The Gay Gos-Hawk

"She sends ye her ring frae her finger white,

The garland frae her hair;

She sends ye the heart within her breast;
And what would ye have mair?
And at the fourth kirk o' fair Scotland,
She bids ye wait for her there."

"Come hither, all my merry young men!
And drink the good red wine;
For we must on towards fair England
To free my love frae pine."

The funeral came into fair Scotland,
And they gart the bells be rung;
And when it came to the second kirk,
They gart the mass be sung.

And when it came to the third kirk,
They dealt gold for her sake;
And when it came to the fourth kirk,
Her love was waiting thereat.

At the fourth kirk in fair Scotland
Stood spearmen in a row;

And

up and started her ain true love, The chieftain over them a'.

"Set down, set down the bier," he says,

"Till I look upon the dead;

The last time that I saw her face,

Its color was warm and red."

He stripped the sheet from off her face
A little below the chin;

The lady then she opened her eyes,
And looked full on him.

"O give me a shive o' your bread, love,
O give me a cup o' your wine!
Long have I fasted for your sake,
And now I fain would dine.

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"Gae hame, gae hame, my seven brothers,
Gae hame and blow the horn!

And ye may say that ye sought my skaith,
And that I hae gi'en ye the scorn.

"I cam' na here to bonny Scotland
To lie down in the clay;

But I cam' here to bonny Scotland,
To wear the silks sae gay!

"I cam' na here to bonny Scotland,
Amang the dead to rest;

But I cam' here to bonny Scotland

To the man that I lo'e best!"

Unknown

SWEET WILLIAM AND MAY MARG'RET

THERE came a ghost to Marg'ret's door,

With many a grievous groan,

And aye

he tirlèd at the pin,

But answer made she none.

"Is that my father Philip,

Or is't my brother John?

Or is't my true-love Willie,

From Scotland new come home?"

""Tis not thy father Philip,

Nor yet thy brother John

But 'tis thy true-love Willie,
From Scotland new come home.

"O sweet Margret, O dear Margʼret,
I pray thee speak to me:

Give me my faith and troth, Margret,
As I gave it to thee.”

"Thy faith and troth thou'lt never get,

Of me shalt never win,

Till that thou come within my bower,
And kiss me cheek and chin."

Sweet William and May Margret 2573

"If I should come within thy bower,

I am no earthly man:

And should I kiss thy rosy lips
Thy days would not be lang,

"O sweet Marg'ret, O dear Mar'gret,
thee speak to me:

I

pray

Give me my faith and troth, Margret,
As I gave it to thee."

"Thy faith and troth thou'lt never get,
Of me shalt never win,

Till you take me to yon kirk-yard,
And wed me with a ring."

"My bones are buried in yon kirk-yard

Afar beyond the sea,

And it is but my spirit, Marg'ret,
That's now speaking to thee."

She stretched out her lily-white hand,
And for to do her best:

"Ha'e there your faith and troth, Willie,
God send your soul good rest."

Now she has kilted her robe o' green

A piece below her knee,

And a' the live-lang winter night

The dead corp followed she.

"Is there any room at your head, Willie,

Or any room at your feet?

Or any room at your side, Willie,

Wherein that I may creep?"

"There's nae room at my head, Marg’ret,

There's nae room at my feet;

There's nae room at my side, Marg’ret,
My coffin's made so meet."

Then up and crew the red, red cock,

And up and crew the gray;

""Tis time, 'tis time, my dear Marg❜ret,

That you were gane awa'."

Unknown

WILLY REILLY

"Он! rise up, Willy Reilly, and come along with me,
I mean for to go with you and leave this counterie,
To leave my father's dwelling, his houses and free land;"
And away goes Willy Reilly and his dear Coolen Ban.

They go by hills and mountains, and by yon lonesome plain,
Through shady groves and valleys, all dangers to refrain;
But her father followed after with a well-armed band,
And taken was poor Reilly and his dear Coolen Ban.

It's home then she was taken, and in her closet bound;
Poor Reilly all in Sligo jail lay on the stony ground,
Till at the bar of justice, before the Judge he'd stand,
For nothing but the stealing of his dear Coolen Ban.

"Now in the cold, cold iron my hands and feet are bound,
I'm handcuffed like a murderer, and tied unto the ground.
But all the toil and slavery I'm willing for to stand,
Still hoping to be succoured by my dear Coolen Ban."

The jailer's son to Reilly goes, and thus to him did say:
"Oh! get up, Willy Reilly, you must appear this day,
For great Squire Foillard's anger you never can withstand:
I'm afeered you'll suffer sorely for your dear Coolen Ban.

"This is the news, young Reilly, last night that I did hear: The lady's oath will hang you or else will set you clear." "If that be so," says Reilly, "her pleasure I will stand, Still hoping to be succoured by my dear Coolen Ban."

Now Willy's dressed from top to toe all in a suit of green, His hair hangs o'er his shoulders most glorious to be seen; He's tall and straight, and comely as any could be found; He's fit for Foillard's daughter, was she heiress to a crown.

Willy Reilly

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The Judge he said: "This lady being in her tender youth,
If Reilly has deluded her she will declare the truth."
Then, like a moving beauty bright, before him she did stand,
"You're welcome there, my heart's delight and dear Coolen
Ban."

"Oh, gentlemen," Squire Foillard said, "with pity look on

me,

This villain came amongst us to disgrace our family,
And by his base contrivances this villainy was planned;
If I don't get satisfaction I'll quit this Irish land."

The lady with a tear began, and thus replied she:
"The fault is none of Reilly's, the blame lies all on me,
I forced him for to leave this place and come along with me;
I loved him out of measure, which wrought our destiny."

Out bespoke the noble Fox, at the table he stood by:
"Oh, gentlemen, consider on this extremity;

To hang a man for love is a murder, you may see:
So spare the life of Reilly, let him leave this counterie."

"Good

my lord, he stole from her her diamonds and her rings,

Gold watch and silver buckles, and many precious things, Which cost me in bright guineas more than five hundred pounds,

I'll have the life of Reilly should I lose ten thousand pounds."

"Good my lord, I gave them him as tokens of true love, And when we are a-parting I will them all remove; If you have got them, Reilly, pray send them home to me." "I will, my loving lady, with many thanks to thee."

"There is a ring among them I allow yourself to wear, With thirty locket diamonds well set in silver fair, And as a true-love token wear it on your right hand, That you'll think on my poor broken heart when you're in foreign land."