, I mean the same. He has call'd him forty marchmen bauld, There were five and five before them a', 1 flame. 2 armour on shoulder. And five and five, like a mason gang, And so they reached the Woodhouselec. And as we cross'd the Bateable Land, Whae sould it be but fause Sakelde? 'Where be ye gaun, ye hunters keen?' Quo' fause Sakelde; 'come tell to me!' 'We go to hunt an English stag, Has trespassed on the Scots countrie.' 'Where be ye gaun, ye marshal men?' Quo' fause Sakelde; 'come tell me true!' 'We go to catch a rank reiver, Has broken faith wi' the bauld Buccleuch.' 'Where are ye gaun, ye mason lads, Wi' a' your ladders, lang and hie?' 'We gang to herry a corbie's nest, That wons not far frae Woodhouselee.' 'Where be ye gaun, ye broken men?' 'Why trespass ye on the English side? Row-footed outlaws, stand!' quo' he; The never a word had Dickie to say, Sae he thrust the lance through his fause bodie. Then on we held for Carlisle toun, And at Staneshaw-bank the Eden we cross'd; The water was great and meikle of spait, |