A collection of ancient and modern Scottish ballads, etc

302
^iihyle bludy berkit "wes their baird.
As tliay had worriet lammis
Maist lykj
At Christis Kirk, &c.
The wyves kest up a hideous yell.
When all thir younkeris yokkit,
Als ferss as ony fyre flaughts • feU,
Freike ' to the field thay flokit
The carlis with clubbis cou'd udir quell,
Quhyle blude at breistis out bokkit, 3
Sa rudely rang the common bell,
Quliyll all the steipill rokit *
For reid, ^
At Christis Kirk, &c
Quhyn thay had berit ^ lyk baitit bullis^
And branewod ' brynt in bails,^
Thay wer als meik as ony mulis
That mangit wer with mailis ; ^
For faintnessi;ha forfocbtin fulis *®
Fell doun lyk flauchtu' failis, ^*
1 Flashes of lightning
2 Light-headed, freakish forward fellows
3 Vomited 4 Shook 5 Warfare
6 Perhaps bearded or baited each other like bulls
7 Or distempered in their brains
8 In flames :—the phrase seems now quite obsolete
9 Meek as mules that are tired, and raanged or galled with
mails, or heavy burdens
10 These fools that had tired themselves with fighting
11 Or turfs cast with a spade well known in Scotland, call-
€d a flauchter-spade
;