The first road she gaed was her mither, That I was married awa, And syne to hae't reel'd by a chieldie Her mither said till her, Hech, lassie ! For now ye And at it baith wallop and ca', Sae swift away hame to your haddin'; Nor gang sae white-finger'd and braw ; Young luckie thus fand hersell mither'd, And wish'd she had ne'er come awa; At length wi' hersell she consider'd, That hameward 'twas better to draw, And e'en tak a chance o' the landin', However that matters might fa': Folk maunna on freits aye be standin', That's wooed, and married, and a'. * From Cromek's Select Scottish Songs, 1810. PRINCE CHARLES AND FLORA MACDONALD'S WELCOME TO SKYE. SAID TO BE FROM THE GAELIC. TUNE-Charlie's welcome to Skye. TERE are two ponny maitens, and tree ponny maitens, For te nicht it is dark, and te red-coat is gane, Tere is Flora, my honey, so tear and so ponny, Her arm it is strong, and her petticoat is long, Tere's a wind on te tree, and a ship on te sea, My two ponny maitens, and tree ponny maitens; On te lea of the rock shall your cradle be rock; And you're welcome unto te isle of Skhee akain. Come along, come along, wit your poatie and your song, My two ponny maitens, and tree ponny maitens: More sound shall you sleep, when you rock on te deep; And you's aye pe welcome to Skhee akain.* From the Jacobite Relics, 1821. THE BATTLE OF SHERIFF-MUIR.1 TUNE-We ran, and they ran. THERE'S some say that we wan, And some say that nane wan at a', That at Sheriff-muir man; A battle there was, that I saw, man; And we ran, and they ran; and they ran, and we ran; And we ran, and they ran awa, man. Brave Argyle and Belhaven,2 Not like frighted Leven,3 4 Which Rothes and Haddington5 saw, man; Advanced on the right, man, While others took flight, being raw, man. In order to share 8 With Douglas, who stood not in awe, man, With Lord Loudoun Campbell; 9 Sir John Shaw," that great knight, 1 Fought on the 13th of November, 1715, between the forces of King George I., under John Duke of Argyle, and those of "the Pretender," commanded by John Earl of Mar. The issue of this battle was uncertain, the right wings of both armies being successful, while both left wings were defeated. It is this winning and running, common to both parties, which forms the principal humour of the song. 2 3 4 5 Lord Belhaven, the Earl of Leven, and the Earls of Rothes and Haddington, who all bore arms as volunteers in the royal army. 6 Major-General Joseph Wightman, who commanded the centre of the royal army. 7 John, fifth Duke of Roxburgh, a loyal volunteer. 8 Archibald, Duke of Douglas, who commanded a body of his vassals in the royal army. 9 Hugh Campbell, third Earl of Loudoun, of the royal army. 10 The Earl of Ilay, brother to the Duke of Argyle. He came up to the field only a few hours before the battle, and had the misfortune to be wounded. 11 Sir John Shaw of Greenock, an officer in the troop of volunteers, noted for his keen Whiggish spirit. On horseback he briskly did charge, man; None could him withhold, He stoutly encounter'd the targemen. For the cowardly Whittam,12 For fear they should cut him, Seeing glittering broadswords with a pa', man, Made Baird aid-du-camp, And from the brave clans ran awa, man. The great Colonel Dow, Gaed foremost, I trow, When Whittam's dragoons ran awa, man; Except Sandy Baird, And Naughton, the laird, Their horse show'd their heels to them a', man. Brave Mar and Panmure 13 Were firm, I am sure; The latter was kidnapp'd awa, man ; But with brisk men about, Brave Harry1 retook His brother, and laugh'd at them a', man. Grave Marshall 15 and Lithgow,16 And Glengary's17 pith, too, Assisted by brave Logie A'mon', is And Gordons the bright, Sae boldly did fight, The red-coats took flight and awa, man. Strathmore 19 and Clanronald 20 12 Major-General Whitham, who commanded the left wing of the King's army. 13 James, Earl of Panmure. 14 The Honourable Harry Maule of Kellie, brother to the foregoing, whom he re-captured after the engagement. 15 16 The Earls of Marischal and Linlithgow. 17 The Chief of Glengary. 18 Thomas Drummond of Logie Almond. 19 The Earl of Strathmore, killed in the battle. 20 The Chief of Clanranald. Till both of these heroes did fa', man; And broadswords a-clashing, Lord Perth 22 stood the storm, Kilsyth 24 and Strathallan 25 not slaw, man; And Hamilton 26 pled The men were not bred, Brave, generous Southesk,27 Whose father, indeed, would not draw, man, Which served for a cloak, To keep the estate 'twixt them twa, man. Lord Rollo,29 not fear'd, Kintore 30 and his beard, Pitsligo 31 and Ogilvie 32 a', man, And brothers Balfours, They stood the first stours; But Cleppan 35 acted pretty, In respect of what's fine, Or what he is able to draw, man. 21 The Earl of Forfar-on the King's side-wounded in the engagement. 22 James, Lord Drummond, eldest son of the Earl of Perth, was Lieutenant-general of horse under Mar, and behaved with great gallantry. 23 William Mackenzie, fifth Earl of Seaforth. 24 The Viscount Kilsyth. 25 The Viscount Strathallan. 26 Lieutenant-general George Hamilton, commanding under the Earl of Mar. 27 James, fifth Earl of Southesk. 28 The Marquis of Tullibardine, eldest son of the Duke of Athole. ' 29 Lord Rollo. 31 Lord Pitsligo. 30 The Earl of Kintore. 32 Lord Ogilvie, son of the Earl of Airly. 33 Bruce, Laird of Clackmannan-the husband, I believe, of the old lady who knighted Robert Burns with the sword of Bruce, at Clackmannan Tower. 34 Lord Burleigh. 35 Major William Clephane. 36 Alexander Robertson of Struan, chief of the Robertsons. |