No. 296: Walter Lesly
[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 Text A
5. End-Notes
ATTACHED PAGES (see left hand column):
1. Recordings & Info: 296. Walter Lesly
A. Roud No. 3925: Walter Lesly (3 Listings)
2. Sheet Music: 296. Walter Lesly (Bronson gives no music examples or texts)
3. English and Other Versions (Including Child version A)
Child's Narrative: 296. Walter Lesly
A. 'Walter Lesly,' Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 139.
A late, but life-like and spirited ballad.
Walter Lesly steals a girl, not for her beauty or blood, but for her mother's dollars, of which he has need. She is tied on to a horse, taken to an ale-house, and put to bed. Lesly, weary with hard riding, falls asleep; the girl gets up and runs over moss, moor, hill and dale, barefoot. Lesly's men pursue, but the road is full of pools and tires the men out. The girl effects her escape.
Brief Description by George Lyman Kittredge
A late, but life-like and spirited ballad.
Child's Ballad Text
'Walter Lesly'- Version A; Child 296 Walter Lesly
'Walter Lesly,' Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 139.
1 On the second of October, a Monday at noon,
In came Walter Lesly, to see his proper one;
He sent a chair down by her side, and gently sat her by,
Says, Will ye go to Conland, this winter-time to lye?
2 He's taen a glass into his hand, inviting her to drink,
But little knew she his meaning, or what the rogue did think;
Nor what the rogue did think, to steal the maid away;
'Will ye go to Conland, this winter-time to lye?'
3 When they had taen a glass or two, and all were making merry,
In came Geordy Lesly, and forth he did her carry;
Then upon high horseback sae hard's he did her tye,
'Will ye go to Conland, this winter-time to lye?'
4 Her mother she came to the door, the saut tears on her cheek,
She coudna see her daughter, it was for dust and reek;
It was for dust and reek, the swords they glancd sae high;
'And will ye go to Conland, this winter-time to lye?'
5 When they came to the ale-house, the people there were busy;
A bridal-bed it was well made, and supper well made ready;
When the supper down was set, baith plum-pudding and pie,
'And will ye go to Conland, this winter-time to lye?'
6 When they had eaten and well drunken, and a' man bound for bed,
The laddie and the lassie in ae chamber were laid;
He quickly stript her to the smock, and gently laid her bye,
Says, Will ye go to Conland, this winter-time to lye?
7 But Walter being weary, he fell fast asleep,
And then the lassie thought it fit to start up till her feet;
To start up till her feet, and her petticoats to tye,
'We'll go no more to Conland, the winter-time to lye.'
8 Then over moss and over muir sae cleverly she ran,
And over hill and over dale, without stockings or shoon;
The men pursued her full fast, wi mony shout and cry,
Says, Will ye go to Conland, the winter-time to lye.
9 'Wae to the dubs o Duffus land, that eer they were sae deep;
They've trachled a' our horsemen and gart our captain sleep;
And gart our captain sleep, and the lassie win away,
And she'll go no more to Conland, the winter-time to lye.'
10 'I'd rather be in Duffus land, selling at the ale,
Before I was wi Lesly, for a' his auld meal;
For a' his auld meal, and sae mony comes to buy;
I'll go no more to Conland the winter-time to lye.
11 'I'd rather be in Duffus land, draggin at the ware,
Before I was wi Lesly, for a' his yellow hair;
For a' his yellow hair, and sae well's he can it tye;
I'll go no more to Conland, this winter-time to lye.'
12 It was not for her beauty, nor yet her gentle bluid,
But for her mither's dollars, of them he had great need;
Of them he had great need, now he maun do them by,
For she'll go no more to Conland, this winter-time to lye.
End-Notes
Printed in stanzas of eight short lines.