He had not been in Edinborough

Not quarters of a year three,

But some did give him, and some said Nay! And some bid "To the Deil gang ye!

"For if we should hang any land [seller] The first we would begin with thee." "Now well-a-day!" said the Heir of Linne,— "Now well-a-day, and woe is me!

"For now I have sold my lands so broad,
[Every] man is irk with me;

But when I was the lord of Linne
Then on my land I lived merrily.

"And now I have sold my land so broad,
I have not left me one penny.
God be with my father!" he said,-
"On his land he lived merrily."

Still in a study there as he stood

He unbethought him of [a] bill Which his father had left with him

[Which he had kept unto him still].

Bade him he should never on it look
Till he was in extreme need;

"And by my faith," said the Heir of Linne,— "Than now I had never more need."

He took the bill and look'd it on ;

Good comfort that he found there :

It told him of a castle wall

Where there stood three chests in fere.

Two were full of the beaten gold,
The third was full of white money;
He turn'd then down his bags of bread,
And fill'd them full of gold [ruddy].

Then he did never cease nor blan

Till John o' the Scales' house he did win; When that he came to John o' the Scales' Up at the speir he looked [in].

There sat three lords upon a row,

And John o' the Scales at the board's head, Because he was the lord of Linne

[As hath been herein aforesaid].

And then bespake the Heir of Linne,

To John o' the Scales' wife thus said he,Said "Dame! wilt thou not trust me one shot, That I may sit down in this company?"

"Now Christ's curse on my head," she said,— "If I do trust thee one penny!"

Then bespake a good fellow

Which sat by John o' the Scales his knee :

Said "Have thou here, thou Heir of Linne!
Forty pence I will lend thee,-

Sometime a good fellow thou hast been;
And other forty if need be."

They drunken wine that was so clear,
And every man they made merry;

And then bespake him John o' the Scales,-
Unto the [Heir] of Linne said he :

Said "How doest thou, Heir of Linne!
Since I did buy thy lands of thee?
I will sell it thee twentily better cheap
Nor ever I did buy it of thee."

"I draw you to record, lords all! "
With that he cast him God's penny;
Then he took to his bags of bread,

And they were full of the gold [ruddy].

He told him the gold then over the board,-
It wanted never a [bare] penny :

"That gold is thine, the land is mine;

And the [lord] of Linne again I'll be."

"Now well-a-day!” said John o' the Scales' wife,“Well-a-day, and woe is me !

Yesterday I was the Lady of Linne ;
Now I but John o' the Scales' wife [be]."

Says "Have thou here, thou good fellow!
Forty pence thou didst lend me :
I'll make thee keeper of my forest,
And forty pounds I will give thee."

[And] then bespake the Heir of Linne,
These were the words, and thus said he :

"Christ's curse light upon my crown If e'er my land stand in jeopardy!

THE OLD CLOAK.

In winter when the rain rain'd cauld,
And frost and snaw on ilka hill,
And Boreas wi' his blasts sae bauld

Was threatening a' our kye to kill,
Then Bell, my wife, wha loves na strife,
She said to me right hastily—
"Get up, gudeman! save Crummie's life,
And tak' your auld cloak about ye!"

"O Bell! why dost thou flyte and scorn? Thou ken'st my cloak is very thin:

It is so bare and overworn,

A crick he thereon canna rin.

Then I'll nae langer borrow nor lend,

For anes I'll new apparel'd be ;

To-morrow I'll to town and spend,
I'll hae a new cloak about me!"

"My Crummie is a usefu' cow,

66

And she is come o' a gude kine ; Aft hath she wet the bairnies' mou', And I am laith that she should tyne. Get up, gudeman! it is fu' time,

The sun shines in the lift sae hie; Sloth never made a gracious end :

Gae tak' your auld cloak about ye!"

My cloak was anes a gude grey cloak, When it was fitting for my wear; But now it's scantly worth a groat,

For I hae worn it this thirty year. Let's spend the gear that we hae won! We little ken the day we'll dee: Then I'll be proud, since I hae sworn To have a new cloak about me."

"In days when gude King Robert rang, His trews they cost but half a crown : He said they were a groat owre dear,

And call'd the tailor thief and loon. He was the King, that wore a crown, And thou art a man o' laigh degree ;'Tis pride puts a' the country down : Sae tak' your auld cloak about ye!"

66 Every land has its ain laugh,

Ilk kind o' corn it has its hool;
I think the warld is a' run wrang
When ilka wife her man would rule.
Do ye not see Rob, Jack, and Hab,
As they are girded gallantly,
While I sit hurkling in the ase?

Ill have a new cloak about me!"

"Gudeman! I wot 'tis thirty years

Since we did ane anither ken;
And we have had between us twa

Of lads and bonny lasses ten:
Now they are women grown and men,
I wish and pray weel may they be :
And if you'd prove a good husband,
E'en tak' your auld cloak about ye!"
Bell, my wife, she loves na strife,

But she would guide me, if she can ;
And to maintain an easy life

I aft maun yield, though I'm gudeman.
Nought's to be won at woman's han'
Unless ye gi'e her a' the plea :
Then I'll leave off where I began,
And tak' my auld cloak about me.

THE NUT-BROWN MAID.

Be it right or wrong, these men among
On women do complain,
Affirming this, how that it is

A labour spent in vain

To love them well, for never a deal

They love a man again.

For let a man do what he can

Their favour to attain,

Yet if a new do them pursue

Their first true lover than

Laboureth for nought: for from her thought He is a banish'd man.

I say not Nay, but that all day

It is both writ and said

That woman's faith is, as who saith,

All utterly decay'd;

But ne'ertheless, right good witness

In this case might be laid,