Then to the wood they baith are gane;105
John Thomson clamb frae tree to tree;
And aye he sighed and said, "Och hone!
Here comes the day that I must die."
He tied a ribbon on every branch,
Put up a flag his men might see;110
But little did his false faes ken
He meant them any injurie.
He set his horn unto his mouth,
And he has blawn baith loud and schill:
And then three thousand armed men115
Cam tripping all out ower the hill.
"Deliver us our chief," they all did cry;
"It's by our hand that ye must die;"
"Here is your chief," the Turk replied,
With that fell on his bended knee.120
"O mercy, mercy, good fellows all,
Mercy I pray you'll grant to me;"
"Such mercy as ye meant to give,
Such mercy we shall give to thee."
This Turk they in his castel burnt,125
That stood upon yon hill so hie;
John Thomson's gay ladie they took
And hanged her on yon greenwood tree.
LORD THOMAS STUART.
From Maidment's North Countrie Garland, p. 1.