Earl Bran- Laidlaw (Selk) c.1802 Scott
[From: "Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy," No 22 d. Scott has written at the head, Earl Bran, another copy. The quotes (following) is from The modern Scottish minstrel; edited by Charles Rogers. Scott met Laidlaw and James Hogg in 1801 which inspired them to collect local ballads.
R. Matteson 2018]
James Laidlaw, with his wife, Catherine Ballan- tyne, rented from the Earl of Traquair the pastoral farm of Blackhouse, in Yarrow. William, the eldest of a family of three sons, was born in November 1780. His education was latterly conducted at the Grammar School of Peebles. James Hogg kept sheep on his father's farm, and a strong inclination for ballad-poetry. . .
Earl Bran- collected by William Laidlaw (b. 1780) of Selkirkshire (farm of Blackhouse) about 1802 for W. Scott.
1 Earl Bran's a wooing gane;
Ae lalie, O lilly lalie
He woo'd a lady, an was bringing her hame.
O the gae knights o Airly
2 . . .
Ae lalie, O lilly lalie
They met neither wi rich nor poor.
O the gae knights o Airly
3 Till they met wi an auld palmer Hood,
Ae lalie, O lilly lalie
Was ay for ill, an never for good.
O the gae knights o Airly
4 'O yonder is an auld palmer Heed:
Ae lalie, O lilly lalie
Tak your sword an kill him dead.'
O the gae knights o Airly
5 Gude forbid, O ladie fair,
Ae lalie, O lilly lalie
That I kill an auld man an grey hair.
O the gae knights o Airly
6 'We'll gie him a an forbid him to tell;'
Ae lalie, O lilly lalie
The gae him a an forbad him to tell.
O the gae knights o Airly.
7 The auld man than he's away hame,
Ae lalie, O lilly lalie
He telld o Jane whan he gaed hame.
O the gae knights o Airly.
8 'I thought I saw her on yon moss,
Ae lalie, O lilly lalie
Riding on a milk-white horse.
O the gae knights o Airly.
9 'I thought I saw her on yon muir;
Ae lalie, O lilly lalie
By this time she's Earl Bran's whore.'
O the gae knights o Airly.
10 Her father he's ca'd on his men:
Ae lalie, O lilly lalie
'Gae follow, an fetch her again.'
O the gae knights o Airly.
11 She's lookit oer her left shoulder:
Ae lalie, O lilly lalie
'O yonder is my father's men!
O the gae knights o Airly.
12 'O yonder is my father's men:
Ae lalie, O lilly lalie
Take my cleadin, an I'll take thine.'
O the gae knights o Airly.
13 'O that was never law in land,
Ae lalie, O lilly lalie
For a ladie to feiht an a knight to stand.
O the gae knights o Airly.
14 'But if yer father's men come ane an ane,
Ae lalie, O lilly lalie
Stand ye by, an ye'll see them slain.
O the gae knights o Airly.
15 'If they come twae an twae,
Ae lalie, O lilly lalie
Stand ye by, an ye'll see them gae.
O the gae knights o Airly.
16 'And if they come three an three,
Ae lalie, O lilly lalie
Stand ye by, an ye'll see them die.'
O the gae knights o Airly.
17 Her father's men came ane an ane,
Ae lalie, O lilly lalie
She stood by . . .
O the gae knights o Airly.
18 Than they cam by twae an twae,
Ae lalie, O lilly lalie
. . .
O the gae knights o Airly.
19 Than they cam by three an three,
Ae lalie, O lilly lalie
. . .
O the gae knights o Airly
20 But ahint him cam the auld palmer Hood,
Ae lalie, O lilly lalie
An ran him outthro the heart's blood.
O the gae knights o Airly
21 'I think I see your heart's blood:'
Ae lalie, O lilly lalie
'It's but the glistering o your scarlet hood.'
O the gae knights o Airly
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7.1. Manuscript, he's *, and, in the margin, * away has been gane. Over away hame is written thre them (= thrae, frae, them), or, perhaps, thre than.
20.1. Manuscript, palmer weed: cf. 31, 41.
20.2. outr thro.