Glen Collection of printed music > Printed music > Wood's edition of the songs of Scotland

THE SONGS OF SCOTLAND.
215
: 72
KENMURE'S ON AND AWA, WILLIE.
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And Ken-mure's lord's the brav - est lord That ev - er Gal - lo - way
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Sue - cess to Ken - mure's band, Wil-he, Sue - cess to Ken-mure's
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band ! There's no a heart that fears a Whig, That rides in Ken-mure's band.
Here's Kenmure's health in wine, Willie,
Here's Kenmure's health in wine ;
There ne'er was a coward o' Kenmure's blude,
Nor yet o' Gordon's line.
Kenmure's lads are men, Willie,
Kenmure's lads are men ;
Their hearts and swords are metal true,
And that their foes shall ken.
They'll live or die wi' fame, Willie,
They'll live or die wi' fame ;
But soon, wi' sounding victorie,
May Kenmure's lord come hame.
Here's him that's far awa', Willie,
Here's him that's far awa' ;
And here's the flower that I lo'e best,
The rose that's like the snaw.
" Kenmube's on and awa'." " The hero of this ballad," says Mr. Stenhouse, " was the Right Honourable William
Gordon, Viscount Kenmure, Commander-in-Chief of the Chevalier's forces in the south-west of Scotland in 1715.
Having left Kenmure at the head of about two hundred horsemen, and formed a junction with the troops under the
command of General Forster, he marched as far as Preston in Lancashire. Here, however, his lordship surrendered
himself a prisoner at discretion, and was appointed to be conducted, with many of his unfortunate followers, to Lon-
don, in 1715. Arriving at Highgatc, each of the prisoners was placed on horseback, with his arms firmly pinioned,
and a foot-soldier holding the reins of his bridle. On the 9th of that month, General Tatton, who commanded the
detachment, left Highgate with the prisoners, and proceeded to London, drums beating a victorious march, and the
mob strengthening the chorus with the horrid din of marrow-bones, cleavers, and warming-pans. In this disgraceful
triumph were the unhappy captives led through the streets of the city, amidst the hootings and insults of a barbarous
rabble, and conducted to the several prisons assigned to receive them. Lord Kenmure and several other noblemen
were committed to the Tower. He was afterwards tried, and (very unjustly, as some thought) beheaded on Tower-
hill, 24th February 1716. Burns transmitted the ballad, in his own handwriting, with the melody to which it is
adapted, to Mr. Johnson. Cromek, in his ' Remains of Nithsdale and Galloway Song,' printed in 1810, has inserted
three additional stanzas, which he pretends are of equal merit and antiquity with those in Ritson's Scottish Songs,
(copied from the Museum,) but they are evidently spurious and modern. They are here annexed, however, for the
reader's inspection.
' There's a rose in Kenmure's cap, Willie, But gane's his ladie-courtesie,
There's a rose in Kenmure's cap ; When he draws his bludie brand.
He'll steep it red in ruddie heart's blede , His , adie , s cheek was ^ mme>
Afore the battle drap. Hia la ^, s chefik wag red .
' He kiss'd his ladie's hand, Willie, When she saw his steely jupes put on,
He kiss'd his ladie's hand ; Which smell'd o' deadly feud.'
It might rather have been supposed that the lady's cheeks would have assumed a pale in place of a red colour, situated
as she was ; and as to the expressions, ruddie heart's blede and ladie-courtesie, they seem inexplicable." See MuBeuni
Illustrations, vol. iv. pp. -338, 339.