“Wha looks to freits, [95] my master dear,
Their freits will follow them;
Let it ne’er be said brave Edom o’ Gordon
Was daunted with a dame.”
[But when the ladye saw the fire
Come flaming o’er her head,
She wept, and kissed her children twain;
Said—“Bairns, we been but dead.”
The Gordon then his bugle blew,
And said—“Away, away!
The house of Towie is all in a flame,
I hald it time to gae.”]
Oh, then he spied her ain dear lord,
As he came o’er the lea;
He saw his castle all in a flame,
As far as he could see.
Then sair, oh sair his mind misgave,
And oh, his heart was wae!
“Put on, put on, my wighty [96a] men,
As fast as ye can gae.
“Put on, put on, my wighty men,
As fast as ye can drie;
For he that is hindmost of the thrang
Shall ne’er get gude of me!”
Then some they rade, and some they ran,
Full fast out o’er the bent;
But ere the foremost could win up,
Baith ladye and babes were brent.
[He wrang his hands, he rent his hair,
And wept in tearful mood;
“Ah, traitors! for this cruel deed,
Ye shall weep tears of bluid.”
And after the Gordon he has gane,
Sae fast as he might drie;
And soon in the Gordon’s foul heart’s bluid
He’s wroken [96b] his dear layde.]
And mony were the mudie [97] men
Lay gasping on the green;
And mony were the fair ladyes
Lay lemanless at hame.