J. F. Campbell Collection > Minstrelsy of the Scottish border

AULD MAITLAND.
One day he came before the king,
And kneel'd low on his knee —
" A boon, a boon, my good uncle,
I crave to ask of thee !
" At onr lang wars, in fair Scotland,
I fain hae wished to be ;
If fifteen hundred waled * wight men
You'll grant to ride wi' me."
" Thou sail hae thae, thou sail hae mae ;
I say it sickerlie ;
And I mysell, an auld gray man,
Array'd your host sail see."
King Edward rade, king Edward ran —
I wish him dool and pyne !
Till he had fifteen hundred men
Assembled on the Tyne.
And thrice as many at Berwicke f
Were all for battle bound,
fV/io, inarching forth with false Dunlar,
A ready welcome found.
They lighted on the banks of Tweed,
And blew their coals sae bet.
And fired the Merse and Teviotdale,
All in an evening late.
As they fared up o'er Lammermore,
They burned baith up and down,
Untill they came to a darksome house ;
Some call it Leader-Town.
" Wha bauds this house ?" young Edward cry'd,
" Or wha gics't ower to me ?"
A gray-hair'd knight set up his head,
And crackit right crousely :
" Of Scotland's king I baud my house ;
He pays me meat and fee ;
And I will keep my gude auld house.
While my house will keep me."
They laid their sowies to the wall,
Wi' mony a heavy peal ;
But he threw ower to them agen
Baith pitch and tar barrel.
"t" North Berwick, according to some reciters