Glen Collection of printed music > Printed text > Scottish ballads

314
Sorely shent with this rebuke,
Sorely shent was the heire of Linne ;
His heart, I wis, was near to brast,
With guilt and sorrow, shame and sinne.
Never a word spake the heire of Linne,
Never a word he spak but tlu-ee :
" This is a trusty friend indeed.
And is richt welcome unto me."
Then round his necke the corde he drew,
And sprung aloft with his bodie :
When lo I the ceiling burst in twaine.
And to the ground came tumbling hee.
Astonyed lay the heire of Linne ;
Ne knew if he were live or dead.
At length he looked and saw a bille,
And in it a key of gold so redd.
He took the bille, and looked it on ;
Straight good comfort found he there :
It told him of a hole in the wall.
In which there stood three chests in-fere.
Two were full of the beaten gold ;
The third was full of white monie ;
And over them, in broad letters,
These words were written so plaine to S€
" Once more, my son, I set thee cleare ;
Amend thy life and follies past ;
For but thou amend thee of thy life,
That rope must be thy end at last."
" And let it be," said the heire of Linne ;
" And let be, but if I amend .