The Duke of Athole’s Nurse
No: 212; variant: 212E
- 'I AM the Duke o Athole's nurse,
My part does well become me,
And I wad gie aw my half-year's fee
For ae sicht o my Johnie.'
- 'Keep weill, keep weill your half-year's fee,
For ye'll soon get a sicht o your Johnie;
But anither woman has my heart,
And I'm sorry for to leave ye.'
- 'ye'll dow ye doun to yon changehouse,
And ye'll drink till the day be dawin;
At ilka pint's end ye'll drink my health out,
And I'll come and pay for the lawin.'
- Ay he ranted and he sang,
And drank till the day was dawin,
And ay he drank the bonnie lassy's health
That was coming to pay the lawin.
- He spared na the sack, tho it was dear,
The wine nor the sugar-candy,
. . . .
. . . .
- He's dune him to the shot-window,
To see an she was coming,
And there he spied twelve armed men,
That oure the plain cam rinning.
- He's dune him doun to the landlady,
To see gin she wad protect him;
She's buskit him up into women's claiths
And set him till a baking.
- Sae loudly as they rappit at the yett,
Sae loudly as they callit,
'Had ye onie strangers here last nicht,
That drank till the day was dawin?'