Ralph Waldo Emerson, comp. (1803–1882). Parnassus: An Anthology of Poetry. 1880.
Græme and BewickScotts Border Minstrelsy
G
Sir Robert Bewick there met he;
And arm in arm to the wine they did go,
And they drank till they were baith merrie.
“Sir Robert Bewick, and here’s to thee!
And here’s to our twae sons at hame!
For they like us best in our ain countrie.”—
And learned some books that he could read,
They might hae been twae brethren bauld,
And they might hae bragged the Border side.
And billie to my son he canna be:
“Ye sent him to school, and he wadna learn:
Ye bought him books, and he wadna read.”—
“But my blessing shall he never earn,
Till I see how his arm can defend his head.”—
A reckoning then called he;
And he paid a crown, and it went roun’;
It was all for the gude wine and free.
Where there stude thirty steeds and three;
He’s ta’en his ain horse amang them a’,
And hame he rade sae manfullie.
“But where sae lang frae hame were ye?”—
“It’s I hae been at Carlisle town,
And a baffled man by thee I be.
Where Sir Robert Bewick he met me;
He says ye’re a lad, and ye are but bad,
And billie to his son ye canna be.
I bought ye books, and ye wadna read;
Wherefore my blessing ye shall never earn,
Till I see with Bewick thou save thy head.”
That ever sic a thing suld be!
Billie Bewick was my master, and I was his scholar,
And aye sae weel as he learned me.”—
And of thy talking let me be!
If thou does na end me this quarrel soon,
There is my glove, I’ll fight wi’ thee.”—
Unto the ground, you shall understand;—
“O father, put on your glove again,
The wind has blown it from your hand?”—
How dares thou stand to speak to me?
If thou do not end this quarrel soon,
There’s my right hand, thou shalt fight with me.”—
To consider weel what then should be;
Whether he should fight with his auld father,
Or with his billie Bewick, he.
God’s blessing I shall never win;
But if I strike at my auld father,
I think ’twald be a mortal sin.
It is God’s will, so let it be;
But I make a vow, ere I gang frae hame,
That I shall be the next man’s die.”—
And on his head a cap of steel,
And sword and buckler by his side;
O gin he did not become them weel!
And talk of him again belive;
And we will talk of bonny Bewick,
Where he was teaching his scholars five.
And handle swords without any doubt,
He took his sword under his arm,
And he walked his father’s close about.
And a’ to see what there might be,
Till he spied a man in armour bright,
Was riding that way most hastilie.
Sae hastilie that hither came?
I think it be my brother dear!
I think it be young Christie Græme.—
And thrice ye’re welcome unto me!”—
“But I’m wae to say, I’ve seen the day,
When I am come to fight wi’ thee.
Wi’ your father Bewick there met he:
He says I’m a lad, and I am but bad,
And a baffled man I trow I be.
He gae me books, and I wadna read;
Sae my father’s blessing I’ll never earn,
Till he see how my arm can guard my head.”—
That ever such a thing suld be!
We’ll take three men on either side,
And see if we can our fathers agree.”—
And of thy talking let me be!
But if thou’rt a man, as I’m sure thou art,
Come o’er the dyke, and fight wi’ me.”—
As weel I see there is on thine.”—
“But as little harness as is on thy back,
As little, billie, shall be on mine.”—
His cap of steel away flung he;
He stuck his spear into the ground,
And he tied his horse unto a tree.
And’s psalter-book frae’s hand flung he;
He laid his hand upon the dyke,
And ower he lap most manfullie.
When twae lang hours were come and gane,
The sweat drapped fast frae aff them baith,
But a drap of blude could not be seen.
Ane ackward stroke strucken sickerlie;
He has hit him under the left breast,
And dead-wounded to the ground fell he.
Arise and speak three words to me!—
Whether thou’s gotten thy deadly wound,
Or if God and good leeching may succour thee?”—
And get thee far from hence with speed:
And get thee out of this country,
That none may know who has done the deed.”—
If this be true thou tellest to me;
But I made a vow, ere I came frae hame,
That aye the next man I wad be.”
And he has leaped twenty lang feet and three,
And on his ain sword’s point he lap,
And dead upon the ground fell he.
And his brave son alive saw he;
“Rise up, rise up, my son,” he said,
“For I think ye hae gotten the victorie.”—
Of your prideful talking let me be!
Ye might hae drunken your wine in peace,
And let me and my billie be.
And a grave to hald baith him and me;
But lay Christie Græme on the sunny side,
“For I’m sure he wan the victorie.”
“Alack! was I not much to blame?
I’m sure I’ve lost the liveliest lad
That e’er was born unto my name.”
“I’m sure I hae lost the deeper lack!
I durst hae ridden the Border through,
Had Christie Græme been at my back.
And thirty horseman guarding me,
And Christie Græme been at my back,
Sae soon as he had set me free!
I’ve lost the key but and the lock:
I durst hae ridden the world round,
Had Christie Græme been at my back.”