The Book of Old English Ballads

Excerpt: ... a' by the light of the moon, Until they came to his mother's ha' door, And there they lighted down. Get up, get up, lady mother, he says, Get up, and let me in! Get up, get up, lady mother, he says, For this night my fair lady I've win. O mak my bed, lady mother, he says, O mak it braid and deep! And lay Lady Margaret close at my back, And the sounder I will sleep. Lord William was dead lang ere midnight, Lady Margaret lang ere day: And all true lovers that go thegither, May they have mair luck than they! Lord William was buried in St. Marie's kirk, Lady Margaret in Marie's quire; Out o' the lady's grave grew a bonny red rose, And out o' the knight's a brier. And they twa met, and they twa plat And fain they wad be near; And a' the world might ken right weel, They were twa lovers dear. But bye and rade the black Douglas And wow but he was rough! For he pulled up the bonny brier, And flanged in St. Marie's Loch. Young Waters About Yule, when the wind blew cool; And the round tables began, A' there is come to our king's court Mony a well-favoured man. The queen looked o'er the castle wa', Beheld baith dale and down, And then she saw young Waters Come riding to the town. His footmen they did rin before, His horsemen rade behind; Ane mantle of the burning gowd Did keep him frae the wind. Gowden graith'dFN#1 his horse before, And siller shod behind; The horse young Waters rade upon Was fleeter than the wind. FN#1 Graitih'd, girthed. Out then spake a wily lord, Unto the queen said he: O tell me wha's the fairest face Rides in the company? I've seen lord, and I've seen laird, And knights of high degree, But a fairer face than young Waters Mine eyen did never see. Out then spake the jealous king And an angry man was he: O if he had been twice as fair, You might have excepted me. You're neither laird nor lord, she says, But the king that wears the crown; There is not a knight in fair Scotland, But to thee maun bow down. For a' that she...