English & Other 236. The Laird o Drum
CONTENTS:
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LAIRD OF DRUM.
Though this production has never appeared in any collection, it has been printed on a broadside in the North, where it is extremely popular: the present copy, however, is obtained from recitation.
Drum, the property of the ancient, and once powerful family of Irwin or Irvine, is situated in the parish of Drumoak, in Aberdeenshire. This ballad was composed on the marriage of Alexander Irvine of Drum to his second wife, Margaret Coutts, a woman of inferior birth and manners, which step gave great offence to his relations. He had previously, in 1643, married Mary, fourth daughter of George, second Marquis of Huntly.
LAIRD OF DRUM.
The Laird o' Drum is a-wooing gane,
It was on a morning early,
And he has fawn in wi' a bonnie may
A-shearing at her barley.
"My bonnie may, my weel-faur'd may,
O will ye fancy me, O;
And gae and be the Lady o' Drum, And lat your shearing abee, O. " It's I canna fancy thee, kind sir,
1 winna fancy thee, O,
I winna gae and be Lady o' Drum, And lat my shearing abee, O. But set your love on anither, kind sir,
Set it not on me, O, For I am not fit to be your bride, And your hure I'll never be, O.
My father he is a shepherd mean, Keeps sheep on yonder hill, O, And ye may gae and speir at him, For I am at his will, O." Drum is to her father gane,
Keeping his sheep on yon hill, O;
And he has gotten his consent
That the may was at his will, O.—
" But my dochter can neither read nor write, She was ne'er brought up at scheel,* O; But weel can she milk cow and ewe, And mak a kebbuck-)- weel, O. She'll winj in your barn at bear-seed time, Cast out your muck at Yule,§ O, * Scheel—the Aberdeenshire pronunciation of school. f Kebbuck—cheese. \ Win—work. § Yule— Christmas.
She'll saddle your steed in time o' need, And draw aff your boots hersell, O." " Have not I no clergymen? Pay I no clergy fee, O? I'll scheel her as I think fit, And as I think weel to be, O. I'll learn your lassie to read and write, And I'll put her to the scheel, O; She'll neither need to saddle my steed, Nor draw aff my boots hersell, O.
But wha will bake my bridal bread,
Or brew my bridal ale, O; And wha will welcome my bonnie bride,
Is mair than I can tell, O."
Drum is to the hielands gane,
For to mak a' ready, And a' the gentry round about, Cried, " Yonder's Drum and his lady!
Peggy Coutts is a very bonnie bride, And Drum is a wealthy laddie, But he micht hae chosen a Her match, Than onie shepherd's lassie." Then up bespak his brither John,
Says, " Ye've deen* us meihle wrang, O,
Ye've married een below our degree, A lakef to a' our kin, O." " Hold your tongue, my brither John, I have deen you na wrang, O, For I've married een to wirk and win,:j: And ye've married een to spend O. The first time that I had a wife, She was far abeen§ my degree, O; I durst na come in her presence, But wi' my hat upo' my knee, O. The first wife that I did wed,
She was far abeen my degree, O,
She wadna hae walk'd to the yetts o' Drum But || the pearls abeen her bree,f O.
But an she was ador'd for as much gold,.
As Peggy's for beautie, O, She micht walk to the yetts o' Drum Amang gueed* companie, O."
There war four and twenty gentlemen Stood at the yetts o' Drum, O, There was na ane amang them a' That welcom'd his lady in, (X He has tane her by the milk-white hand,
And led her in himsel, O, And in thro' ha's, and in thro' bouers,— "And ye're welcome, Lady o' Drum, O." Thrice he kissed her cherry cheek, And thrice her cherry chin, O; And twenty times her comely mou',— " And ye're welcome, Lady o' Drum, O." Ye sall be cook in my kitchen, Butler in my ha', O; Ye sall be lady in my command, Whan I ride far awa, O."— •'But I told ye afore we war wed, I was owre low for thee, O; But now we are wed, and in ae bed laid, And ye maun be content wi' me, O: For an I war dead, and ye war dead,
And baith in ae grave laid, O, And ye and I war tane up again,
Wha could distan your mouls* frae mine, O?"
* Distan your mouls—distinguish your dust.
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THE LAIRD O' DRUM- Greig-Duncan MS 785; Sung in 1905 Mrs. Gillespie learned in 1862 from Betty Mine, Fyvie.
The laird o Drum's a-huntin gane
All in a mornin early,
An' there he spied a weel-faur'd maid
A-shearin her father's barley.
"O will ye fancy me, fair maid,
Or will ye marry me, O,
An' gang an' be the leddy o Drum
An' lat your shearin be, O?"
"O I maunna fancy you, kind sir,
Nor lat my shearin be, O,
For I'm ower low to be leddy o' Drum,
An' your miss I would scorn to be, O.
"My father he's an auld shepherd man,
Keeps hoggs on yonder hill, O,
An' ilka thing he bids me do,
I'm always at his will, O."
"But ye'll pit aff the gowns o grey,
Pit on the silk an' scarlet,
An' come an' be the leddy o Drum,
An' ye'll neither be miss nor harlot."
"I canna wear your gowns o' silk,
They wid harrel at my heel, O,
But weel can I wear the colour o' the ewe,
It becomes my body weel O."
Now he has to her father gane
Keepin hoggs on yonder hill, O:
"I'm come to marry your ae dachter,
If ye'll gie your good will, O."
"My dachter can neither read nor write,
She was never taught at school, O,
But weel can she milk baith cows an' ewes,
For I learned the lassie mysel, O.
"She'll work in your barn, she'll winnie your corn
She'll gang to mill or kill, O;
In time o' need she'll saddle your steed,
An' draw your boots hersel, O."
"I'll learn the lassie to read an' write,
I'll pit her to the school, O,
An' she'll never need to saddle my steed,
Nor draw my boots hersel, O.
"But fa will bake my bridal breid,
Or fa will brew my ale, O,
An' fa will welcome the leddy o' Drum,
Is mair than I can tell, O."
There was four an' twenty gentlemen
Stood at the gates o' Drum, O,
But neer a een pit his han' till his hat
When the leddy o Drum cam in, O.
But he has taen her by the han',
An' led her but an' ben, O,
Says, "Ye're welcome hame, my Leddy Drum,
For this is a' your ain, O."
An' he has taen her by the han'
An' led her through the ha', O,
Says, "Ye're welcome hame, my Leddy Drum,
To your bowers een an' a', O."
Then up an' spak his ae brither,
"Ye've deen us muckle wrang, O;
Ye've marriet a wife neath your degree,
A disgrace to a' oor kin, O.
"It's Peggy Coutts is a bonnie bride,
An' Drum is big an' gaucey,
But he micht hae chosen a higher match
Than just a shepherd's lassie."
Out then spak the laird o' Drum,
Says, "I've done ye nae wrang, O,
For I've marriet a wife to work an' win,
An' ye've marriet een to spen', O.
"The firstan wife that I did wed,
She was far abune my degree, O,
I durstna gang in the room she was in
But my hat low by my knee, O.
"For the first wife that I did wed,
She lookit doon on me, O;
She widna walk to the gates o' Drum,
But the pearlins abune her bree O.
"An' she was adored but for her gold,
An' Peggy for her beauty, O,
An' she micht walk to the gates o' Drum
In as good company, O."
Yet four an' twenty gentle knights
Stood at the gates o' Drum, O,
An' there wasna een amang them a'
Wid welcome Peggy in, O.
But he has taen her by the han',
An' led her in himsel, O,
An' pit the keys into her lap,
An' styled her Leddy Drum, O.
An' twice he kissed her cherry cheek,
An' thrice her cherry chin, O,
An' twenty times her comely mou,
Said, "You're welcome, Leddy Drum, O .
When they they had eaten an' drunken weel,
An' a' were bound for bed, O
The Laird o' Drum an' the shepherd's dachter
In ae bed they were laid, O.
"Gin ye had been o' as high kin
As ye're o' low degree, O,
We might hae baith gane doon the street
Amang the best o' company, O.
"An' o' a' yon four an' twenty knights
That gaed in at the yett o' Drum, O,
There ne'er was een but wid lifted his hat
When the leddy o Drum cam in, O."
"I tell't ye weel ere we were wed,
Ye was far abune my degree, O,
But noo I'm wed an' in your bed laid,
I'd scorn to carry your keys, O.
I tell't ye weel ere we were wed,
Ye was far too high for me, O,
But noo I'm wed an' in your bed laid,
An' I'm just as good as ye, O.
When I am deid an you are deid,
An' baith in ae grave laid, O
They wid need to look wi' very clear een
To ken your mould by mine, O"