As ze will see before its nicht,

How sma' ze hae to vaunt.

And sen I maun zour errand rin
Sae sair against my will,

I'se make a vow and keip it trow,

It sall be done for ill.

And quhen he came to broken brigue,
He bent his bow and swam:

And quhen he came to grass growing,
Set down his feet and ran.

And quhen he came to Barnards ha',
Would neither chap nor ca':

Bot set his bent bow to his breist,

And lichtly lap the wa'.

He wauld nae tell the man his errand,

Though he stude at the gait;

60

Bot straiht into the ha' he cam,

Quhair they were set at meit.

Hail! hail! my gentle sire and dame!

My message winna waite;

Dame, ze maun to the gude grene wod

65

Before that it be late.

Tis a' gowd bot the hem:

Ze're bidden tak this gay mantèl,

Zou maun gae to the gude grene wode,
Ev'n by your sel alane.

70

1 i. e. a drinking cup of maple; other edit. read ezar.

O what mean a' the folk coming,
My mother tarries lang.

His hair was like the threeds of gold,
Drawne frae Minerva's loome:

110

O better I loe my Gill Morice
Than a' my kith and kin!
Away, away, ze ill woman,

And an il deith mait ze dee:

Gin I had kend he'd bin zour son,
He'd neir bin slain for mee.

175

Obraid me not, my lord Barnard!

Obraid me not for shame!

Wi' that saim speir O pierce my heart!

Had gard his body bleid.

Dry up zour tears, my winsome dame,
Ze neir can heal the wound;

Ze see his head upon the speir,

195

His heart's blude on the ground.

200

I curse the hand that did the deid,
The heart that thocht the ill;
The feet that bore me wi' sik speid,
The comely zouth to kill