"If I should come within thy bower,

I am no earthly man:

And should I kiss thy rosy lips

Thy days would not be lang.

"O sweet Marg❜ret, O dear Mar'gret, I pray thee speak to me:

Give me my faith and troth, Marg❜ret, As I gave it to thee."

"Thy faith and troth thou❜lt never get, Of me shalt never win,

Till you take me to yon kirk-yard,
And wed me with a ring.”

"My bones are buried in yon kirk-yard

Afar beyond the sea,

And it is but my spirit, Marg❜ret,

That's now speaking to thee."

She stretched out her lily-white hand,
And for to do her best:

"Ha'e there your faith and troth, Willie, God send your soul good rest."

Now she has kilted her robe o' green

A piece below her knee,

And a' the live-lang winter night

The dead corp followed she.

"Is there any room at your head, Willie,

Or any room at your feet?

Or any room at your side, Willie,

Wherein that I may creep?"

"There's nae room at my head, Marg❜ret,

There's nae room at my feet;

There's nae room at my side, Marg❜ret, My coffin's made so meet."

Then up and crew the red, red cock,

And up and crew the gray;

""Tis time, 'tis time, my dear Marg❜ret,

That you were gane awa'."

Unknown

WILLY REILLY

"OH! rise up, Willy Reilly, and come along with me,
I mean for to go with you and leave this counterie,
To leave my father's dwelling, his houses and free land;'
And away goes Willy Reilly and his dear Coolen Ban.

They go by hills and mountains, and by yon lonesome plain,
Through shady groves and valleys, all dangers to refrain;
But her father followed after with a well-armed band,
And taken was poor Reilly and his dear Coolen Ban.

It's home then she was taken, and in her closet bound;
Poor Reilly all in Sligo jail lay on the stony ground,
Till at the bar of justice, before the Judge he'd stand,
For nothing but the stealing of his dear Coolen Ban.

"Now in the cold, cold iron my hands and feet are bound,
I'm handcuffed like a murderer, and tied unto the ground.
But all the toil and slavery I'm willing for to stand,
Still hoping to be succoured by my dear Coolen Ban.”

The jailer's son to Reilly goes, and thus to him did say:
"Oh! get up, Willy Reilly, you must appear this day,
For great Squire Foillard's anger you never can withstand:
I'm afeered you'll suffer sorely for your dear Coolen Ban.

"This is the news, young Reilly, last night that I did hear: The lady's oath will hang you or else will set you clear." "If that be so," says Reilly, "her pleasure I will stand, Still hoping to be succoured by my dear Coolen Ban."

Now Willy's dressed from top to toe all in a suit of green, His hair hangs o'er his shoulders most glorious to be seen; He's tall and straight, and comely as any could be found; He's fit for Foillard's daughter, was she heiress to a crown.

The Judge he said: "This lady being in her tender youth,
If Reilly has deluded her she will declare the truth."
Then, like a moving beauty bright, before him she did stand,
"You're welcome there, my heart's delight and dear Coolen
Ban."

"Oh, gentlemen," Squire Foillard said, "with pity look on

me,

This villain came amongst us to disgrace our family,
And by his base contrivances this villainy was planned;
If I don't get satisfaction I'll quit this Irish land."

The lady with a tear began, and thus replied she:
"The fault is none of Reilly's, the blame lies all on me,
I forced him for to leave this place and come along with me;
I loved him out of measure, which wrought our destiny."

Out bespoke the noble Fox, at the table he stood by: "Oh, gentlemen, consider on this extremity;

To hang a man for love is a murder, you may see:

So spare the life of Reilly, let him leave this counterie."

'Good my lord, he stole from her her diamonds and her

rings,

Gold watch and silver buckles, and many precious things, Which cost me in bright guineas more than five hundred pounds,

I'll have the life of Reilly should I lose ten thousand pounds."

"Good my lord, I gave them him as tokens of true love, And when we are a-parting I will them all remove; If you have got them, Reilly, pray send them home to me." "I will, my loving lady, with many thanks to thee."

"There is a ring among them I allow yourself to wear, With thirty locket diamonds well set in silver fair, And as a true-love token wear it on your right hand, That you'll think on my poor broken heart when you're in foreign land."

Then out spoke noble Fox: "You may let the prisoner go; The lady's oath has cleared him, as the Jury all may know. She has released her own true love, she has renewed his name; May her honor bright gain high estate, and her offspring rise to fame!"

Unknown

THE TWA CORBIES

As I was walking all alane

I heard twa corbies making a mane;
The tane unto the t'other did say,
"Where sall we gang and dine to-day?"

-In behint yon auld fail dyke

I wot there lies a new-slain Knight;
And naebody kens that he lies there,
But his hawk, his hound, and lady fair.

"His hound is to the hunting gane,
His hawk to fetch the wild-fowl hame,
His lady's ta'en another mate,

So we may mak our dinner sweet.

"Ye'll set on his white hause-bane,

And I'll pick out his bonnie blue een:

Wi' ae lock o' his gowden hair

We'll theek our nest when it grows bare.

"Mony a one for him make mane,
But nane sall ken whar he is gane;

O'er his white banes, when they are bare,
The wind sall blaw for evermair."

Unknown

THE THREE RAVENS

THERE were three ravens sat on a tree,
They were as black as they might be.

The one of them said to his mate,
"Where shall we our breakfast take?"

"Down in yonder greenè field

There lies a knight slain under his shield;

"His hounds they lie down at his feet,

So well do they their master keep;

"His hawks they fly so eagerly,
There's no fowl dare come him nigh.

"Down there comes a fallow doe
As great with young as she might goe.

"She lifted up his bloudy head

And kist his wounds that were so red.

"She gat him up upon her back
And carried him to earthen lake.

"She buried him before the prime,
She was dead herself ere evensong time.

'God send every gentleman

Such hounds, such hawks, and such a leman."

Unknown

LORD RANDAL

"O WHERE hae ye been, Lord Randal, my son?

O where hae ye been, my handsome young man?" "I hae been to the wild wood; mother, make my bed soon; For I'm weary wi' hunting, and fain wald lie doun."

"Where gat ye your dinner, Lord Randal, my son? Where gat ye your dinner, my handsome young man?" "I dined wi' my true-love; mother, make my bed soon; For I'm weary wi' hunting, and fain wald lie doun."

"What gat ye to your dinner, Lord Randal, my son? What gat ye to your dinner, my handsome young man?" "I gat eels boiled in broo; mother, make my bed soon; For I'm weary wi' hunting, and fain wald lie doun."