Francis James Child

“ Eer my merry men rebuk d me.’
ll your merry men amend their lives
And all their pardouns I grant thee:
Now name thy landes whe’ere they be,
And here I render them to thee.’
‘Fair Philiphaugh, prince, is my awin,
I biggit it wi lime and stane;
The Tinnies and the Hangingshaw,
My leige, are native steeds of mine.
’. . . . . . .
. . . . . . . ”

“ He fell before him on his knie:
‘Wellcum, James Boyd,’ said the nobil king,
‘What foreste is Etrick forest frie?’
‘Etrick forest is the fairest forest
That ever man saw with his ee;
There’s the dae, the rae, the hart, the hynde,
And of all wild beastis great plentie.
‘There’s a prittie castell of lime and stone,
O gif it stands not pleasauntlie!
There’s on the fore side of that castell
Twa unicorns sae bra to see.
‘There’s the picture of a knight and [a] ladie bright,
And the grene hollin aboon their brie;
There the Outlaw keepis five hundred men,
O gif they live not royallie! ”

“ Even like a dog for to die;
But before I gang to Edinbro town
Monny toom saddles shall there be.’
The king he has taen aff his cap;
. . . . . .
‘It [were] great offence here,’ he says,
‘And great pity to see thee die.
‘For thou shalt be laerd o this forest fair
As lang as upwards grows the tree
and downward the twa rivers run,
If the steads thou can but rightly name to me’
‘There’s Hangingshaw high and Hangingshaw laigh,
. . . . . . . ”

“ Where him and his nobles durst not come and see.’
O out bespeaks the Outlaw’s lady,
I wot she spake right wisely;
‘Be good unto your nobles at home,
For Edinbro mine shall never see;’
But meat and drink o the best I’m sure got he. ”

“ Ye ir the men that man ride wi me;
But gin we war five hunder strang
Master an mair I fear they’ll be.’
* * * * * *
‘Philliphaugh it is my ain,
An Newark it belangs to me;
Lewinshope an Hanginshaw
Nae mortal man can claim thrae me.’
* * * * * *
It was than James Boyd got up in hast,
An to his merry men a’ spak he;
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . . ”