Mary Hamilton
No: 173; variant: 173[U]
- 'My father was the Duke of York,
My mother a gay ladye,
And I myself a daintie dame;
The queen she sent for me.
- 'But the queen's meat it was sae sweet,
And her clothing was sae rare,
It made me long for a young man's bed,
And I rued it evermair.'
- But worid is up, and word is down,
Amang the ladyes a',
That Marie's born a babe sin yestreen,
That babe it is awa.
- But the queen she gat wit of this,
She calld for a berry-brown gown,
And she's awa to Marie's bower,
The bower that Marie lay in.
- 'Open your door, my Marie,' she says,
'My bonny and fair Marie;
They say you have born a babe sin yestreen,
That babe I fain wad see.'
- 'It is not sae wi me, madam,
It is not sae wi me;
It is but a fit of my sair sickness,
That oft times troubles me.'
- 'Get up, get up, my Marie,' she says,
'My bonny and fair Marie,
And we'll away to Edinburgh town,
And try the verity.'
- Slowly, slowly, gat she up,
And slowly pat she on,
And slowly went she to that milk-steed,
To ride to Edinburgh town.
- But when they cam to Edinburgh,
And in by the Towbooth stair,
There was mony a virtuous ladye
Letting the tears fa there.
- 'Why weep ye sae for me, madams?
Why weep ye sae for me?
For sin ye brought me to this town
This death ye gar me die.'
- When she cam to the Netherbow Port,
She gae loud laughters three;
But when she cam to the gallows-foot
The tear blinded her ee.
- 'Yestreen the queen had four Maries,
The night she'll hae but three;
There was Marie Seton, and Marie Beatoun,
And Marie Carmichael, and me.
- 'My love he was a pottinger,
Mony drink he gae me,
And a' to put back that bonnie babe,
But alas! it wad na do.
- 'I pat that bonny babe in a box,
And set it on the sea;
O sink ye, swim ye, bonny babe!
Ye's neer get mair o me.
- 'O all ye jolly sailors,
That sail upon the sae,
Let neither my father nor mother ken
The death that I maun die.
- 'But if my father and mother kend
The death that I maun die,
O mony wad be the good red guineas
That wad be gien for me.'