Mary Hamilton
No: 173; variant: 173G
- O MARY HAMILTON to the kirk is gane,
Wi ribbons in her hair;
An the king thoct mair o Marie
Then onie that were there.
- Mary Hamilton's to the preaching gane,
Wi ribbons on her breast;
An the king thocht mair o Marie
Than he thocht o the priest.
- Syne word is thro the palace gane,
I heard it tauld yestreen,
The king loes Mary Hamilton
Mair than he loes his queen.
- A sad tale thro the town is gaen,
A sad tale on the morrow;
Oh Mary Hamilton has born a babe,
An slain it in her sorrow!
- And down then cam the auld queen,
Goud tassels tied her hair:
'What did ye wi the wee wee bairn
That I heard greet sae sair?'
- 'There neer was a bairn into my room,
An as little designs to be;
'Twas but a stitch o my sair side,
Cam owre my fair bodie.'
- 'Rise up now, Marie,' quo the queen,
'Rise up, an come wi me,
For we maun ride to Holyrood,
A gay wedding to see.'
- The queen was drest in scarlet fine,
Her maidens all in green;
An every town that they cam thro
Took Marie for the queen.
- But little wist Marie Hamilton,
As she rode oure the lea,
That she was gaun to Edinbro town
Her doom to hear and dree.
- When she cam to the Netherbow Port,
She laughed loud laughters three;
But when she reached the gallows-tree,
The tears blinded her ee.
- 'Oh aften have I dressed my queen,
An put gowd in her hair;
The gallows-tree is my reward,
An shame maun be my share!
- 'Oh aften hae I dressed my queen,
An saft saft made her bed;
An now I've got for my reward
The gallows-tree to tread!
- 'There's a health to all gallant sailors,
That sail upon the sea!
Oh never let on to my father and mither
The death that I maun dee!
- 'An I charge ye, all ye mariners,
When ye sail owre the main,
Let neither my father nor mither know
But that I'm comin hame.
- 'Oh little did my mither ken,
That day she cradled me,
What lands I was to tread in,
Or what death I should dee.
- 'Yestreen the queen had four Maries,
The nicht she'll hae but three;
There's Marie Seaton, an Marie Beaton,
An Marie Carmichael, an me.'