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

" But wae be to the Queen hersel,
She micht hae pardon'd me
But sair she's striven for me to hang
Upon the gallows tree.
Yestreen the Queen had four maries,
The nicht she'll hae but three;
There was Mary Beatoun, Mary Seaton,
And Mary Carmichael, and me.
Aft hae I set pearls in her hair,
Aft hae I lac'd her gown,
And this is the reward I now get,
To be hang'd in Edinbruch town!
O a' ye mariners, far and near,
That sail ayont the faem,*
O dinna let my father and mither ken?
But what I am coming hame.
O a' ye mariners, far and near,
That sail ayont the sea,
* Faem—properly foam, but here used to signify the sea.
R
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