Rob Roy
No: 225; variant: 225C
- ROB ROY'S from the Hielands come
Unto our Lowland border,
And he has stolen a lady away,
To keep his house in order.
- Rob Roy's come to Blackhill's gate,
Twenty men his arms did carry,
And he has stolen a lady away,
On purpose her to marry.
- None knew till he surrounded the house,
No tidings came before him,
Or else she had been gone away,
For she did still abhor him.
- All doors and windows guarded were,
None could the plot discover;
Himself went in and found her out,
Professing how he loved her.
- 'Come go with me, my dear,' he said,
'Come go with me, my honey,
And you shall be my wedded wife,
I love you best of onie.'
- 'I will not go with you,' she said,
'Nor will I be your honey;
I neer shall be your wedded wife,
You love me for my money.'
- But he her drew amongst his crew,
She holding by her mother;
With mournful cries and watery eyes
They parted from each other.
- No time they gave her to be dressed
As ladies when they're brides, O,
But hurried her away in haste;
They rowed her in their plaids, O.
- As they went over hills and rocks,
The lady often fainted;
Says, Wae may it be, my cursed money,
This road to me invented!
- They passed away by Drymen town,
And at Buchanan tarried;
They bought to her a cloak and gown,
Yet she would not be married.
- But without consent they joined their hands;
By law ought not to carry;
The priest his zeal it was so hot
On her will he would not tarry.
- Four held her up before the priest,
Two laid her in the bed, O;
Och, mournfully she weeped and cried
When she by him was laid, O.
- 'Now you're come to the Highland hills,
Out of your native clime, lady,
Never think of going back,
But take this for your hame, lady.
- 'Be content, be content,
Be content to stay, lady;
Now ye are my wedded wife
Unto your dying day, lady.
- 'O Rob Roy was my father called,
But McGregor was his name, lady;
In all the country far and near
None did exceed his fame, lady.
- 'I'm as bold, I'm as bold,
I'm as bold as he, lady;
In France and Ireland I'll dance and fight,
And from them take the gree, lady.
- 'He was a hedge about his friends,
But a heckle to his faes, lady,
And every one that did him wrong,
He took them owre the nose, lady.
- 'I'm as bold, I'm as bold,
I'm as bold, and more, lady;
Every one that does me wrong
Shall feel my good claymore, lady.
- 'My father he has stots and ewes,
And he has goats and sheep, lady,
But you and twenty thousand punds
Makes me a man complete, lady.'