"And take a napkin in your hand,

And tie up your bonnie een,

And you may swear, and safe your aith,
Ye saw me na since yest’re’en."

It was about the midnight hour,
When they asleep were laid,

When in and came her seven brothers
Wi' torches burning red.

When in and came her seven brothers
Wi' torches burning bright;

They said "We hae but ae sister,
And behold she's wi' a knight!"

Then out and spake the first brother-
"My sword shall gar him dee!"
And out and spake the second brother-
"His father's nae mair than he !"

And out and spake the third brother—
"I wot they are lovers dear!"

And out and spake the fourth brother-
"They been lovers this mony a year!"

Then out and spake the fifth brother—
"It were sin true love to twain!"
And out and spake the sixth brother
"Shame to slay a sleeping man!"

Then up and gat the seventh brother,
And never a word spake he;

But he has striped his bright brown sword
Out through Clerk Saunders' body.

Clerk Saunders he started, and Margaret turn'd
In his arms as asleep she lay;

And sad and silent was the night
That was between the twae.

And she lay still and sleeped sound
Till the day began to daw',

And kindly to him she did say

"It is time, Love! you're awa."

But he lay still and sleeped sound,
Till the sun began to sheen;
She look'd atween her and the wa',-
Dull and drowsy were his een.

Then in and came her father dear;
Said "Let your mourning be!
I'll carry the dead corpse to the clay,
And come back and comfort thee."

"Comfort weel your seven sons !

For comfort will I ne'er [see]

I ween it was neither knave nor loon

Was in bower last night wi' me.'

The clinking bell gaed through the town, [For] the dead corpse to the clay.

Clerk Saunders stood at Margaret's window An hour before the day.

"Are ye sleeping? Margaret!" he says,—
"Are ye waking presently?

Give me my faith and troth again,
True Love! I gave to thee!"

'Your faith and troth ye shall never get,
Nor our true love shall never twin,

Until ye come within my bower

And kiss me cheek and chin!"

"My mouth it is full cold, Margaret !

Has the smell now of the ground;

And if I kiss thy comely mouth [Thy] days of life [are found].

"O, cocks are crowing a merry mid night,
The wild fowls are boding day;

Give me my faith and troth again,
Let me fare on my way!"

"Thy faith and troth thou shall na get,
Nor our true love shall never twin,
Until ye tell me what comes of women
Who die in strong travailin'."

"Their beds are made in the heavens high,
At the [side] of Our Lord's knee,
Weel set about wi' gillyflowers,

I wot sweet for to see.

"O, cocks are crowing a merry mid night,
The wild fowl are boding day;

The psalms of heaven will soon be sung,
And I will be miss'd away."

Then she has ta'en a crystal wand,

She has stroken her troth thereon,

She has given it him out at the shot window Wi' mony a sigh and groan.

"I thank ye, Margaret! Margaret! And I thank ye heartily;

Gin ever the dead come for the quick,

Be sure I will come for thee."

It's hosen and shoon and gown alone :
Clomb the wall and followed him
Until she came to the green forest;
There she lost sight of him.

"Is there ony room at your head? Saunders ! Is there ony rocm at your feet?

Or any room at your side? Saunders!
Where fain, fain I would sleep."

"There's nae room at my head, Margaret! There's nae room at my feet;

My bed it is full lowly now,

'Mang the hungry worms I sleep.

"Cauld mould it is my covering now,
But and my winding sheet;
The dew it falls nae sooner down
Than my resting-place is weet."

EARL RICHARD.

"O Lady! rock never your young young son One hour the langer for me:

For I have a sweetheart in Garlioch Wells I love far better than thee.

"The very sole o' that Lady's foot

Than thy face is far mair white."

"But ne'ertheless now, Earl Richard! Ye'll bide in my bower the night!"

She birled him wi' the ale and wine
As they sat down to sup;
A living man he laid him down,
But I wot he ne'er rose up.

Then up and spake the popinjay
That flew abune her heid,-

"Lady! keep weel your green clothing
Frae gude Earl Richard's bleid!"

"O better I'll keep my green clothing Frae gude Earl Richard's bleid

Than thou canst keep thy clattering tongue That trattles in thy heid."

She has called unto her bower maidens,
She has called them ane by ane :
There lies a dead man in my bower,-
I wish that he were gane."

They hae booted him and spurred him,

As he was wont to ride;

And hae had him to the wan water,
For a' men call it Clyde.

Then up and spake the popinjay

That sat upon the tree

"What hae ye done wi' Earl Richard ? Ye were his gay lady."

"Come down! come down, my bonnie bird! And sit upon my hand!

And thou shalt hae a cage o' gowd

Where thou hast but the wand."

"Awa! awa, ye ill woman!

As

Nae cage o' gowd for me:

ye

hae done to Earl Richard, Sae would ye do to me."

O it fell anes, upon a day,

The king was boun' to ride;

And he has miss'd him, Earl Richard,
Should have ridden on his right side.

The Lady turn'd her round about,
Wi' mickle mournfu' din :

"It fears me sair o' Clyde water,
That he is drown'd therein."

"Gar douk! gar douk!" the king he cried,"Gar douk, for gowd and fee!

O wha'll douk for Earl Richard's sake?
O wha will douk for me?"