42. Clerk Colvill
371
3 Yet she preferred before them all
Him, young Hastings the Groom;
He's coosten a mist before them all,
And away this lady has taen.
Him, young Hastings the Groom;
He's coosten a mist before them all,
And away this lady has taen.
4 He's taken the lady on him behind,
Spared neither grass nor corn,
Till they came to the wood o Amonshaw,
Where again their loves were sworn.
Spared neither grass nor corn,
Till they came to the wood o Amonshaw,
Where again their loves were sworn.
5 And they hae lived in that wood
Full mony a year and day,
And were supported from time to time
By what he made of prey.
Full mony a year and day,
And were supported from time to time
By what he made of prey.
6 And seven bairns, fair and fine,
There she has born to him,
And never was in gude church-door,
Nor ever got gude kirking.
There she has born to him,
And never was in gude church-door,
Nor ever got gude kirking.
7 Ance she took harp into her hand,
And harped them a' asleep,
Then she sat down at their couch-side,
And bitterly did weep.
And harped them a' asleep,
Then she sat down at their couch-side,
And bitterly did weep.
8 Said, Seven bairns hae I born now
To my lord in the ha;
I wish they were seven greedy rats,
To run upon the wa,
And I mysel a great grey cat,
To eat them ane and a'.
To my lord in the ha;
I wish they were seven greedy rats,
To run upon the wa,
And I mysel a great grey cat,
To eat them ane and a'.
9 For ten lang years now I hae lived
Within this cave of stane,
And never was at gude church-door,
Nor got no gude churching.
Within this cave of stane,
And never was at gude church-door,
Nor got no gude churching.
10 O then out spake her eldest child,
And a fine boy was he:
O hold your tongue, my mother dear;
I'll tell you what to dee.
And a fine boy was he:
O hold your tongue, my mother dear;
I'll tell you what to dee.
11 Take you the youngest in your lap,
The next youngest by the hand,
Put all the rest of us you before,
As you learnt us to gang.
The next youngest by the hand,
Put all the rest of us you before,
As you learnt us to gang.
12 And go with us unto some kirk—
You say they are built of stane—
And let us all be christened,
And you get gude kirking.
You say they are built of stane—
And let us all be christened,
And you get gude kirking.
13 She took the youngest in her lap,
The next youngest by the hand,
Set all the rest of them her before,
As she learnt them to gang.
The next youngest by the hand,
Set all the rest of them her before,
As she learnt them to gang.
14 And she has left the wood with them,
And to the kirk has gane,
Where the gude priest them christened,
And gave her gude kirking.
And to the kirk has gane,
Where the gude priest them christened,
And gave her gude kirking.
C. Motherwell's copies exhibit five or six slight variations from Buchan.
42
Clerk Colvill
- 'Clark Colven,' from a transcript of No 13 of William Tytler's Brown MS.
- 'Clerk Colvill, or, The Mermaid,' Herd's Ancient and Modern Scots Songs, 1769, p. 302.
- W. F. in Notes and Queries, Fourth Series, VIII, 510, from the recitation of a lady in Forfarshire.
Although, as has been already said, William Tytler's Brown manuscript is now not to be found, a copy of two of its fifteen ballads has been preserved in the Fraser Tytler family,
