YOUNG BEICHAN

IN London city was Beichan born,
He long'd strange countries for to see,
But he was ta'en by a savage Moor,
Who handl'd him right cruelly.

For thro' his shoulder he put a bore,
An' thro' the bore has pitten a tree,
An' he's gar'd him draw the carts o' wine,
Where horse and oxen had wont to be.

He's casten him in a dungeon deep,
Where he cou'd neither hear nor see;
He's shut him up in a prison strong,
An' he's handl'd him right cruelly.

The savage Moor had but ae dochter,
And her name it was Susie Pye,
And ilka day as she took the air,
The prison door she passed bye.

But it fell ance upon a day,

As she was walking, she heard him sing;

She listen'd to his tale of woe,

A happy day for young Beichan!

8

12

16

20

"My hounds they all go masterless,

My hawks they flee frae tree to tree, My youngest brother will heir my lands, My native land I'll never see."

"O were I but the

'm'a ladie bron-keeper,
'degree,

As I m'a

I soon wad set this youth at large,
And send him to his ain country."1 -1

101 291* 1509 920.71- by, of sH
She went away into her chamber, ma
All nicht she never closed her eet//
And when the morning begoud to dawn,
At the prison. door alane was she.[
fid z astig end stod sit 'onli 'ak.
O hae ye ony lands or rents, god'ef
Or cities in your ain country,.~, ! //
Cou'd free you out of prison strong,

An cou'd maintain a lady free?" !!

for wod odbion Pros i 90 (#

"O London city is my owng

"

An other cities twa or three, ‚{ '¡7.
Cou'd loose me out o' prison strong,
An' cou'd maintain a lady free."

H

O she has bribed her, father's men, A
Wi' meikle goud and white money,!
She 's gotten the key o' the prison doors,

And she has set young Beichan free.

gui m'd by de gaiden

She 's gi'n him a loaf o' good white bread,
But ana flask o' Spanish wine, ¡7.

24

28

3a

34

40

44

An' she bad' him mind on the lady's love
That sae kindly freed him out o' pine.

"Go set your foot on good ship-board,

An' haste you back to your ain country, An' before that seven years has an end, Come back again, love, and marry me."

48

52

It was long or seven years had an end;
She long'd fu' sair her love to see;
She's set her foot on good ship-board,
An' turn'd her back on her ain country. 56

She's sail'd up, so has she doun,,›,

Till she came to the other side;

She's landed at young Beichan's gates,

An' I hope this day she sall be his bride. 60

i

"Is this young Beichan's gates?" says she,
"Or is that noble prince within?
"He's up the stairs wi' his bonny bride,

An' mony a lord and lady wi' him.",

曾

"O has, he ta'en a bonny bride,

An' has he clean forgotten me!"

An' sighing said that gay lady,

64

"I wish I were in my ain country."

68

But she's pitten her han' in her pocket,
An' gi'n the porter guineas three;
Says, "Take ye that, ye proud porter,
An' bid, the bridegroom speak to me."

72

O whan the porter came up the stair,

He's fa'n low down upon his knee; "Won up, won up, ye proud porter,

An' what makes a' this courtesy?"

"O I've been porter at your gates

This mair nor seven years an' three, But there is a lady at them now

76

The like of whom I never did see.

80

"For on every finger she has a ring,

An' on the mid-finger she has three, An' there's as meikle goud aboon her brow As would but an earldome o' lan' to me." 84

Then up it started young Beichan,

An' sware so loud by our Lady,

"It can be nane but Susie Pye,

That has come o'er the sea to me."

88

O quickly ran he down the stair,

O' fifteen steps he has made but three; He's tane his bonny love in his arms,

An' a wot he kiss'd her tenderly.

"O hae you tane a bonny bride? An' hae you quite forsaken me? An' hae ye quite forgotten her

That gae you life and liberty?

She's lookit o'er her left shoulder

To hide the tears stood in her ee;

92

96

"Now fare thee well, young Beichan," she says, "I'll strive to think nae mair on thee."

100

"Take back your daughter, madam," he says, "An' a double dowry I'll gi' her wi'; For I maun marry my first true love, That's done and suffered so much for me."

He's take his bonny love by the han',
An' led her to yon fountain stane;
He's changed her name frae Susie Pye,
An' he's call'd her his bonny love, Lady
Jane.

Child, Pop. Bal., No. 53A (Gummere's Version).

104

108

THE BONNY EARL OF MURRAY

YE Highlands and ye Lawlands,

O where hae ye been?

They hae slain the Earl of Murray,
And they laid him on the green.

Now wae be to thee, Huntley!
And wherefore did ye sae?
I bade you bring him wi' you,
But forbade you him to slay.