Page:Oxford Book of English Verse 1250-1918.djvu/539

 LADY GRISEL BAILLIE

When bonnie young Johnnie cam owre the see,

He said he saw naething sae lovely as me ;

He hecht me baith rings and mony braw things

And wercna my heart's licht, I wad dee.

He had a wee titty that lo'ed na me,

Because I was twice as bonnie as she;

She raised sic a pother 'twixt him and his mother

That werena my heart's licht, I wad dee.

The day it was set, and the bridal to be*

The wife took a dwam and lay doun to dee,

She mancd and she graned out o' dolour and pain.

Till he vow'd he never wad see me again.

His kin was for ane of a higher degree,

Said What had he do wi' the likes of me ?

Appose 1 was bonnie, I wasna for Johnnie

And werena my heart's licht, I wad dee.

They said I had neither cow nor calf,

Nor dribbles o' drink rins thro' the draff,

Nor pickles o' meal rins thro' the mill-e'e

And werena my heart's licht, I wad dee.

His titty she was baith wylie and slee:

She spied me as I cam owre the lea;

And then she ran m and made a loud din

Believe your am e'en, an ye trow not me.

His bonnet stood ay fu' round on his brow,

His auld ane look'd ay as well as some's new

But now he lets 't wear ony gait it will hing,

And casts himsel dowie upon the corn bing.

hecht] promised. titty] sister. dwam] sudden illness appose] suppose. pickles] small quantities. hing] hang dowie] dejectedly.

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