The Death of Parcy Reed
No: 193; variant: 193[B2]
- O Parcy Reed has Crozer taen,
And has deliverd him to the law;
But Crozer says he'll do warse than that,
For he'll gar the tower of the Troughend fa.
- And Crozer says he will do warse,
He will do warse, if warse can be;
For he'll make the bairns a' fatherless,
And then the land it may lie lea.
- O Parcy Reed has ridden a raid,
But he had better have staid at hame;
For the three fause Ha's of Girsenfield
Alang with him he has them taen.
- He's hunted up, and he's hunted down,
He's hunted a' the water of Reed,
Till wearydness has on him taen,
I the Baitinghope he's faen asleep.
- . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
And the fause, fause Ha's o Girsenfield,
They'll never be trowed nor trusted again.
- They've taen frae him his powther-bag,
And they've put water i his lang gun;
They've put the sword into the sheathe
That out again it'll never come.
- 'Awaken ye, awaken ye, Parcy Reed,
For I do fear ye've slept owre lang;
For yonder are the five Crozers,
A coming owre by the hinging-stane.'
- 'If they be five and we be four,
If that ye will stand true to me,
If every man ye will take one,
Ye surely will leave two to me.
- 'O turn, O turn, O Johny Ha,
O turn now, man, and fight wi me;
If ever ye come to Troughend again,
A good black nag I will gie to thee;
He cost me twenty pounds o gowd
Atween my brother John and me.'
- 'I winna turn, I canna turn;
I darena turn and fight wi thee;
For they will find out Parcy Reed,
And then they'll kill baith thee and me.'
- 'O turn, O turn now, Willie Ha,
O turn, O man, and fight wi me,
And if ever ye come to the Troughend again
A yoke of owsen I will gie thee.'
- 'I winna turn, I canna turn;
I darena turn and fight wi thee;
For they will find out Parcy Reed,
And they will kill baith thee and me.'
- 'O turn, O turn, O Thommy Ha,
O turn now, man, and fight wi me;
If ever ye come to the Troughend again,
My daughter Jean I'll gie to thee.;
- 'I winna turn, I darena turn;
I winna turn and fight with thee;
For they will find out Parcy Reed,
And then they'll kill baith thee and me.'
- 'O woe be to ye, traitors a'!
I wish England ye may never win;
Ye've left me in the field to stand,
And in my hand an uncharged gun.'
- 'Ye've taen frae me my powther-bag,
And ye've put water i my lang gun;
Ye've put the sword into the sheath
That out again it'll never come.
- 'O fare ye weel, my married wife!
And fare ye weel, my brother John!
That sits into the Troughend ha
With heart as black as any stone.
- 'O fare ye weel, my married wife!
And fare ye weel now, my sons five!
For hae ye been wi me this day
I surely had been man alive.
- 'O fare ye weel, my married wife!
And fare ye weel now, my sons five!
And fare ye weel, my daughter Jean!
I loved ye best ye were born alive.
- 'O some do ca me Parcy Reed,
And some do ca me Laird Troughend,
But it's nae matter what they ca me,
My faes have made me ill to ken.
- 'The laird o Clennel wears my bow,
The laird o Brandon wears my brand;
Whae ever rides i the Border side
Will mind the liard o the Troughend.'