Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900.
MARIE HAMILTON ‘s to the kirk gane, | |
Wi’ ribbons in her hair; | |
The King thought mair o’ Marie Hamilton | |
Than ony that were there. | |
|
Marie Hamilton ‘s to the kirk gane | 5 |
Wi’ ribbons on her breast; | |
The King thought mair o’ Marie Hamilton | |
Than he listen’d to the priest. | |
|
Marie Hamilton ‘s to the kirk gane, | |
Wi’ gloves upon her hands; | 10 |
The King thought mair o’ Marie Hamilton | |
Than the Queen and a’ her lands. | |
|
She hadna been about the King’s court | |
A month, but barely one, | |
Till she was beloved by a’ the King’s court | 15 |
And the King the only man. | |
|
She hadna been about the King’s court | |
A month, but barely three, | |
Till frae the King’s court Marie Hamilton, | |
Marie Hamilton durstna be. | 20 |
|
The King is to the Abbey gane, | |
To pu’ the Abbey tree, | |
To scale the babe frae Marie’s heart; | |
But the thing it wadna be. | |
|
O she has row’d it in her apron, | 25 |
And set it on the sea— | |
‘Gae sink ye or swim ye, bonny babe, | |
Ye’se get nae mair o’ me.’ | |
|
Word is to the kitchen gane, | |
And word is to the ha’, | 30 |
And word is to the noble room | |
Amang the ladies a’, | |
That Marie Hamilton ‘s brought to bed, | |
And the bonny babe ‘s miss’d and awa’. | |
|
Scarcely had she lain down again, | 35 |
And scarcely fa’en asleep, | |
When up and started our gude Queen | |
Just at her bed-feet; | |
Saying—’Marie Hamilton, where ‘s your babe? | |
For I am sure I heard it greet.’ | 40 |
|
‘O no, O no, my noble Queen! | |
Think no sic thing to be; | |
‘Twas but a stitch into my side, | |
And sair it troubles me!’ | |
|
‘Get up, get up, Marie Hamilton: | 45 |
Get up and follow me; | |
For I am going to Edinburgh town, | |
A rich wedding for to see.’ | |
|
O slowly, slowly rase she up, | |
And slowly put she on; | 50 |
And slowly rade she out the way | |
Wi’ mony a weary groan. | |
|
The Queen was clad in scarlet, | |
Her merry maids all in green; | |
And every town that they cam to, | 55 |
They took Marie for the Queen. | |
|
‘Ride hooly, hooly, gentlemen, | |
Ride hooly now wi’ me! | |
For never, I am sure, a wearier burd | |
Rade in your companie.’— | 60 |
|
But little wist Marie Hamilton, | |
When she rade on the brown, | |
That she was gaen to Edinburgh town, | |
And a’ to be put down. | |
|
‘Why weep ye so, ye burgess wives, | 65 |
Why look ye so on me? | |
O I am going to Edinburgh town, | |
A rich wedding to see.’ | |
|
When she gaed up the tolbooth stairs, | |
The corks frae her heels did flee; | 70 |
And lang or e’er she cam down again, | |
She was condemn’d to die. | |
|
When she cam to the Netherbow port, | |
She laugh’d loud laughters three; | |
But when she came to the gallows foot | 75 |
The tears blinded her e’e. | |
|
‘Yestreen the Queen had four Maries, | |
The night she’ll hae but three; | |
There was Marie Seaton, and Marie Beaton, | |
And Marie Carmichael, and me. | 80 |
|
‘O often have I dress’d my Queen | |
And put gowd upon her hair; | |
But now I’ve gotten for my reward | |
The gallows to be my share. | |
|
‘Often have I dress’d my Queen | 85 |
And often made her bed; | |
But now I’ve gotten for my reward | |
The gallows tree to tread. | |
|
‘I charge ye all, ye mariners, | |
When ye sail owre the faem, | 90 |
Let neither my father nor mother get wit | |
But that I’m coming hame. | |
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‘I charge ye all, ye mariners, | |
That sail upon the sea, | |
That neither my father nor mother get wit | 95 |
The dog’s death I’m to die. | |
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‘For if my father and mother got wit, | |
And my bold brethren three, | |
O mickle wad be the gude red blude | |
This day wad be spilt for me! | 100 |
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‘O little did my mother ken, | |
The day she cradled me, | |
The lands I was to travel in | |
Or the death I was to die! | |