No. 227: Bonny Lizie Baillie
[There are no known US or Canadian traditional versions of this ballad.]
CONTENTS:
1. Child's Narrative
2. Footnotes (There are no footnotes for this ballad)
3. Brief (Kittredge)
4. Child's Ballad Texts A a (Changes for A b- A g are given in End-notes. A h is given in Additions and Corrections)
5. End-notes
6. Additions and Corrections
ATTACHED PAGES (see left hand column):
1. Recordings & Info: 227. Bonny Lizie Baillie
A. Roud No. 341: Bonny Lizie Baillie (15 Listings)
2. Sheet Music: 227. Bonny Lizie Baillie (Bronson's music examples and texts)
3. English and Other Versions (Including Child versions A a- A h with additional notes)]
Child's Narrative: 227. Bonny Lizie Baillie
A. a. 'Bonny Lizie Balie, A New Song very much in Request,' Laing broadsides, No 46; no date or place;
b. 'Bonny Lizzie Bailie,' Maidment's Scotish Ballads and Songs, 1859, p. 13.
c. 'My bonny Lizzie Baillie,' Johnson's Museum, ed. 1853, IV, *451.
d. 'Lizae Baillie,' Herd's Manuscripts, I, 101, and, in part, II, 121.
e. 'Lizie Baillie,' Campbell Manuscripts, I, 98.
f. 'Lizzie Bailie,' Smith's Scotish Minstrel, IV, 90.
g. 'Lizie Baillie,' Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 173.
[h. 'Elisa Bailly,' "The Old Lady's Collection," No 37.]
a, from the collection of broadsides made by David Laing, now in the possession of Lord Rosebery, may probably have been printed at the beginning of the last century, at Edinburgh, b was taken "from a tolerably old copy printed at Glasgow." Excepting the lack of two stanzas, the variations from a are mostly of slight consequence; two or three are for the better, c (only the beginning, stanzas 1-41) was communicated by C. K. Sharpe, from a " Manuscript copy of some antiquity." d-g are of no authority, d, e are fragmentary stanzas, misremembered if not corrupted, f has ten stanzas, eight of which (some with a word or two changed) are from d. g is a washy rifacimento.
d is printed in Herd's Ancient and Modern Scottish Songs, 1776, II, 3. The copy in Johnson's Museum, No 456, p. 469, is d without the first stanza.
Stanzas 19-21 of a, b, and their representatives in d, e, recall 'The Gypsy Laddie.'
Lizzie Baillie, of Castle Gary, Stirlingshire, while paying a visit to a sister at Gartartan, Perthshire, makes an excursion to Inchmahome, an island in Loch Menteith. Here she meets Duncan Graham, who, against the opposition of her parents, persuades her to prefer a Highland husband to any Lowland or English match.
"The heroine of this song," says Sharpe, "was a daughter of Baillie of Castle Carey, and sister, as it is said, to the wife of Macfarlane of Gartartan." The Baillies, as Maidment has shown, acquired Castle Gary "at a comparatively recent date," and that editor must be nearly, or quite, right in declaring the ballad to be not older than the commencement of the last century. Buchan has a bit of pseudo-history anent Lizie Baillie in his notes, at II, 326.
The story is told in a somewhat disorderly way even in a, and we may believe that we have not attained the original yet, though this copy is much older than any that has appeared in previous collections.
Brief Description by George Lyman Kittredge
"The heroine of this song," says Sharpe, "was a daughter of Baillie of Castle Carey, and sister, as it is said, to the wife of Maefarlane of Gartartan." The Baillies, as Maidraent has shown, acquired Castle Cary "at a comparatively recent date," and that editor must be nearly, or quite, right in declaring the ballad to be not older than the commencement of the eighteenth century.
The broadside which contains a may probably have been printed at the beginning of the eighteenth century, at Edinburgh.
Child's Ballad Text
'Bonny Lizie Balie, A New Song very much in Request'- Version A a; Child 227 Bonny Lizie Baillie
a.'Bonny Lizie Balie, A New Song very much in Request,' Laing broadsides, No 46; no date or place;
1 It fell about the Lambmass tide,
When the leaves were fresh and green,
Lizie Bailie is to Gartartain [gane],
To see her sister Jean.
2 She had not been in Gartartain
Even but a little while
Till luck and fortune happend her,
And she went to the Isle.
3 And when she went into the Isle
She met with Duncan Grahame;
So bravely as he courted her!
And he convoyd her hame.
4 'My bonny Lizie Bailie,
I'll row thee in my pladie,
If thou will go along with me
And be my Highland lady.'
5 'If I would go along with thee,
I think I were not wise;
For I cannot milk cow nor ewe,
Nor yet can I speak Erse.'
6 'Hold thy tongue, bonny Lizie Bailie,
And hold thy tongue,' said he;
'For any thing that thou does lack,
My dear, I'll learn thee.'
7 She would not have a Lowland laird,
He wears the high-heeld shoes;
She will marry Duncan Grahame,
For Duncan wears his trews.
8 She would not have a gentleman,
A farmer in Kilsyth,
But she would have the Highland man,
He lives into Monteith.
9 She would not have the Lowland man,
Nor yet the English laddie,
But she would have the Highland man,
To row her in his pladie.
10 He took her by the milk-white hand,
And he convoyed her hame,
And still she thought, both night and day,
On bonny Duncan Grahame.
11 'O bonny Duncan Grahame,
Why should ye me miscarry?
For, if you have a love for me,
We'll meet a[t] Castle Carry.
12 'As I came in by Dennie bridge,
And by the holland-bush,
My mother took from me my cloaths,
My rings, ay and my purse.
13 'Hold your tongue, my mother dear,
For that I do not care;
For I will go with Duncan Grahame
Tho I should ner get mair.
14 'For first when I met Duncan Grahame
I met with meikle joy,
And many pretty Highland men
Was there at my convoy.'
15 And now he is gone through the muir,
And she is through the glen:
'O bonny Lizie Bailie,
When will we meet again!'
17 Shame light on these logerheads
That lives in Castle Carry,
That let away the bonny lass
The Highland man to marry!
16 'O bonny Lizie, stay at home!
Thy mother cannot want thee;
For any thing that thou does lack,
My dear, I'll cause get thee.'
18 'I would not give my Duncan Grahame
For all my father's land,
Although he had three lairdships more,
And all at my command.'
19 And she's cast off her silken gowns,
That she weard in the Lowland,
And she's up to the Highland hills,
To wear [the] gowns of tartain.
20 And she's cast off her high-heeld shoes,
Was made of the gilded leather,
And she's up to Gillecrankie,
To go among the heather.
21 And she's cast off her high-heeld shoes,
And put on a pair of laigh ones,
And she's away with Duncan Grahame,
To go among the brachans.
22 'O my bonny Lizie Bailie,
Thy mother cannot want thee;
And if thou go with Duncan Grahame
Thou'll be a Gilliecrankie.'
23 'Hold your tongue, my mother dear,
And folly let thee be;
Should I not fancie Duncan Grahame
When Duncan fancies me?
24 'Hold your tongue, my father dear,
And folly let thee be;
For I will go with Duncan Grahame
Fore all the men I see.'
25 'Who is it that's done this turn?
Who has done this deed?'
'A minister it's, father,' she says,
'Lives at the Rughburn bridge.'
26 'A minister, daughter?' he says,
'A minister for mister!'
'O hold your tongue, my father dear,
He married first my sister.'
27 'O fare you well, my daughter dear,
So dearly as I lovd thee!
Since thou wilt go to Duncan Grahame,
My bonny Lizie Bailie.'
28 'O fare you well, my father dear,
Also my sister Betty;
O fare you well, my mother dear,
I leave you all compleatly.'
End-Notes
a. 34. conveyd; cf. 103.
174. Suspicious. I'll surely grant thee in b, which preserves the rhyme, and is otherwise preferable.
203, b avoids Gillecrankie here by reading to the Highland hills, and lacks 22.
232, 242. Hardly possible. In 232 b has, With your folly let me be.
271. fair ye: cf. 281,3.
b. 11. upon the.
13. gane.
21. been long at.
23. to her.
34. convoyd.
43. wilt.
51. I should: with you.
52. They 'd think.
53. can neither.
63. dost.
64. I will teach.
72. That wears.
73. But she would.
73. he wears trews.
83. have a.
84. That lives.
112. you.
114. at.
143. mony a: Highlandman.
151. now she.
152. And he.
153. O my.
173. dost want.
174. I'll surely grant thee: better.
191. Now she's: gown.
192. wore: Lowlands.
194. the gowns.
202. oiled for the gilded.
203. to the Highland hills.
204, 214. gang.
212. And wanting.
22. wanting.
232. With your folly let me be.
234. 'Fore all the men I see.
24 (or, 234 241-3). wanting.
251. that has.
252. Or who hath.
254. Red Burn.
271. So for O.
272. love.
273. go with.
274. Thou 'It get no gear from me.
c. Only 141 given.
11. It was in and about the Martinmass.
Absurd. Lammas, even, is late enough for leaves to be fresh and green; in fact both are verbiage.
13. gane.
21. She was nae in.
22. Even wanting.
23. When luck.
24. she gaed.
31. When she gaed to the bonny Isle.
d. 11 stanzas: 13,4, 32,4; 4; 5, in two forms, one struck out; 6 (?), 20, 19, 9, 11 (?), 12, 18, 16.
5 'I am sure they wad nae ca me wise,
Gin I wad gang wi you, sir,
For I can neither card nor spin,
Nor yet milk ewe nor cow, sir.'
6 'My bonie Liza Baillie,
Let nane o these things daunt ye;
Ye'll hae nae need to card or spin,
Your mither weel can want ye.'
9 She wad nae hae a Lawland laird,
Nor be an English ladie,
But she wad gang wi Duncan Grame,
And row her in his plaidie.
11 ? She was nae ten miles frae the town
When she began to weary;
She often looked back and said,
'Farewell to Castlecarry!'
12 The first place I saw my Duncan Grame
Was near yon holland-bush;
My father took frae me my rings,
My rings but and my purse.
19 And she's cast aff her bonie goun,
Made o the silk and sattin,
And she's put on a tartan plaid,
To row amang the bracken. (214.)
20 Now she's cast au her bonie shoon,
Made o the gilded leather,
And she's put on her Highland brogues,
To skip amang the heather.
This is enough to show the quality of d. It has been extensively corrupted. 11 is out of character, and suggested by 'Lizie Lindsay.'
e. Stanzas 4, 5, 17, 20, 19, 9, only.
5 'If I wad gang alang wi you
They wadna ca me wise, sir;
For I can neither card nor spin,
Nor yet can I speak Erse, sir.'
9 She wadna hae a Lawland laird,
Nor be a English lady,
But she's awa wi Duncan Grahame
He's rowd her in his plaidy.
17 'My bonny Lizie Baillie,
Your minny canna want you;
Sae let the trooper gang his lane,
And carry his ain portmanteau.'
19. Nearly as in d. A' wrought wi gowd an satin: To sport amang.
20. Nearly as in d. Spanish leather.
173,4 is not intelligible, and may have slipped in from some "Trooper" ballad.
f. 10 stanzas, edited from some copy of d. f 3-9, 10 = d 2-8, 12, nearly.
11. Lammas time.
12. trees were.
13. L. B. gaed to Garter town.
23 She 'd no been lang in Garter town
Till she met wi Duncan Graham,
Wha kindly there saluted her,
And wad convoy her hame.
42. Ye's hae a tartan plaidie.
93. wad gang wi Duncan Graham.
94. And wear a tartan plaidie.
191. her lowland braws.
193. put on the worset gown.
194. To skip amang the breckin.
g. 14 stanzas.
2 She meant to go unto that place
To stay a little while;
But mark what fortune her befell
When she went to the Isle.
It fell out upon a day,
Sheep-shearing at an end,
Lizie Baillie she walkd out,
To see a distant friend.
3 But going down in a low glen
She met wi Duncan Graeme,
Who courted her along the way,
Likewise convoyed her hame.
The whole ballad is treated with the like freedom and feebleness.
22 'O stay at hame,' her father said,
'Your mither cannot want thee;
And gin ye gang awa this night
We'll hae a Killycrankie.'
Killycrankie for a row: a droll emendation of a, and the only spirited line in the piece.
Additions and Corrections
P. 266. h. 'Elisa Bailly,' "The Old Lady's Collection," No 37.
3 As I came in by Carron sid,
An in nou by Dumblain,
Ther I mett we Dugall Grame:
He said he wad see me hame.
4 'My bonny Lisey Bailie,
I ill rou ye in my plady,
An ye wad gaa along we me,
I wad make ye a Heallend lady.'
5 'If I wad gaa along we ye,
They wad say I wer na wise;
For I cane nether milk cou nor ewe,
Nor can I speak Ears.'
6 'My bonny Lisie Bailly,
For that ye nead na fear;
For onye that I cane dou,
I ill learn to you, my dear.'
19, 21 'Then I ill cast off my bra nou goun,
Made of the silk an saten,
An I ell pitt on the name-made grays,
To skip among the breachan.'
' My bonny Lisie Bailly,
I ill rou ye in my plaidy,
An ye will go along we me,
I ill make ye a Healand lady.'
20 'Then I ell cast aff my bra nou shous,
Made of the Turky lader,
An I ell pit on the hame-made broges,
To skip among the header.'
'My bonny Lisie Bailly,
I ell rou ye in my plady;
Since ye 'r to goo along we me,
I ell make ye a Healend lady.'
16 Foull faa the logarheaded Loland lads
That lives near Castell Carey,
Has latten the bonny lass away
The Heallend lad to marry.
162. Carey written so as to look like Carly.