Volume Ii Part 20 (1/2)
”I sent ye to the schools, and ye wadna learn; ”I bought ye books, and ye wadna read; ”Therefore, my blessing ye shall never earn, ”Till I see with Bewick thou save thy head.”
”Now, G.o.d forbid, my auld father, ”That ever sic a thing suld be!
”Billie Bewick was my master, and I was his scholar, ”And aye sae weel as he learned me.”
”O hald thy tongue, thou limmer lown, ”And of thy talking let me be!
”If thou does na end me this quarrel soon, ”There is my glove I'll fight wi' thee.”
Then Christie Graeme he stooped low Unto the ground, you shall understand;-- ”O father, put on your glove again, ”The wind has blown it from your hand.”
”What's that thou says, thou limmer loun?
”How dares thou stand to speak to me?
”If thou do not end this quarrel soon, ”There's my right hand thou shalt fight with me.”
Then Christie Graeme's to his chamber gane, To consider weel what then should be; Whether he suld fight with his auld father Or with his billie Bewick, he.
”If I suld kill my billie dear, ”G.o.d's blessing I sall never win; ”But if I strike at my auld father, ”I think 'twald be a mortal sin.
”But if I kill my billie dear, ”It is G.o.d's will! so let it be.
”But I make a vow, ere I gang frae hame, ”That I shall be the next man's die.”
Then he's put on's back a good ould jack, And on his head a cap of steel, And sword and buckler by his side; O gin he did not become them weel!
We'll leave off talking of Christie Graeme, And talk of him again belive; And we will talk of bonnie Bewick, Where he was teaching his scholars five.
When he had taught them well to fence, And handle swords without any doubt; He took his sword under his arm, And he walked his father's close about.
He looked atween him and the sun, And a' to see what there might be, Till he spied a man, in armour bright, Was riding that way most hastilie.
”O wha is yon, that came this way, ”Sae hastilie that hither came?
”I think it be my brother dear; ”I think it be young Christie Graeme.”
”Ye're welcome here, my billie dear, ”And thrice you're welcome unto me!”
”But I'm wae to say, I've seen the day, ”When I am come to fight with thee.
”My father's gane to Carlisle town, ”Wi' your father Bewick there met he; ”He says I'm a lad, and I am but bad, ”And a baffled man I trow I be.
”He sent me to schools, and I wadna learn; ”He gae me books, and I wadna read; ”Sae my father's blessing I'll never earn, ”Till he see how my arm can guard my head.”
”O G.o.d forbid, my billie dear, ”That ever such a thing suld be!
”We'll take three men on either side, ”And see if we can our fathers agree.”
”O hald thy tongue, now, billie Bewick, ”And of thy talking let me be!
”But if thou'rt a man, as I'm sure thou art, ”Come o'er the d.y.k.e, and fight wi' me.”
”But I hae nae harness, billie, on my back, ”As weel I see there is on thine.”
”But as little harness as is on thy back, ”As little, billie, shall be on mine.”