Ab. Earlington's Daughter- (Selk) Hogg c.1803- Child A
[From Abbottsford Collection, "Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy," No 20, from a MS by James Hogg taken from an unknown informant presumably from the Ettrick, Selkirkshire area about 1801. By 1802-1803 Walter Scott had the copy along with Laidlaw's MS to construct Child A.
The two copies from which (with some editorial garnish and filling out) Child A was compounded were to make Scott's version: a. "Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy," No 20, obtained from Nelly Laidlaw, and in the handwriting of William Laidlaw;
b. 'Earlington's Daughter,' the same collection, No 11, in the handwriting of James Hogg. The differences are purely verbal, and both copies may probably have been derived from the same reciter; still, since only seven or eight verses in sixty-eight agree, both will be given entire, instead of a list of the variations.
R. Matteson 2014, 2108]
EARLINGTON'S DAUGHTER- Hogg c.1803- Child A, b.
1 O Earlington, he has ae daughter,
And I wot he has ward her in a great sin;
He has buggin to her a bigly bowr,
And a' to put his daughter in.
2 he has warnd her sisters six,
Her sisters six and her brethren seven,
Either to watch her a' the night,
Or else to search her soon at morn.
3 They had na been a night in that bigly bowr,
'T is not a night but barely ane,
Till there was Willie, her ain true-love,
Rappd at the door, and knew not the gin.
4 'Whoe's this, whoe's this raps at my bowr-door,
Raps at my bowr-door, and knows not the gin?'
'O it is Willie, thy ain true-love;
I pray thee rise and let me in.'
5 'O in my bower, Willie, there is a wake,
And in the *wake there is a wan;
But I'll come to the green wood the morn,
To the green wood for thy name's sake.'
6 O she has gaen to her bed again,
And a wait she has lain till the cock crew thrice;
Then she said to her sisters baith,
Lasses, 't is time for us to rise.
7 She's puten on her back a silken gown,
And on her breast a silver tie;
She's taen a sister in ilka hand,
And thro the green wood they are gane.
8 They had na walkt a mile in that good green wood,
'T is not a mile but barely ane,
Till there was Willie, her ain true-love,
And from her sisters he has her taen.
9 He's taen her sisters by the hand,
He kist them baith, he sent them hame;
He's taen his lady him behind,
And thro the green wood they are gane.
10 They had na ridden a mile in the good green wood,
'T is not a mile but barely ane,
Till there was fifteen of the boldest knights
That ever bore flesh, blood or bane.
11 The foremost of them was an aged knight,
He wore the gray hair on his chin:
'Yield me thy life or thy lady bright,
And thou shalt walk these woods within.'
12 ''T is for to give my lady fair
To such an aged knight as thee,
People wad think I were gane mad,
Or else the senses taen frae me.'
13 Up then spake the second of them,
And he spake ay right bousterously;
'Yield me thy life or thy lady bright,
And thou shalt walk these woods within.'
14 'My wife, she is my warld's meed,
My life it lies me very near;
But if you'll be man of your manheed,
I'll serve you till my days be near.'
15 He's lighted of his milk-white steed,
He's given his lady him by the head:
'And see ye dinna change your cheer
Till you do see my body bleed.'
16 O he has killd these fifteen lords,
And he has killd them a' but ane,
And he has left that old aged knight,
And a' to carry the tidings hame.
17 O he's gane to his lady again,
And a wait he has kist her, baith cheek and chin:
'Thou art my ain love, I have thee bought,
And thou shalt walk these woods within.'
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* Stanza 5. wake should be wane and wan wake, as in A.