Rob Roy
No: 225; variant: 225[L]
- Rob Roy's from the Highlands come
Down to the Lowland border,
An there he's stole a fair lady away,
To keep his house in order.
- As he came in by Blackhill gate,
Twenty men his arms did carry,
And he has stole a fair lady away,
On purpose hir to marry.
- No tidings came unto the house,
Nor none went in before him,
Or else she had been run away,
For she did still abhor him.
- But with his men he surunded the house,
Himself went in unto hir,
And when that he had found her out
He profest how much he lovt hir.
- 'O wilt thou be my dear?' he says,
'O wilt thou be my hony?
O wilt thou be my wedded wife?
For I love you far better than ony.'
- 'I will not be your dear,' she says,
'I will not be your honey,
I will not be your wedded wife;
You love me for my money.'
- But he hir drew amongst his crew,
She holding by hir mother;
With doleful cries and watry eyes
The parted from each other.
- He gave hir no time for to dress
As brides do when the marry,
But fast he hurried hir away,
And rowd hir in his plaidy.
- He set hir on a milk-white steed,
Himslef lept on behind hir,
And he has carried hir away,
Hir friends the could not find hir.
- The lady's cries were oftimes heard,
But none durst venture to hir;
She gaurded was on every side,
Hir friends could not rescue hir.
- As the went over hills and rocks,
The lady oftimes fainted;
Cries, Wo be to my curst mony,
These roads to me invented.
- As the came in by Drummond town
And at Bachannan tarried,
He bought to her a cloak and gown,
Yet wad she not be married.
- And when she came the priest before
He askd if she would marry,
But the parson's zeal it was so hot
For her will he did not tarry.
- Four held hir up before the priest,
Tow laid hir in hir bed, O,
But still she cried, with watry eyes,
When she was by him laid O.
- 'Now you'r to the Highlands come,
Out of your native clime, lady,
Never think of going back,
But tak it for your hame, lady.
- 'Be content, be content,
Be content to stay, lady,
Now you are my wedded wife,
Until your dying day, lady.
- 'Rob Roy was my father calld,
McGregor was his name, lady,
And all the country where he dwelt
None could exceed his fame, lady.
- 'I'll be kind, I'll be kind,
I'll be kind to thee, lady,
A' thy kindred for thy sake
Shall truly favoured be, lady.
- 'My father reignd as Highland king,
And ruled at his will, lady,
There was nether lord nor duke
Durst do him ony ill, lady.
- 'Ay through time, ay through time,
Ay through time was he, lady,
Filled was w[ith] sweet revenge
On a' his enemys, lady.
- 'He was a hedge about his friends,
A heckle till his foes, lady,
And every ane that did him rang,
He took them oer the nose, lady.
- 'I'm as bold, I'm as bold,
[As bold] as forest boar, lady,
Every ane that does thee rang
Shall feell my stell claymore, lady.
- 'Neer a man from Highlands came
That ever did him dare, lady,
But if those persons did escape
He sized upon there gear, lady.
Ay through time, etc.
- 'My father dealt in horse and cows,
But thou in goats and sheep, lady,
Thre and twenty thousand merk
Makes me a man complete, lady.
Be content, etc.
- 'Of all the exploits my father did
I do him now outshine, lady;
He never took a prize in 's life
With sic a face as thine, lady.'