Ancient Scottish ballads, recovered from tradition, and never before ...

161
"My steed has just now rode wrang.
And the way I canna see."
" O hold ye on the same way," she said,
O hold ye on't again,
For an ye hold on the king's hieway,
Rank reivers* will do ye na harm."
He took her by the milk-white hand,
And by the gerss green sleeve;
And he has taigeltf wi' the fair may,
And of her he speir'd:): na leave.
When anee he got her gudwill,
Of her he crav'd na mair,
But he pou'd out a ribbon frae his pouch,
And snooded§ up her hair.
He put his hand into his purse,
And gied her guineas three :
—
" If I come na back in twenty weeks,
Ye needna look mair for me."
*Rank reivers—strong robbers.
* Taigelt—tarried. \ Speird—asked. § Snooded—see note p. 165.
L