"O how can I carry a letter to her, "The white o' my love's skin is white The red o' my love's cheek is red "When ye come to the castle, "Four and twenty fair ladies The fairest lady there." When the gos-hawk flew to that castle, He lighted on the ash; And there he sat and sang their loves "Stay where ye be, my maidens a', And sip red wine anon, Till I go to my west window And hear a birdie's moan." She's gane unto her west window, And unto that lady's white, white neck The bird a letter threw. "Ye're bidden to send your love a send, For he has sent you twa; And tell him where he may see you soon, Or he cannot live ava." "I send him the ring from my finger, I send him the heart that's in my breast; Ye'll bid him wait for me there." She hied her to her father dear "I'm sick at the heart, my father dear; For him ye'll never see!" "An asking, an asking, dear father!" she says, 66 'An asking grant you me; That if I die in fair England, "At the first kirk o' fair Scotland, "At the third kirk o' fair Scotland, "This is all my asking, father, I pray ye grant it me!" "Your asking is but small," he said; "Weel granted it shall be. But why do ye talk o' suchlike things? The lady's gane to her chamber, The lady's gane to her chamber As fast as she could fare; And she has drunk a sleepy draught, She's fallen into a heavy trance, Out and spak' an auld witch-wife, At the fireside sat she: "Gin she has killed herself for love, I wot it weel may be: "But drap the het lead on her cheek, And drap it on her bosom white, They drapped the het lead on her cheek, But she spake none again. Her brothers they went to a room, To make to her a bier; The boards were a' o' the cedar wood, The edges o' silver clear. Her sisters they went to a room, To make to her a sark; The cloth was a' o' the satin fine, And the stitching silken-wark. "Now well is me, my gay gos-hawk, That ye have brought to me.” "She sends ye her ring frae her finger white, The garland frae her hair; She sends ye the heart within her breast; And what would ye have mair? "Come hither, all my merry young men! For we must on towards fair England The funeral came into fair Scotland, And when it came to the third kirk, At the fourth kirk in fair Scotland And up and started her ain true love, "Set down, set down the bier," he says, "Till I look upon the dead; The last time that I saw her face, He stripped the sheet from off her face The lady then she opened her eyes, "O give me a shive o' your bread, love, O give me a cup o' your wine! Long have I fasted for your sake, And now I fain would dine. "Gae hame, gae hame, my seven brothers, And ye may say that ye sought my skaith, "I cam' na here to bonny Scotland But I cam' here to bonny Scotland, "I cam' na here to bonny Scotland, To the man that I lo'e best!" Unknown SWEET WILLIAM AND MAY MARG'RET THERE came a ghost to Marg❜ret's door, With many a grievous groan, And aye he tirlèd at the pin, But answer made she none. "Is that my father Philip, Or is't my brother John? Or is't my true-love Willie, From Scotland new come home?" ""Tis not thy father Philip, Nor yet thy brother John But 'tis thy true-love Willie, From Scotland new come home. "O sweet Marg'ret, O dear Marg❜ret, Give me my faith and troth, Marg❜ret, "Thy faith and troth thou'lt never get, Of me shalt never win, Till that thou come within my bower, |