Bonny House o' Airlie- Gilkie (NS) 1950 Creighton A
[From Traditional Songs from Nova Scotia, by Creighton and Senior, 1950. A National Museum recording was made by Mr. Gilkie.
R. Matteson 2015]
Bonny House o' Airlie - Sung by Mr. William Gilkie, Sambro.
1. It was a solemn day as ever you did see
And the sun shone most clearly,
When she saw the great Argyle and all his Highland men
Come to plunder the Bonnie House o' Airlie.
2. Lady Ogilvie looked over the castle wall
And she vowed and she sighed right fairly
When she saw the great Argyle and all his Highland men
Coming to plunder the bonny house so early.
3. " Come downstairs, come downstairs Lady Ogilvie, " he cries,
" Come downstairs and kiss me fairly,
And I'll swear by the heath[1] of my broadsword
That I shan't leave a stone in St. Airlie. "
4. " I won't come down to you Argyle,
I won't come down to you fairly,
I won't come down to you great Argyle
If you shouldn't leave a stone in St. Airlie.
5. " ff my good laddie were aye here to-day,
He's away fighting for Prince Charlie,
It would not be you or all your royal men
That would plunder the bonny house o' Airlie.
6. " It's seven sons unto him I've born
And the eighth ne'er seen his daddy O,
And gif I had as many many more
I'd give them all to fight for Prince Charlie. "
7. Then the men they went to work worse than heathen Jews or Turk
And they plundered the mansion so fairly,
And it was a solemn day as ever you did see
When they burned down the bonny house o' Airlie.
1. sheath?