Inglis Collection of printed music > Printed music > Songs of Scotland prior to Burns

260
SONGS OF SCOTLAND.
CROMLETS LILT.
The traditionary story connected with this song has been con-
fusedly handed down to us ; but the facts probably were to the
following general purport. Chishobn of Cromlechs, in Perth-
shire, was ardently attached to a daughter of Stirling of Ardoch,
commonly called from her beauty Fair Helen of Ardoch. The
pair lived during the reign of James VI. Obliged to go abroad
for some years as a soldier of fortune, Cromlecks left a commission
with a friend, for the conducting of a correspondence between
himself and his mistress, who could not write ; and the natural
result was, that the friend became himself the lover of Helen,
and, when other means failed, possessed her with a belief that
Cromlecks had forgot, or become indifferent to her ; so that she
was induced to give an unwilling assent to the suit of the new
lover.
After suffering much in spirit, Helen submitted to a marriage
with the traitor, but had scarcely gone to bed that evening, when
she started frantically from it, screaming out that, after three
gentle taps on the wainscot at the bed-head, she had heard
Cromlecks's voice crying, ' Helen, Helen, mind me ! ' Cromlecks
soon after coming home, the treachery was discovered ; the
marriage annulled ; and Helen became Lady Cromlecks. 1
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Since all thy vows, false maid, Are blown to
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air, And my poor heart betrayed To sad des-
1 Select Scottish Songs, with Critical Observations by Burns, i. 8a