They hadna sailed a league, a league,

A league but barely three,

Whan the lift grew dark, and the wind blew loud,

And gurly grew the sea.

The ankers brak, and the top-masts lap,

It was sic a deadly storm,

And the waves cam' o'er the broken ship,

Till a' her sides were torn.

"O whare will I get a gude sailor
"To tak my helm in hand,
"Till I get up to the tall top-mast,

"To see if I can spy land?"

"O here am I, a sailor gude,

"To tak the helm in hand, "Till you go up to the tall top-mast, "But I fear you'll ne'er spy land."

He hadna gane a step, a step,

A step but barely ane,

When a bout flew out of our goodly ship,

And the salt sea it cam in.

*Lift, sky. + Gurly, boisterous.

+ Lap, sprang

Gae fetch a web o' the silken claith, "Another o' the twine,

"And wap them into our gude ship's side, "And let na the sea come in."

They fetched a web o' the silken claith,

Another o' the twine,

And they wapped them round that gude ship's side, But still the sea cam in.

O laith, laith were our gude Scots lords,
To weet their cork-heeled shoon,
But lang or a' the play was played,
They wat their hats aboon.

And mony was the feather bed,
That flattered on the faem;
And mony was the gude lord's son,
That never mair cam hame.

The ladyes wrang their fingers white,
The maidens tore their hair,

A' for the sake o' their true loves,
For them they'll see na maír.

O lang, lang may the ladyes sit,
Wi' their fans into their hand,
Before they see Sir Patrick Spens
Come sailing to the strand!

And lang lang may the maidens sit, Wi' their goud kaims in their hair, A' waiting for their ain dear loves! For them they'll see na mair.

Half ou'r, half ou'r to Aberdour,
Its fifty fathom deep,

And there lies gude Sir Patrick Spens,
Wi' the Scots lords at his feet.

NOTES

ON

SIR PATRICK SPENS.

[MR SCOTT's edition of the ballad is followed almost without variation, as it is by far the most correct and perfect.]

Make ready, make ready, my merry men a', Our gude ship sails the morn.”—P. 51. l. 13. This abrupt departure of Sir Patrick Spens was by no means unprecedented.

"1261. In the summer there came from Scotland, in the west, an archdeacon, and a knight called Missel, as envoys from Alexander, king of Scotland. They showed more fair language than truth, as seemed to King Haco. They set out so abruptly on their return, that none wist till they were under sail. The king dis

patched Brini of Johnson in pursuit, and he detained them with him. The king declared that they should remain that winter in Norway, because they had gone away without taking leave, contrary to what other envoys did."-Haco's Expedition.

It is to be regretted, that the king of Norway did not exercise the same wholesome severity in the instance of Sir Patrick Spens.

Late late yestreen I saw the new moon,

Wi' the auld moon in her arm.”—P. 51, l. 17. "Anno Domini M.C.D.XXV. undecimo die Octobris, tam validus ventus subito est exortus, ut a magnis retroactis temporibus non recolunt homines consimilem audivisse. Cujus violentia naves et batellæ undique quassata perierunt. Similiter et coram Leth, navis immanissima Lumbardorum quæ le Crake vocatur, fracta est ipsa eadem horâ mutationis novæ lunæ unde tota illa luna, sive mensis erat valde periculosa et ventosa, nunc ventus nunc pluvia, nunc subito aura levis, et subito in ventum agitata.”—Forduni Scotichron : The Cupar MS. of Fordun says, nunquam duabus horis in eodem statu permansit."(mensis)

When a bout flew out of our goodly ship.—P, 52. I. 19. Mr Scott supposes that a plank had started; but the more particular meaning seeins to be, that a bar, or bolt (Scoticè bout) had loosened.

"Igitur Godredus subjugavit sibi Dubliniam et mag