Ettricke Foreste is a feir foreste,
In it grows manie a semelie trie;
There’s hart and hynd, and dae and
rae,
And of a’ wilde beastes grete plentie.
There’s a feir castelle, bigged
wi’ lyme and stane;
O! gin it stands not pleasauntlie!
In the forefront o’ that castelle
feir,
Twa unicorns are bra’ to see;
There’s the picture of a knight,
and a ladye bright,
And the grene hollin abune their brie.[106]
There an Outlaw keeps five hundred men;
He keepis a royalle cumpanie!
His merryemen are a’ in ae liverye
clad,
O’ the Liukome grene saye gaye to
see;
He and his ladye in purple clad,
O! gin they lived not royallie!
Word is gane to our nobil king,
In Edinburgh, where that he lay,
That there was an Outlaw in Ettricke Foreste,
Counted him nought, nor a’ his courtrie
gay.
“I make a vowe,” then the
gude king said,
Unto the man that deir bought me,
“I’se either be king of Ettricke
Foreste,
Or king of Scotlonde that Outlaw sail
be!”
Then spak the lord, hight Hamilton,
And to the nobil king said he,
“My sovereign prince, sum counsell
take,
First at your nobilis, syne at me.
“I redd ye, send yon braw Outlaw
till,
And see gif your man cum will he:
Desyre him cum and be your man,
And hald of you yon Foreste frie.
“Gif he refuses to do that,
We’ll conquess baith his landis
and he!
Or else, we’ll throw his castell
down,
And make a widowe o’ his gay ladye.”
The king then call’d a gentleman,
James Boyd, (the Earl of Arran his brother
was he)
When James he cam befor the king,
He knelit befor him on his kné.
“Wellcum, James Boyd!” said
our nobil king;
“A message ye maun gang for me;
Ye maun hye to Ettricke Foreste,
To yon Outlaw, where bydeth he:
“Ask him of whom he haldis his landis,
Or man, wha may his master be,
And desyre him cum, and be my man,
And hald of me yon Foreste frie.
“To Edinburgh to cum and gang,
His safe warrant I sall gie;
And gif he refuses to do that,
We’ll conquess baith his landis
and he.
“Thou may’st vow I’ll
cast his castell down,
And mak a widowe o’ his gay ladye;
I’ll hang his merryemen, payr by
payr,
In ony frith where I may them see.”
James Boyd tuik his leave o’ the
nobil king,
To Ettricke Foreste feir cam he;
Down Birkendale Brae when that he cam,
He saw the feir Foreste wi’ his
e’e.
Baithe dae and rae, and hart and hinde,
And of a’ wilde beastis great plentie;
He heard the bows that bauldly ring,
And arrows whidderan’ hym near bi.
Of that feir castell he got a sight;
The like he neir saw wi’ his e’e!
On the fore front o’ that castell
feir,
Twa unicorns were gaye to see;
The picture of a knight, and a ladye bright,
And the grene hollin abune their brie.
Thereat he spyed five hundred men,
Shuting with bows on Newark Lee;
They were a’ in ae livery clad,
O’ the Lincome grene sae gaye to
see.
His men were a’ clad in the grene,
The knight was armed capapie,
With a bended bow, on a milk-white steed;
And I wot they ranked right bonilie.
Thereby Boyd kend he was master man,
And serv’d him in his ain degré.
“God mot thee save, brave Outlaw
Murray!
Thy ladye, and all thy chyvalrie!”
“Marry, thou’s wellcum, gentelman,
Some king’s messenger thou seemis
to be.”
“The king of Scotlonde sent me here,
And, gude Outlaw, I am sent to thee;
I wad wot of whom ye hald your landis,
Or man, wha may thy master be?”
“Thir landis are MINE!” the
Outlaw said;
“I ken nae king in Christentie;
Frae Soudron107 I this Foreste wan,
When the king nor his knightis were not
to see.”
“He desyres you’l cum to Edinburgh,
And hauld of him this Foreste frie;
And, gif ye refuse to do this,
He’ll conquess baith thy landis
and thee.
He hath vow’d to cast thy castell
down,
And mak a widowe o’ thy gaye ladye;
“He’ll hang thy merryemen,
payr by payr,
In ony frith where he may them finde.”
“Aye, by my troth!” the Outlaw
said,
“Than wald I think me far behinde.
“E’er the king my feir countrie
get,
This land that’s nativest to me!
Mony o’ his nobilis sall be cauld,
Their ladyes sall be right wearie.”
Then spak his ladye, feir of face,
She seyd, “Without consent of me,
That an Outlaw suld cum befor a King;
I am right rad108 of treasonrie.
Bid him be gude to his lordis at hame,
For Edinburgh my lord sall nevir see.”
James Boyd tuik his leave o’ the
Outlaw kene,
To Edinburgh boun is he;
When James he cam befor the king,
He knelit lowlie on his kné.
“Wellcum, James Boyd!” seyd
our nobil king;
“What Foreste is Ettricke Foreste
frie?”
“Ettricke Foreste is the feirest
foreste
That evir man saw wi’ his e’e.
“There’s the dae, the rae,
the hart, the hynde,
And of a’ wild beastis grete plentie;
There’s a pretty castell of lyme
and stane;
O gif it stands not pleasauntlie!
“There’s in the forefront
o’ that castell,
Twa unicorns, sae bra’ to see;
There’s the picture of a knight,
and a ladye bright,
Wi’ the grene hollin abune their
brie.
“There the Outlaw keepis five hundred
men;
He keepis a royalle cumpanie!
His merrymen in ae livery clad,
O’ the Linkome grene sae gaye to
see:
“He and his ladye in purple clad;
O! gin they live not royallie!
“He says, yon Foreste is his awin;
He wan it frae the Southronie;
Sae as he wan it, sae will he keep it,
Contrair all kingis in Christentie.”
“Gar warn me Perthshire, and Angus
baith;
Fife up and down, and the Louthians three,
And graith my horse!” said the nobil
king,
“For to Ettricke Foreste hie will
I me.”
Then word is gane the Outlaw till,
In Ettricke Foreste, where dwelleth he,
That the king was cuming to his cuntrie,
To conquess baith his landis and he.
“I mak a vow,” the Outlaw
said,
“I mak a vow, and that trulie,
Were there but three men to tak my pairt;
Yon king’s cuming full deir suld
be!”
Then messengers he called forth,
And bade them hie them speedilye—
“Ane of ye gae to Halliday,
The laird of the Corhead is he.
“He certain is my sister’s
son;
Bid him cum quick and succour me!
The king cums on for Ettricke Foreste,
And landless men we a’ will be.”
“What news? What news?”
said Halliday,
“Man, frae thy master unto me?”
“Not as ye wad; seeking your aide;
The king’s his mortal enemie.”
“Aye, by my troth!” said Halliday,
“Even for that it repenteth me;
For gif he lose feir Ettricke Foreste,
He’ll tak feir Moffatdale frae me.
“I’ll meet him wi’ five
hundred men,
And surely mair, if mae may be;
And before he gets the Foreste feir,
We a’ will die on Newark Lee!”
The Outlaw call’d a messenger,
And bid him hie him speedilye,
To Andrew Murray of Cockpool—
“That man’s a deir cousin
to me;
Desyre him cum, and mak me ayd,
With a’ the power that he may be.”
“It stands me hard,” Andrew
Murray said,
Judge gif it stands na hard wi’
me;
To enter against a king wi’ crown,
And set my landis in jeopardie!
Yet, if I cum not on the day,
Surely at night he sall me see.”
To Sir James Murray of Traquair,
A message cam right speedilye—
“What news? What news?”
James Murray said,
“Man, frae thy master unto me?”
“What neids I tell? for weell ye
ken,
The king’s his mortal enemie;
And now he is cuming to Ettricke Foreste,
And landless men ye a’ will be.”
“And, by my trothe,” James
Murray said,
“Wi’ that Outlaw will I live
and die;
The king has gifted my landis lang syne—
It cannot be nae warse wi’ me.”
The king was cuming thro’ Caddon
Ford109,
And full five thousand men was he;
They saw the derke Foreste them before,
They thought it awsome for to see.
Then spak the lord, hight Hamilton,
And to the nobil king said he,
“My sovereign liege, sum council
tak,
First at your nobilis, syne at me.
“Desyre him mete thee at Permanscore,
And bring four in his cumpanie;
Five erles sall gang yoursell befor,
Gude cause that you suld honour’d
be.
“And, gif he refuses to do that,
We’ll conquess baith his landis
and he;
“There sall nevir a Murray, after
him,
Hald land in Ettricke Foreste frie.”
Then spak the kene laird of Buckscleuth,
A stalworthye man, and sterne was he—
“For a king to gang an Outlaw till,
Is beneath his state and his dignitie.
“The man that wons yon Foreste intill,
He lives by reif and felonie!
Wherefore, brayd on, my sovereign liege!
Wi’ fire and sword we’ll follow
thee;
Or, gif your courtrie lords fa’
back,
Our borderers sall the onset gie.”
Then out and spak the nobil king,
And round him cast a wilie e’e—
“Now haud thy tongue, Sir Walter
Scott,
Nor speik of reif nor felonie:
For, had everye honeste man his awin kye,
A right puir clan thy name wad be!”
The king then call’d a gentleman,
Royal banner bearer there was he;
James Hop Pringle of Torsonse, by name;
He cam and knelit upon his kné.
“Wellcum, James Pringle of Torsonse!
A message ye maun gang for me;
Ye maun gae to yon Outlaw Murray,
Surely where bauldly bideth he.
“Bid him mete me at Permanscore,
And bring four in his cumpanie;
Five erles sall cum wi’ mysell
Gude reason I suld honour’d be.
“And, gif he refuses to do that,
Bid him luke for nae good o’ me!
Ther sall nevir a Murray, after him,
Have land in Ettricke Foreste frie.”
James cam befor the Outlaw kene,
And serv’d him in his ain degré—
“Wellcum, James Pringle of Torsonse!
What message frae the king to me?”
“He bidds ye mete him at Permanscore,
And bring four in your cumpanie;
Five erles sall gang himsell befor,
Nae mair in number will he be.
“And, gif you refuse to do that,
(I freely here upgive wi’ thee)
He’ll cast yon bonny castle down,
And mak a widowe o’ that gaye ladye.
“He’ll loose yon bluidhound
borderers,
Wi’ fire and sword to follow thee;
There will nevir a Murray, after thysell,
Have land in Ettricke Foreste frie.”
“It stands me hard,” the Outlaw
said;
“Judge gif it stands na hard wi’
me!
Wha reck not losing of mysell,
But a’ my offspring after me.
“My merryemen’s lives, my
widowe’s teirs—
There lies the pang that pinches me!
When I am straught in bluidie eard,
Yon castell will be right dreirie.
“Auld Halliday, young Halliday,
Ye sall be twa to gang wi’ me;
Andrew Murray, and Sir James Murray,
We’ll be nae mae in cumpanie.”
When that they cam befor the king,
They fell befor him on their kné—
“Grant mercie, mercie, nobil king!
E’en for his sake that dyed on trie.”
“Sicken like mercie sall ye have;
On gallows ye sall hangit be!”
“Over God’s forbode,”
quoth the Outlaw then,
“I hope your grace will bettir be!
Else, ere ye come to Edinburgh port,
I trow thin guarded sall ye be:
“Thir landis of Ettricke Foreste
feir,
I wan them from the enemie;
Like as I wan them, sae will I keep them,
Contrair a’ kingis in Christentie.”
All the nobilis the king about,
Said pitie it were to see him die—
“Yet graunt me mercie, sovereign
prince!
Extend your favour unto me!
“I’ll give thee the keys of
my castell,
Wi’ the blessing o’ my gaye
ladye,
Gin thoul’t mak me sheriffe of this
Foreste,
And a’ my offspring after me.”
“Wilt thou give me the keys of thy
castell,
Wi’ the blessing of thy gaye ladye?
I’se mak thee sheriffe of Ettricke
Foreste,
Surely while upwards grows the trie;
If you be not traitour to the king,
Forfaulted sall thou nevir be.”
“But, prince, what sall cum o’
my men?
When I gae back, traitour they’ll
ca’ me.
I had rather lose my life and land,
E’er my merryemen rebuked me.”
“Will your merryemen amend their
lives?
And a’ their pardons I graunt thee—
Now, name thy landis where’er they
lie,
And here I RENDER them to thee.”
“Fair Philiphaugh is mine by right,
And Lewinshope still mine shall be;
Newark, Foulshiells, and Tinnies baith,
My bow and arrow purchased me.
“And I have native steads to me,
The Newark Lee and Hangingshaw;
I have mony steads in the Foreste shaw,
But them by name I dinna knaw.”
The keys o’ the castell he gave
the king,
Wi’ the blessing o’ his feir
ladye;
He was made sheriffe of Ettricke Foreste,
Surely while upwards grows the trie;
And if he was na traitour to the king,
Forfaulted he suld nevir be.
Wha ever heard, in ony times,
Sicken an Outlaw in his degré,
Sick favour get befor a king,
As did the OUTLAW MURRAY of the Foreste
frie?
[Footnote 106: Brow.]
[Footnote 107: Southern, or English.]
[Footnote 108: Afraid.]
[Footnote 109: A ford on the
Tweed, at the mouth of the Caddon Burn, near Yair.]
