Ballads on Mr. Heron's Election - Ballad Third
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- 'Twas in the seventeen hunder year
- O' grace, and ninety-five,
- That year I was the wae'est man
- Of ony man alive.
- In March the three-an'-twentieth morn,
- The sun raise clear an' bright;
- But oh! I was a waefu' man,
- Ere to-fa' o' the night.
- Yerl Galloway lang did rule this land,
- Wi' equal right and fame,
- And thereto was his kinsmen join'd,
- The Murray's noble name.
- Yerl Galloway's man o' men was I,
- And chief o' Broughton's host;
- So twa blind beggars, on a string,
- The faithfu' tyke will trust.
- But now Yerl Galloway's sceptre's broke,
- And Broughton's wi' the slain,
- And I my ancient craft may try,
- Sin' honesty is gane.
- 'Twas by the banks o' bonie Dee,
- Beside Kirkcudbright's towers,
- The Stewart and the Murray there,
- Did muster a' their powers.
- Then Murray on the auld grey yaud,
- Wi' winged spurs did ride,
- That auld grey yaud a' Nidsdale rade,
- He staw upon Nidside.
- And there had na been the Yerl himsel,
- O there had been nae play;
- But Garlies was to London gane,
- And sae the kye might stray.
- And there was Balmaghie, I ween,
- In front rank he wad shine;
- But Balmaghie had better been
- Drinkin' Madeira wine.
- And frae Glenkens cam to our aid
- A chief o' doughty deed;
- In case that worth should wanted be,
- O' Kenmure we had need.
- And by our banners march'd Muirhead,
- And Buittle was na slack;
- Whase haly priesthood nane could stain,
- For wha could dye the black?
- And there was grave squire Cardoness,
- Look'd on till a' was done;
- Sae in the tower o' Cardoness
- A howlet sits at noon.
- And there led I the Bushby clan,
- My gamesome billie, Will,
- And my son Maitland, wise as brave,
- My footsteps follow'd still.
- The Douglas and the Heron's name,
- We set nought to their score;
- The Douglas and the Heron's name,
- Had felt our weight before.
- But Douglasses o' weight had we,
- The pair o' lusty lairds,
- For building cot-houses sae fam'd,
- And christenin' kail-yards.
- And there Redcastle drew his sword,
- That ne'er was stain'd wi' gore,
- Save on a wand'rer lame and blind,
- To drive him frae his door.
- And last cam creepin' Collieston,
- Was mair in fear than wrath;
- Ae knave was constant in his mind-
- To keep that knave frae scaith.

This work was published before January 1, 1926, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.