Gae bring a robe of zour cliding, That hings upon the pin; And I'll gae to the gude grene wode, And speik wi' zour lemmàn. O bide at hame, now lord Barnard, I warde ze bide at hame; Neir wyte a man for violence, 100 That neir wate ze wi' nane. Gil Morice sate in gude grene wode, 105 His brow was like the mountain snae Gilt by the morning beam: And there he first spied Gill Morice Kameing his zellow hair : And he has tain Gill Morice up, Ver. 128. So Milton, Vernal delight and joy: able to drive 145 B. iv. v. 155. And And brocht him to his painted bowr, And laid him on a bed. Than lord Barnard, and a' his lands, 155 As they lig here and thair. And she has tain her Gill Morice, And kissd baith mouth and chin: I was once as fow of Gill Morice, As the hip is o' the stean. I got ze in my father's house, Wi' mickle sin and shame; I brocht thee up in gude grene wode, Under the heavy rain. Oft have I by thy cradle sitten, And fondly seen thee sleip; But now I gae about thy grave, The saut tears for to weip. And syne she kissd his bluidy cheik, O better I loe my Gill Morice Than a' my kith and kin! 160 165 170 Away, Wi' that saim speir O pierce my heart! And put me out o' pain. 180 Since nothing bot Gill Morice head Thy jelous rage could quell, Let that saim hand now tak hir life, With waefo wae I hear zour plaint; Sair, sair I rew the deid, Ze see his head upon the speir, I curse the hand that did the deid, The feet that bore me wi' silk speid, The comely zouth to kill. I'll ay lament for Gill Morice, On which the zouth was slain. 200 205 *** This little pathetic tale suggested the plot of the tragedy of Douglas. Since it was first printed, the Editor has been assured that the foregoing Ballad is still current in many parts of Scotland, where the hero is universally known by the name of CHILD MAURICE, pronounced by the common people CHEILD or CHEELD; which occasioned the mistake. It may be proper to mention, that other copies read ver. 110 thus: "Shot frae the golden sun." And ver. 116 as follows: "His een like azure sheene." THE END OF THE FIRST BOOK. |