Volume I Part 17 (1/2)
”Thir landis are MINE!” the Outlaw said; ”I ken nae king in Christentie; Frae Soudron[107] I this Foreste wan, When the king nor his knightis were not to see.”
”He desyres you'l c.u.m to Edinburgh, And hauld of him this Foreste frie; And, gif ye refuse to do this, He'll conquess baith thy landis and thee.
He hath vow'd to cast thy castell down, And mak a widowe o' thy gaye ladye;
”He'll hang thy merryemen, payr by payr, In ony frith where he may them finde.”
”Aye, by my troth!” the Outlaw said, ”Than wald I think me far behinde.
”E'er the king my feir countrie get, This land that's nativest to me!
Mony o' his n.o.bilis sall be cauld, Their ladyes sall be right wearie.”
Then spak his ladye, feir of face, She seyd, ”Without consent of me, That an Outlaw suld c.u.m befor a King; I am right rad[108] of treasonrie.
Bid him be gude to his lordis at hame, For Edinburgh my lord sall nevir see.”
James Boyd tuik his leave o' the Outlaw kene, To Edinburgh boun is he; When James he cam befor the king, He knelit lowlie on his kne.
”Wellc.u.m, James Boyd!” seyd our n.o.bil king; ”What Foreste is Ettricke Foreste frie?”
”Ettricke Foreste is the feirest foreste That evir man saw wi' his e'e.
”There's the dae, the rae, the hart, the hynde, And of a' wild beastis grete plentie; There's a pretty castell of lyme and stane; O gif it stands not pleasauntlie!
”There's in the forefront o' that castell, Twa unicorns, sae bra' to see; There's the picture of a knight, and a ladye bright, Wi' the grene hollin abune their brie.
”There the Outlaw keepis five hundred men; He keepis a royalle c.u.mpanie!
His merrymen in ae livery clad, O' the Linkome grene sae gaye to see:
”He and his ladye in purple clad; O! gin they live not royallie!
”He says, yon Foreste is his awin; He wan it frae the Southronie; Sae as he wan it, sae will he keep it, Contrair all kingis in Christentie.”
”Gar warn me Perths.h.i.+re, and Angus baith; Fife up and down, and the Louthians three, And graith my horse!” said the n.o.bil king, ”For to Ettricke Foreste hie will I me.”
Then word is gane the Outlaw till, In Ettricke Foreste, where dwelleth he, That the king was c.u.ming to his c.u.n.trie, To conquess baith his landis and he.
”I mak a vow,” the Outlaw said, ”I mak a vow, and that trulie, Were there but three men to tak my pairt; Yon king's c.u.ming full deir suld be!”
Then messengers he called forth, And bade them hie them speedilye-- ”Ane of ye gae to Halliday, The laird of the Corhead is he.
”He certain is my sister's son; Bid him c.u.m quick and succour me!
The king c.u.ms on for Ettricke Foreste, And landless men we a' will be.”
”What news? What news?” said Halliday, ”Man, frae thy master unto me?”
”Not as ye wad; seeking your aide; The king's his mortal enemie.”
”Aye, by my troth!” said Halliday, ”Even for that it repenteth me; For gif he lose feir Ettricke Foreste, He'll tak feir Moffatdale frae me.
”I'll meet him wi' five hundred men, And surely mair, if mae may be; And before he gets the Foreste feir, We a' will die on Newark Lee!”
The Outlaw call'd a messenger, And bid him hie him speedilye, To Andrew Murray of c.o.c.kpool-- ”That man's a deir cousin to me; Desyre him c.u.m, and mak me ayd, With a' the power that he may be.”