The Duke of Athol's Nurse
As I gaed in by yon greenwood
I heard a fair maid singing,
She sang sae sweet and sae complete
That a' the woods were ringing.
"I am the Duke of Athol's nurse,
My post it is very weel becoming,
But I would gie my half year's fee
For ae sicht o' my leman."
"Ye say you're the Duke of Athol's nurse,
And your post it is very weel becoming;
Keep weel, keep weel your half year's fee,
Ye'll get twa sichts o' your leman."
He leaned him owre his saddle bow
And cannily kissed his dearie;
Said; "Ye hae my hairt but another has my hand,
What better can ye hae o' me?"
"Gin I hae your hairt and another has your hand,
These words they hae fairly undone me,
But let us set a time and tryst to meet again,
And in good friendship ye'll twine me.
"Ye'll do ye doon to you tavern house
And drink till it be dawin',
And as sure as I'm a woman true,
I'll come and clear your lawin.
"Ye'll spare no' the wine although it be fine,
Nor ony drink though it be rarely,
But ye'll aye drink to the bonnie lassie's health
That's to clear your lawin fairly."
He's done him doan to yon tavern hoose
And drank till the day was dawin',
And ilka glass he drank the lassie's health
That was coming to clear his lawin.
And aye as he birled and aye as he drank
The good beer and the brandy,
He spared no' the wine although it was fine,
The sack nor the sugar candy.
"It's a wonder to me" the squire he did say,
"That my bonnie lassie's sae delayin',
She promised as sure as she loved me ance,
She would be here by the dawin'."
He's ta'en him up to a shot window,
A little before the dawin',
And there he spied her brothers three,
Wi' their swords a' weel drawn.
"O where shall I rin or where shall I gang,
O where shall I gang and hide me?
She that was to meet me in friendship this day,
Has sent her brithers to slay me."
He's gane to the landlady o' the hoose,
To see gin she could save him;
She's dressed him in her ain clothin'
And set him to the bakin'.
She's gi'en him a suit o' her female claes,
And set him to the bakin'
The birds on the bush ne'er sang mair sweet
Than the young squire sang at his bakin'.
And when their hand it was at the door,
Sae loudly as they rappit,
And when they cam' upon the floor,
Sae loudly as they chappit.
"O had ye a quarterer here last nicht,
Wha drank till the day was dawin'?"
"He ca'd for a pint and he paid it ere he went,
And there's naething to clear o' his lawin."
Ane o' them being in a very merry mood,
To the young squire fell a-talkin';
The wife took her foot and gied him a kick,
Says: "Haste ye bonnie Annie wi' your bakin'."
They socht the house up and they socht the hoose doon
And they spared nae the curtains for their rivin',
And ilka ane o' them as they passed by,
They kissed the bonnie lassie at her bakin'