147. Baby Livingston. Quiller-Couch, Arthur, ed. 1910. The Oxford Book of Ballads

Verse > Anthologies > Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. > The Oxford Book of Ballads

CONTENTS · BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD

Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. (1863–1944). The Oxford Book of Ballads. 1910.

147. Baby Livingston

O BONNY Baby Livingston

Went forth to view the hay,

And by it came him Glenlyon,

Sta’ bonny Baby away.

O first he ’s ta’en her silken coat,

And neist her satten gown,

Syne row’d her in a tartan plaid,

And hap’d her roun’ and roun’.

III

He has set her upon his steed

And roundly rode away,

And ne’er loot her look back again

The live-long summer’s day.

He ’s carried her o’er hills and muirs

Till they came to a Highland glen,

And there he ’s met his brother John,

With twenty armèd men.

O there were cows, and there were ewes,

And lasses milking there!

But Baby ne’er ance look’d about,

Her heart was fill’d wi’ care.

Glenlyon took her in his arms,

And kiss’d her, cheek and chin;

Says, ‘I’d gie a’ these cows and ewes

But ae kind look to win.’—

VII

‘O ae kind look ye ne’er shall get,

Nor win a smile frae me,

Unless to me you’ll favour shew,

And take me to Dundee.’—

VIII

‘Dundee, Baby? Dundee, Baby?

Dundee you ne’er shall see

Till I’ve carried you to Glenlyon

And have my bride made thee.

‘We’ll stay a while at Auchingour,

And get sweet milk and cheese,

And syne we’ll gang to Glenlyon,

And there live at our ease.’—

‘I winna stay at Anchingour,

Nor eat sweet milk and cheese,

Nor go with thee to Glenlyon,

For there I’ll ne’er find ease.’

Then out it spake his brother John,

‘O were I in your place,

I’d take that lady hame again,

For a’ her bonny face.

XII

‘Commend me to the lass that ’s kind,

Tho’ na so gently born;

And, gin her heart I coudna gain,

To take her hand I’d scorn.’—

XIII

‘O haud your tongue now, John,’ he says,

‘You wis na what you say;

For I have lo’ed that bonny face

This twelve month and a day.

XIV

‘And tho’ I’ve lo’ed her lang and sair,

A smile I ne’er cou’d win;

Yet what I’ve got ance in my power

To keep I think nae sin.’

When they came to Glenlyon Castle,

They lighted at the yate,

And out it came his sisters three,

Wha did them kindly greet.

XVI

O they’ve ta’en Baby by the hands

And led her o’er the green,

And ilka lady spake a word,

But bonny Baby spake nane.

XVII

Then out it spake her bonny Jean,

The youngest o’ the three;

‘O lady, dinna look sae sad,

But tell your grief to me.’—

XVIII

‘O wherefore should I tell my grief,

Since lax I canna find?

I’m stown frae a’ my kin and friends,

And my love I left behind.

XIX

‘But had I paper, pen, and ink,

Before that it were day,

I yet might get a letter sent

In time to Johny Hay.’

O she ’s got paper, pen, and ink,

And candle that she might see,

And she has written a broad letter

To Johny at Dundee.

XXI

And she has gotten a bonny boy,

That was baith swift and strang,

Wi’ philabeg and bonnet blue,

Her errand for to gang.

XXII

‘O boy, gin ye’d my blessing win

And help me in my need,

Run wi’ this letter to my love,

And bid him come wi’ speed.

XXIII

‘And here ’s a chain of good red gowd,

And gowden guineas three,

And when you’ve well your errand done,

You’ll get them for your fee.’

XXIV

The boy he ran o’er hill and dale,

Fast as a bird cou’d flee,

And ere the sun was twa hours height

The boy was at Dundee.

XXV

And when he came to Johny’s door

He knockèd loud and sair;

Then Johny to the window came,

And loudly cry’d, ‘Wha ’s there?’—

100

XXVI

‘O here ’s a letter I have brought,

Which ye maun quickly read,

And, gin ye wou’d your lady save,

Gang back wi’ me wi’ speed.’

XXVII

O when he had the letter read,

105

An angry man was he;

He says, ‘Glenlyon, thou shalt rue

This deed of villany!

XXVIII

‘Woe be to thee, Glenlyon!’ he says,

‘An ill death may thou dee!

110

Thou micht hae ta’en anither woman,

And let my lady be.

XXIX

‘O saddle to me the black, the black,

O saddle to me the brown,

O saddle to me the swiftest steed

115

That e’er rade frae the town.

XXX

‘And arm ye well, my merry men a’,

And follow me to the glen,

For I vow I’ll neither eat nor sleep

Till I get my love again.’

120

XXXI

He ’s mounted on a milk-white steed,

The boy upon a gray,

And they got to Glenlyon’s castle

About the close of day.

XXXII

As Baby at her window stood,

125

The west wind saft did bla’;

She heard her Johny’s well-kent voice

Beneath the castle wa’.

XXXIII

‘O Baby, haste, the window jump!

I’ll kep you in my arm;

130

My merry men a’ are at the yate,

To rescue you frae harm.’

XXXIV

She ’s to the window fixt her sheets

And slippèd safely down,

And Johny catch’d her in his arms,

135

Ne’er loot her touch the ground.

XXXV

She ’s mounted on her Johny’s horse,

Fu’ blithely can she say,—

‘Glenlyon, you hae lost your bride!

She ’s aff wi’ Johny Hay!’

140

XXXVI

Glenlyon and his brother John

Were birling in the ha’,

When they heard Johny’s bridle ring,

As fast he rade awa’.

XXXVII

‘Rise, Jock! gang out and meet the priest,

145

I hear his bridle ring!

My Baby now shall be my wife

Before the laverocks sing.’—

XXXVIII

‘O brother, this is not the priest;

I fear he’ll come owre late;

150

For armèd men with shining brands

Stand at the castle-yate.’—

XXXIX

‘Haste Donald, Duncan, Dugald, Hugh!

Haste, take your sword and spier!

We’ll gar these traytors rue the hour

155

That e’er they ventured here.’

The Highland men drew their claymores,

And gae a warlike shout,

But Johny’s merry men kept the yate,

Nae ane durst venture out.

160

XLI

The lovers rade the live-lang night,

And safe gat on their way,

And bonny Baby Livingston

Has gotten Johny Hay.

XLII

‘Awa’, Glenlyon! fy for shame!

165

Gae hide ye in some den!

You’ve latten your bride be stown frae you,

For a’ your armed men.’

GLOSS: row’d] wrapped. lax] relief.

CONTENTS · BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD

Click here to shop the Bartleby Bookstore.