O when that he cam' up the stair,

He fell low doun on his knee;

He hail'd the King, and he hail'd the Queen, And he hail'd him, young Bekie.

"OI have been porter at your yetts
This thirty year and three ;

But there are three ladies at them now,
Their like I did never see.

"There's ane o' them drest in red scarlet,
And twa in dainty green;

And they hae girdles about their middles,
Wad buy an earldom.”

Then out and spake the burdly bride, Was a' gowd to the chin; "Gin they be fine without," she says, "We'se be as fine within."

Then up

it starts him, young Bekie,

And the tear was in his e'e; "I'll lay my life it's Burd Isbel, Come o'er the sea to me."

O quickly ran he doun the stair;
And when he saw 'twas she,
He kindly took her in his arms,
And kist her tenderlie.

"O hae ye forgotten now, young Bekie,
The vow ye made to me,

When I took you out o' prison strang,
When
ye was condemn'd to die?

"I gae you a steed was gude at need,
And a saddle o' royal bane ;
A leash o' hounds o' ae litter,

And Hector called ane."

It was weel kent what the lady said,
That it was na a lie;

For at the first word the lady spak',
The hound fell at her knee.

"Tak' hame, tak' hame your daughter dear; A blessing gang her wi';

For I maun marry my Burd Isbel,
That's come o'er the sea to me."

"Is this the custom o' your house,
Or the fashion o' your land,

To marry a maid in a May morning,
Send her back a maid at e'en ?"

BARBARA ALLAN.

THIS Copy of a very popular ballad is taken from Ramsay's "Tea-Table Miscellany." Another version, of greater length but inferior merit, will be found in Percy's "Reliques."

IT

was and about the Martinmas time,

When the green leaves were a-falling,
That Sir John Græme in the west countrie,
Fell in love with Barbara Allan.

He sent his man down thro' the town,
To the place where she was dwelling;
"O haste and come to my master dear,
Gin ye be Barbara Allan."

O hooly, hooly rose she up,

Came to where he was lying,
And when she drew the curtain by,
"Young man, I think you're dying."

"O it's I am sick, and very sick,
And a' for Barbara Allan !"

"O the better for me, ye'se never be,
Tho'
your heart's blude were a-spilling!

"O dinna ye mind, young man," said she,
"When ye was in the tavern drinking,

That ye made the healths gae round and round, And slighted Barbara Allan ?"

He turned his face unto the wa',
And death was with him dealing,
"Adieu, adieu, my dear friends a',
Be kind to Barbara Allan !"

Slowly, slowly raise she up,
And slowly, slowly left him;
And sighing, said she could not stay,
Since death of life had reft him.

She hadna gane a mile but twa,
When she heard the dead-bell ringing,
And every toll that the dead-bell gave,
It cried, "Woe to Barbara Allan ! "

"O mother, mother, mak' my bed,
O mak' it fast and narrow;
Since my love died for me to-day,
I'll die for him to-morrow."

LADY MAISRY.

THIS old ballad first appeared in Mr Jamieson's collection, where it is stated to have been taken down from recitation; and it has, since then, been repeatedly printed.

HE young lords o' the north countrie

THE

Have all a-wooing gane,

To win the love o' Lady Maisry,

But o' them she would hae nane.

O they hae sought her, Lady Maisry,
Wi' broaches and wi' rings,

And they hae courted her, Lady Maisry,
Wi' a' kin kind o' things.

And they hae sought her, Lady Maisry,
Frae father and frae mither,

And they hae sought her, Lady Maisry,
Frae sister and frae brither.

And they hae followed her, Lady Maisry,

Thro' chamber and thro' ha';

But a' that they could say to her,

"O haud your tongues, young men," she said,
"And think nae mair on me;