Glen Collection of printed music > Printed text > Charms of melody, or, Siren medley

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BALLADS ANCIENT and modern, legendaries, &c.
She thought it was her loving lord.
Who homeward riding came ;
It was the traitor, At/um, fhe faw,
Who fear'd nor fin nor Ihame.
She had no fooner dect;''d herfelf
In filken fcarf and gown.
Than Adam O'Gordon, and his men.
Had clofe befet the town.
The lad/ flew to her tow'r fp high.
She flew in deep dilmay,
To fee if by fair fpeech fhe could
The traitor's pui^pofe flay.
•But when he faw the lady fafe,
The gates and windows faft.
He fell into a deadly rage
And ftorm'd at her aghaft :
" Come down to me, thou lady gay,
" Come down, come down to me ;
" This night thou fhall be in my arm«,
" To-morrow my bride Ihalt beS'
" I will not come, thou falfe Gwi/o^,
" I'll not come down to thee ;
" I will not forfake my own dear lord}
" Tho' he is far from me." —
" Give up thy houfe, thou lady fair,
" Give up thy houfe to me;
" Or I fhall burn thyfelf therein,
" With thy dear babies three;'.'— ^
" I will not give up, thou iaXk'Gordon,
' " Thy threatnings I defy.
" If thou doft burn my babes and me,
" Thou, by my lord, Ihalt die."
" But reach my piflol, Glaud, tny.man,
" And charge with fpeed my gun,
" For I muft pierce that favage dog,
" Or we fhall be undone."
She from the battlements took aim
As true as fhe could fee ;
Two bullets miis'dthe traitor's heart,
One only graz'd his knee.
" No-sff fire the houfe," cry'd faKeGordcfn,
Entiam'd with vengeful ire ;
" Falfelady thou llialt rue this deed,
" When fhrieking in the fire." —
" Woe on thee, woe upon thee, Jock,
" I paid thee well thy fee ;
" Why then pull out the ground wall, ftone
" That lets in fmoke to me ?
" Woe even on thee, ''cck, my man,
" I paid thee well thy hire ;
" Why then puil out the ground wall ftone.
Tob
urn me m t
he'fir
" That thou didft pay my fee and hire
" Full well, I cant d', ny ;
" Yet now i-'m iiiam O'Gordon's man,
" I muft obey or dit."^-
O then befpoke her little fon,
Upon the nuife's knee,
" O mother, dear, give up this houfe,
" The fmoke it fmothers me."
" I would give all my gold, my child,
" So uould I all my fee —
" For one blaft of the weftern wind.
" To, blow the fmoke from thee."
O then tefpoke her daughter dear,
So flender, fair, and fmall,
" O roll rtit in a pair of fheets,
■" And throw me o'er the wall."
They voll'd her in a pair of fheets,
And threw her o'er the wall.
But, on the point of Gordon's fpear
She got a deadly fall.
O lovely, lovely was her mouth ;
Her cheeks were like the rofe ;
And clear, clear was her yellow hair.
Whereon the red blood flows.
Then with his fpear he turn'd her o'er;
O how her face v.fas wan !
Quoth he, " thou art the firft that e'er
" I wifh'd alive again"
He turn'd her o'er and o'er again,
O how her fkin was white !
" Imight have fpar'd that lovely face
" To be fome man's delight. —
" Prepare, prepare, my merry men, all,
" 111 tidings I do guefs :
" I cannot fee that lovely face
" All pale upon the grafs."
•" Who looks for griefs, my matter, dear,
" Griefs flill will follow them :
" Shall it be faid — theGordo/z bold
"Was daunted by a dame ?" —
But when the lady faw the fire
Come flaming o'er her head,
She wept, and kifs'd her children dear:;
'-' My babes will foon be dead."-—
The Gordoft tlien his bugle blew,
And faid, " away, away!
" Since Towie Houfe is all in flames,
" We muft no longer ftay."
O then look'd up her own dear lord,
As he came o'er the lea.
He faw his caftle in a blaze
As far as he could fee.
Then fore, ah fore, his mind mifgave.
And all his heart was woe ;
"Put on, put on, my trufty men,
" As faft as ye can go.
" For life and death, my trufty men.
Put
on, put on, amain 1
" For he that doth the hindmoft lag
" Shall ne'er my favouE gain.
Then fome they rode, and fome they ran,
Not fwifier flew the wind ;
For each cry'd, " woe upon the head
" Of him who lags behind."—
But e er the foremoft could come up.
The flames had fpread fo v/ide.
The tender babes were burnt alive j
Their mother with them dy'd.
Jler lord, he wildly rent his hair ;
A nd wept in woeful mood,
>' Ah, traitors, for this cruel deed
".Yefhall weep teais of blood."— <
Full faft the Gordon he purfu'd
With many a bitter tear. —
And in his cowardly heart's blood
Keveng'd.his lady deai.