And he's awa' to his true love's bower,
He's tirled at the pin ;

"Whar hae ye been, my dear Johnstone,

Sae late a coming in ?"

"It's I hae been at the school," he

"Learning young clerks to sing."

says,

"I have dreamed a dreary dream," she says, "I wish it may be for good;

They were seeking you with hawks and hounds, And the young Col'nel was dead."

"Hawks and hounds they may seek me,

As I trow well they be;

For I hae killed the young Col'nel,

And thy ae brother was he."

If ye hae killed the young Col'nel,
O dule and wae is me;

But I care the less for the young Col'nel,

66

If thy ain body be free.

Come in, come in, my dear Johnstone,
Come in and take a sleep;

And I will go to my casement,
And carefully I will thee keep."

He had not weel been in her bower door,
No not for half an hour,

When four and twenty belted knights,
Came riding to the bower.

"Well may you sit and see, Lady,
Well may you sit and say;

Did you not see a bloody squire
Come riding by this way?"

"What colour were his hawks?" she

"What colour were his hounds? What colour was the gallant steed That bore him from the bounds?"

Bloody, bloody were his hawks,

And bloody were his hounds;

But milk-white was the gallant steed
That bore him from the bounds.

"Yes, bloody, bloody were his hawks, And bloody were his hounds;

says,

And milk-white was the gallant steed,
That bore him from the bounds."

'Light down, light down now, gentlemen,
And take some bread and wine;
And the steed be swift that he rides on,
He's past the brig o' Lyne."

"We thank you for your bread, fair Lady, We thank you for your wine;

But I wad gie thrice three thousand pound, That bloody knight was ta’en.”

"Lie still, lie still, my dear Johnstone,

Lie still and take a sleep;

For thy enemies are past and gone,
And carefully I will thee keep."

But young Johnstone had a little wee sword, Hung low down by his gair,

And he stabbed it in fair Annet's breast,

A deep wound and a sair.

"What aileth thee now, dear Johnstone?

What aileth thee at me?

Hast thou not got my father's gold
Bot and my mither's fee."

Now live, now live, my dear Ladye,
Now live but half an hour;

And there's no a leech in a' Scotland,
But shall be in thy bower."

How can I live, how shall I live?
Young Johnstone, do not you see

The red, red drops o' my bonny heart's blood,
Rin trinkling down my knee?

"But take thy harp into thy hand,
And harp out owre yon plain,
And ne'er think mair on thy true love,
Than if she had never been."

He hadna weel been out o' the stable,

And on his saddle set,

Till four and twenty broad arrows

Were thrilling in his heart.

1 Ritted, thrust violently. In Sir Tristrem it is used simply to cut. Vide Fytte I. stanza xliv. In the copy obtained by the Editor, the word "ritted" did not occur, instead of which the word "stabbed" was used. The "nut brown sword" was also changed into "a little small sword."

EARL ROBERT

Is given from the recitation of an old woman, a native of Bonhill, in Dumbartonshire; and it is one of the earliest songs she remembers of having heard chaunted on the classic banks of the Water of Leven. The reader will find another copy of the same Ballad, in the third volume of the Border Minstrelsy, p. 59, entitled, "Prince Robert," which is stated to be taken from the recitation of a Lady nearly related to the Editor of that valuable publication. The variations between the two copies are not very many or striking; but, such as they are, they must be interesting to the lovers of traditional literature.

It's fifty miles to Sittingen's rocks,
As ever was ridden or gane;

And Earl Robert has wedded a wife,
And he dare na bring her hame.

And Earl Robert has wedded a wife, &c.,