THE LAIRD OF KNOTTINGTON
The Text was sent to Percy in 1768 by R. Lambe of Norham. The ballad is widely known in Scotland under several titles, but the most usual is The Broom of Cowdenknows, which was the title used by Scott in the Minstrelsy.
The Story is not consistently told in this version, as in 11.3,4 the daughter gives away her secret to her father in an absurd fashion.
An English song, printed as a broadside about 1640, The Lovely Northerne Lasse, is directed to be sung ‘to a pleasant Scotch tune, called The broom of Cowden Knowes.’ It is a poor variant of our ballad, in the usual broadside style, and cannot have been written by any one fully acquainted with the Scottish ballad. It is in the Roxburghe, Douce, and other collections.
THE LAIRD OF KNOTTINGTON
1.
1.2 ‘knows,’ knolls.
1.4 ‘bught,’ sheep-pen.
There was a troop of merry gentlemen